BEIJING - SOME 1,500 dogs in northeast China have died after eating animal feed tainted with the same chemical that contaminated dairy products and sickened tens of thousands of babies nationwide, a veterinarian said on Monday.

The raccoon dogs - a breed native to east Asia that is raised for its fur - were fed a product that contained the chemical melamine and developed kidney stones, said Mr Zhang Wenkui, a veterinary professor at Shenyang Agriculture University.

All of the dogs died on farms in just one village.

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