05/01/2021
PLEASE check your dogs treats. We have had 2 cases of melamine toxicity causing renal failure connected to dog treats made in China: Dreambones, Good n Fun and Golden Rewards are specific to our cases. Please check your pets treats to avoid this. Dr. Smith has contacted the USDA to help resolve this issue.
In 2007 an outbreak confirmed that dogs were victims of melamine/cyanuric acid toxicosis.
Cause
Melamine is synthesized from urea and made into industrial products such as melamine resin, a very durable plastic, and melamine foam, a cleaning agent. Nitrogen content has long been used as an indirect means for assessing the protein content of foods, and melamine is 66% nitrogen. It is now generally accepted that melamine was intentionally added by suppliers in China to falsely elevate the measured protein content and the monetary value of vegetable proteins. It was also apparent this was a longstanding practice. While melamine alone is relatively nontoxic in dogs and rodents, melamine and cyanuric acid together are highly toxic. The cyanuric acid may have also been added intentionally or it may have been a by-product of melamine synthesis. Melamine and cyanuric acid are excreted unchanged into the urine, and, when given together, form insoluble crystals that obstruct and damage renal tubules and cause kidney failure.
Clinical and Pathologic Findings
Poisoned animals had clinical and laboratory evidence of uremia, including anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, polyuria, azotemia and hyperphosphatemia. Most animals died or were euthanized because of severe uremia. Histologically, characteristic lesions included mild distal renal tubular necrosis with unique intratubular crystals, variable inflammation and, in more chronic cases, fibrosis.