ABC news is reporting a 30% increase in kidney failure among cats during the 3 months that contaminated pet food was sold in the US. The data was compiled from a database of 615 veterinary hospitals.

The veterinary hospital chain saw 1 million dogs and cats during the three months when the more than 100 brands of now-recalled contaminated pet food were sold. It saw 284 extra cases of kidney failure among cats during that period, or a roughly 30 percent increase when compared with background rates. It’s not clear if those animals ate the contaminated food, though it seems likely.

“It has meaning, when you see a peak like that. We see so many pets here, and it coincided with the recall period,” said veterinarian Hugh Lewis, who oversees the mining of Banfield’s database to do clinical studies. The chain continues to share its data with the Food and Drug Administration.

—MEGHANN MARCO

Tainted Pet Food-Kidney Illness Link [ABC News]
(Photo: Lazy Lightening)

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