Something’s wrong with my pet’s food!
By Cat Barr, PhD, DABT
As a veterinarian, how often do your clients think “Rascal’s” food is what caused him to be sick? What do you tell them? Do they report this instance of possible food contamination?
The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) is now part of the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN). Our analytical chemistry and microbiology capabilities are part of a national network of diagnostic and public health laboratories dedicated to detecting the causes of food and drug adverse events, such as the melamine-contaminated pet food outbreak in 2007.
In order for Vet-LIRN to follow up on cases of possible adverse events in pet food and/or drugs, veterinarians and pet owners are encouraged to submit reports to the FDA.
Learn more about how Vet-LIRN works by viewing their resource page. For more information on how to report a problem to the FDA and in what instances reporting is recommended, view the FDA’s Report a Problem to FDA page.
TVMDL is dedicated to protecting both animal and human health through diagnostics. Contact the TVMDL laboratory nearest to you or visit tvmdl.tamu.edu for more information about TVMDL’s test offerings.
