Rat Poison May Be to Blame in Pet Food Recall

Shannon Weidemann

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The New York Department of Agriculture has discovered that rat poison was in the recalled Menu Foods pet food. The dog and cat food has been linked to kidney failure. It includes over 90 brands of canned and foil packet "cuts and gravy" style food.

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said, "A collaborative effort between the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and the State Food Laboratory identified aminopterin, which is a toxic chemical that has been identified as a rodenticide, in cat food samples from Menu Foods."

Dan Rice of the New York State Food Laboratory said, "This makes sense, that this agent would be responsible for what was being in seen in the illnesses in the animals."

A Menu Foods spokesperson says they're investigating whether this poisoning was an accident.

Signs of kidney failure include vomitting, loss of appetite, and increased thirst. If your pet has eaten any of the recalled foods and is showing any of these signs, contact your veterinarian immediately. If you would like to speak with an attorney about this matter, please use the contact form on the right.