Thousands More Pets Could Die From Tainted Food

March 27, 2007 — -- New concerns have emerged about the potential death toll caused by the recent pet food contamination. Tens of thousands of cats and dogs could be affected by the rat poison-tainted food, according to veterinarians.

The official death count from the government and the food maker, Menu Foods, stands at 15 animals. But on the Veterinary Information Network Web site, where only animal doctors can post, 104 deaths have been reported.

Dr. Paul Pion, the veterinarian who runs the site, believes that means the scope of the problem is being seriously under-reported.

"Out there in the world there's no doubt there's 1,000 cases, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was 10 times that or more," he said.

Pion said that while his conclusion is unscientific, he believes it reflects how widespread the poisonings have become.

And in Canada, a woman tried to coax her dog who wasn't eating by eating a bit of its pet food herself. She became violently ill and is now awaiting tests to see if it was related to the food.