Thursday, 5 August 2021

Cat Astrophe

In the UK, many pet cats are dying from Pancytopenia, a condition in which all the animal's blood cell categories are substantially reduced. The precise number of deaths is uncertain, as many are unreported. There are, however, at least many hundreds of fatalities (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/aug/05/toxic-cat-food-fear-as-vets-struggle-with-mysterious-illness). The cause of the outbreak of Pancytopenia has not been definitively identified. Suspicion has fallen, however, on certain pet foods. Batches of cat food, manufactured by Fold Hill Foods, were recalled in mid-June. One possibility is, that some of its plant ingredients, contained mycotoxins (poisons produced by fungi). Veterinary bodies are concerned, that some cat owners may not have heard about the recall of the food, and have continued to feed it to their pets.

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