Because pentobarbital is used to euthanize dogs and cats at animal shelters, finding pentobarbital in rendered feed ingredients could suggest that the pets were rendered and used in pet food.
CVM scientists, as part of their investigation, developed a test to detect dog and cat DNA in the protein of the dog food. All samples from the most recent dog food survey (2000) that tested positive for pentobarbital, as well as a subset of samples that tested negative, were examined for the presence of remains derived from dogs or cats. The results demonstrated a complete absence of material that would have been derived from euthanized dogs or cats. The sensitivity of this method is 0.005% on a weight/weight basis; that is, the method can detect a minimum of 5 pounds of rendered remains in 50 tons of finished feed. Presently, it is assumed that the pentobarbital residues are entering pet foods from euthanized, rendered cattle or even horses.
Finding levels of pentobarbital residues in dog food
Upon finding pentobarbital residues in dog food, the researchers undertook an assessment of the risk dogs might face. Dogs were given known quantities of pentobarbital for eight weeks to determine if consumption of small amounts of pentobarbital resulted in any physiological changes that could indicate potential effects on health. In short, the scientists wanted to find the level of pentobarbital dogs could be exposed to that would show no biological effects. The most sensitive indicator that pentobarbital had an effect is an increase in the production of certain enzymes collectively called cytochrome P450.
Virtually all animals produce enzymes as a normal response to metabolize naturally occurring and man-made chemicals in their environment. Barbituates, such as pentobarbital, are especially efficient at causing the liver to produce these enzymes. In dogs, the most sensitive biological response to pentobarbital is an increase in the production of cytochrome P450 enzymes, which is why the scientists chose that as the best indicator of biological effect. If a low level of pentobarbital did not cause a dog to produce additional cytochrome P450 enzymes, then scientists could assume that the pentobarbital at that low level had no significant effect on the dog.
The first link was an article by a private person with unknown qualifications as a journalist and I would discount it. She leaps from "some material comes from animal shelters" to "there are dogs and cats in pet food". Even if the former is true shelters also take in goats, pigs, horses, donkeys, poultry and other animals that would be suitable for pet food.
BoSoxGal wrote:Yes dear, but you seem to have missed the salient point: there is no prohibition on using rendered dogs and cats in pet food. Zero. Nada.
So, are you relying on the ethics of major pet food producers?
I'm not.
A crackpot with a website claims that there is no prohibition. She is wrong that they are doing it so it is likely that she is wrong that there is no prohibition. She is not terribly well-organized mentally speaking.
I am persuaded by the evidence that it is just not happening. If you have test data which shows otherwise then you have a point. Otherwise, NOGAS.
It is not like we are a 2nd world country like England who allowed the feeding of sheep offal to cows and created the mad cow disease problem.
i had a great cat get sick from the Chinese petfood that caused kidney probs, a few years back.....
he made it thru and sired many litters and ruled the hood for about 7 yrs....
stickey kittywas a bad cat....
white cats are all over the old neighborhood....
he attack ed a pit mix that came into the yard once during a pic nic. you could hear him ripping thru the grass and you could hear the oomph as he hit the dog, and hung on with all claws engaged.....
the poor dog yelped until the cows came home////
it wasn t a vicious dog, it was my neighbors pet, but stickey didn t know and the dog approached the wrong children......
