31st Mar 2009 - Melamine; Farm animal welfare

Melamine Poisoning from pet food

This week’s Veterinary Record has a letter describing the deaths from melamine poisoning of two dogs in Italy as a result of eating contaminated pet food. A few months ago there was a similar melamine-related pet food scandal in the USA in which a large number of dogs were affected. It transpired that many pet food manufacturers were using the same raw ingredients from China. Last year, melamine-contaminated baby milk caused widespread illness in China.
Several years ago we looked at Chinese-made dog treats made from dried sweet potato and brown rice. They looked wonderful but we decided against as we thought China was a risk. Seems we made the right decision.

Farm Animal Welfare

Another letter in the Veterinary Record alerts the profession about a treatment for chronic mastitis in dairy cows which is being recommended at local farmers’ meetings. This involves injecting ether into the affected quarter of the udder in order to destroy the mammary tissue. This is likely to be extremely painful and therefore should be condemned as a breach of welfare law.
We must remember that farm animals are not just units of production; they are sentient beings and must not be mistreated.
A few months ago, I wrote to the Farmers Guardian newspaper to make this point in response to an article which featured a farmer’s management strategy. Part of this strategy was to allow sick calves to “take their chance” rather than incur the expense of calling in the vet to treat them. I don’t think the letter was printed.

I brought home the morning papers on Saturday and gave Ciaran our son the Farmers’ Guardian. “Any sport,” says he, “Sheep racing, cheese rolling?”

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