We all love to spoil our pets with tasty treats and chews but we always wonder what, if any, are the consequences of buying the ‘low end’ products on the market.  We are always told to buy products that are made in North America and that are sourced from reputable manufacturers (like Complete Natural Nutrition) and not from places such as China.  Dr. Pusillo, being an animal forensic scientist, hears first-hand about the dangers with overseas products.  Below is a ‘repeat offender’ that has Dr. Pusillo shocked and appalled at the way they are handling their quality control and safety procedures and baffled by the support they get to continue their ‘practices’. ‘

For A Second time the same Chinese meat processor apologizes for contaminated pork  Dr. Gary Pusillo

Punishing a little 3 year old boy sticking a paperclip in a light socket is typically unnecessary since it is usually only a one time mistake. More likely than not, the zap and jolt of electricity going through the paperclip into the little boy’s fingers scares the heck out of him, and also hurts quite a bit.

The Shuanghui Group, China’s top meat processor, apologized last week for using clenbuterol contaminated pork and confirmed a heavy loss, the Beijing News reports ( 2011 Reed Business  ) Not one of the officials at the company got shocked or jolted!

These “spoiled rotten little boys” need to be hooked up to paperclip inserted into a light socket for several hours of on and off zapping and jolting to understand what they are doing has huge consequences in human and animal health. ( I do not condone torture, I  just want to make a

The Shuanghui Group, seems to be a bunch of “rich little boys” playing in light sockets with nails; they deceive their employees about what company policies are safe, they deceive the world that their human and pet products are safe, and they deceive their government by improperly covering up their use of illegal drugs ( yes I did say that).

Second time

This is the second time the company apologized after it was exposed using clenbuterol added pork in its meat products.  There was no shock, so there is no change in behavior.

Clenbuterol is banned as an additive in pig feed in China because it can end up in the flesh of pigs and is detrimental to humans and pets if consumed with tainted meat or byproduct pet treats such as raw hid, pig ears and similar products.

Dogs experiencing unexplained hives or (angioedematous plaques), swelling of the mouth, gums, lips and eye lids, facial edema, accompanied by tachycardia, muscle tremors and restlessness  after eating Chinese derived pork raw hide , pig ears or similar product; can be suspected of having some degree of clenbuterol toxicity. They need to be immediate brought to your Vet’s office along with the suspect product.

Oral administration of clenbuterol in dogs has been looked at by Zulfikar  et al 2005. The treatment group received oral administration of clenbuterol (8 μg/kg, 2x/day) during this period. The clenbuterol group increased significantly in body weight as compared with the control group (P < 0.05).

Kato et al 2005, found that oral administration of clenbuterol in dogs increased heart rate; the maximum responses were observed 1 to 2 h after administration and lasted for over 3 h.

  Let’s all try to send the Shuanghui Group a shocking experience and boycott their products!

Literature Citied 

Kato H, Nakayama K, Takata Y, Kurihara J, Sakai T, Iwata K, Yamamoto I Bronchodilating and cardiovascular effects of intraduodenally and orally administered clenbuterol in dogs

Arzneimittelforschung 1985; 35:1037-41.

Reed Business. 2011. Chinese meat processor apologizes for contaminated pork

.  AllAboutFeed.net   04 Apr 2011

Zulfikar Sharif, M.D.*, Robert L. Hammond, Ph.D.*, Philip McDonald*, Richard Vander Heide, Ph.D, M.D.†, Larry W. Stephenson, M.D.*  2005. The functional and histological effects of clenbuterol on the canine skeletal muscle ventricle JSR Journal of surgical research.Vol.123, Issue 1 pg 89-95