Dogs might be at threat of lead poisoning after scientists discovered “very high” concentrations from shotgun pellets in raw pheasant family pet food.
Lead is a poisonous metal that is harmful to both human beings and animals and its impacts are especially concentrated on the nerve system.
Despite the dietary threat to health, lead shot can be utilized lawfully to eliminate terrestrial video game birds, like pheasants, in the UK.
Most pheasants are consumed by individuals however some are minced and utilized in family pet food.
In a new study, researchers from the University of Cambridge found that more than three-quarters of the 90 samples they took from UK products had lead concentrations higher than the maximum residue level (MRL) permitted by law.
They tested three raw pheasant-based dog food products and found the mean average lead concentrations were approximately 245, 135 and 49 times higher than the MRL.
The overall mean average in raw pheasant dog food was found to be 34 times higher than in pheasant sold for human consumption, which is itself considered to be too high.
Professor Debbie Pain, of Cambridge University’s Zoology Department, said: “We were already aware that lead concentrations in pheasant meat sold for human consumption are often far higher than would be permitted in other meats like chicken, beef or pork.
“However, we were surprised to find that lead concentrations in raw pheasant dog food products were so much higher.”
The scientists said this might be due to the fact that pheasant is typically offered as entire birds or breasts for human beings however minced for dogs.
Mincing might separate the lead shot and produce more little particles in the meat, increasing the capacity for it to be taken in into the blood stream.
Dogs consuming food with such high concentrations of lead, specifically as their primary diet plan, are at threat of damage to their health, the scientists said.
Puppies are especially susceptible due to the fact that young animals soak up more of the lead they swallow and due to the fact that the establishing nerve system is particularly impacted by the harmful metal.
Nine shooting organisations in the UK have committed to phasing out the use of lead over five years, from February 2020, citing concerns for sustainability, wildlife and ensuring a healthy game market.
Cambridge scientists said they have consistently found compliance with the voluntary ban to be low but that a total ban in Denmark has been shown to be effective.
A ban on the sale and use of lead gunshot, along with restrictions on lead bullets, is currently being considered under the UK Reach Chemicals Regulation.
Publishing their work in the journal Ambio, the Cambridge researchers tested five pheasant-based dog food products.
Three of these were raw meat, one was dried pheasant and partridge, and the other was processed tinned pheasant and goose.
A further three equivalent chicken-based products (raw, dried and processed) were also tested.
Lead concentrations above the MRL were found in the dried pheasant-based product but at levels lower than that found in the raw meat.
None of the chicken or tinned pheasant-based products contained unacceptable levels of lead.
The researchers said raw dog food is widely available to the UK’s 13 million dogs which pheasant is offered by 34% of the 50 online raw family pet food providers they inspected, with 71% of those stating the meat might consist of shot.
Professor Rhys Green, co-author of the research study, said: “The fact that most samples from three randomly sampled raw pheasant pet food products had very high lead concentrations, and that our recent research on shot types used to kill pheasants found that 94% are shot with lead, suggests that this is a far broader issue than for just these three products.
“However, some producers may source pheasants that have not been shot with lead, and owners could ask about this when buying pet food.”
