June 9, 2007

Acetominophen in Pet Food

Super Cool Pets is not a pet health blog, nor an advice column, but we would be remiss not to bring your attention to the latest pet food crisis. We all are busy and if you missed this, please read Tylenol Toxicity via Pet Foods--Say It Ain't So! from one of our fascinating reads Dolittler, a blog written by a kindly Miami vet. Great spot, by the way, to learn "how vets think."

Now that acetominophen has shown up in pet foods (in whopping doses), you should know what this common household toxin can do to your pets. Most of you keep this drug around—it’s the ubiquitous Tylenol we trust so well to relieve our fevers and headaches with a minimum of side effects. But it’s not so safe for pets.
Cats are especially susceptible to the dangers of Tylenol. Because they lack the enzymes required to break it down, it has a way of binding to their hemoglobin (that near and dear protein that we all rely on to carry oxygen around our body), thereby limiting it’s ability to do its job properly. So cats die—quickly.

Read More in: Cats | Food & Feeders | Health and Safety