4-D MEAT COULD BE MYSTERY COMPONENT IN GREYHOUND DEATHS

May 16, 2005 - Greyhound Advocates Urge Researchers to Consider that Pathogens in Race-Dog Diet Combined with Kennel Cough Yield a Deadly Mix

Boston, Massachusetts ñ As the death toll from a mysterious illness in racing greyhounds continues to mount, the Greyhound Protection League (GPL) is scrambling to direct researchersí attention to the possible link between the fatalities and the feeding of raw 4-D meat. ìWe are concerned that the research community may not be fully aware of dietary practices inside the racing kennels. Since the racing industry has a financial incentive to keep this cheap source of feed out of the limelight, we feel that itís up to us to put it in the forefront for consideration.î said GPL president, Susan Netboy. ìItís clear that there is some unique factor in the life of racing greyhounds thatís turning a relatively benign kennel cough infection into a deadly disease.î GPL contends that dietary issues along with the stress of racing and genetic predisposition need to be considered. The group plans to make contact with various research entities and supply them with the background information and related research data needed to consider food-borne contaminants in the meat as a contributing factor in the deaths of nearly 30 greyhounds in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Iowa and Colorado.

4-D meat is the standard racing industry feed used in racing kennels and on dog farms throughout the country. It consists of meat and by-products from the bodies of dead, diseased, downed and dying cattle. The industry has resisted pressure to abandon its use in spite of scientific documentation that it presents a significant health risk to kennel workers, causes severe diarrhea in racing dogs and is responsible for a syndrome dubbed ìAlabama Rotî, a condition known only in racing greyhounds that causes severe skin ulcerations and renal failure. Known pathogens common in 4-D meat include: Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella, Listeria and tuberculosis.

The meat is shipped from processing plants to racing facilities in 10 to 40 lb frozen blocks that have to be thawed before use. The thawing process allows the already present disease-causing pathogens to proliferate for hours before the meat is fed raw to the dogs. Dr Arthur Strohbehn, who served as an Iowa track vet and public health official labeled 4-D meat a public health hazard and a ìpathogenic smorgasbord.î Strohbehn contends that organisms that cause sickness in diseased cattle are passed on to the dogs through the practice of feeding the contaminated meat product as a raw substance.

ìAt a minimum this noxious substance does not represent a wholesome diet for any animal,î said Netboy. ìIt is just common sense to consider it as the mystery element in the death of race dogs.î This is a common-sense theory that was substantiated by researchers at the University of Florida where E-coli was found in racing greyhounds that died of complications from kennel cough in 2004. ìWe feel that itís very important that this be considered by other researchers who have recently entered the investigative arena,î Netboy said.

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