Pet food from multiple brands tested positive for acetaminophen, a common pain-reliever drug found in Tylenol, according to a Texas laboratory. Both wet and dry dog and cat food samples contained a low concentration of acetaminophen, Donna Coneley, a spokesperson for ExperTox of Deer Park, Texas, told Pet Product News International via e-mail correspondence. Calls to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding this new development were not immediately returned. The agency has not confirmed or denied the finding. In business since 1995, ExperTox was asked by “individuals or manufacturers” to analyze the pet food samples, Coneley said. The company declined to name which pet foods had positive tests for acetaminophen, saying only that there were “multiple” brands involved. ExperTox also found cyanuric acid and/or melamine in some of the samples, Coneley added. Pets that ingest acetaminophen might show signs of depression, weakness or difficulty breathing, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Cats might also have swollen paws or faces, the nonprofit agency said.
