While I was working at a Veterinary Clinic (I was the King of the Kennel) I was helping to give fluids to a dog. (I need Lactated Ringers I.V. Stat!) It took a while and there’s really nothing to do, so I was reading the heparin bottle.
It’s made from the Intestinal Mucous Secretions of pigs. Pig gut snot to keep clots away.
Since dogs and cats don’t have to keep Kosher, it was not an issue. But the thought has been bumping around in my head for a while. It got shook loose lately (tedious story- I’m not going into it now) and I really don’t know who to ask.
So…
Does using a medicine derived from a pig go against Kosher-ocity? Can a Jewish diabetic use pig-derived insulin?
I’d assume it’d be O.K. because it’s a drug, and not food. But, what do I know.
Well, I’ve given heparin to the Orthodox, and never heard this issue raised. And these days 99.999% of the insulin used in the US is from recombinant technology and has no porcine origins.
By the way, if I’m not mistaken, the laws of Kosher do, in fact, extend to animals owned by Jews. This is no problem for, say, cattle, which don’t (usually) eat meat anyway, but many Orthodox families find it more trouble than it’s worth to have a dog or cat, since it’s hard to find kosher pet foods.
IAAJ :j and this came up in a Hebrew school ethics class. (cmkeller and IzzyR can correct me if I’m wrong – this was a Reform synagogue).
The highest goal in Judiasm is to save a life. Therefore, the ultimate source of a necessary drug is irrelevant. However (according to the instructor of this class), if there is a beef equivalent available, that the beef is to be used.
As I said in my disclaimer, this was in a Reform synagogue, and others are free to discuss and debate as they see fit.
My grandmother is an Orthodox Jew, and I’m pretty sure she’s had some clottin recently, so we might have had it given to her. There wasn’t a problem, ;j
Most non-kosher (pet) foods are in the category of things that may not be eaten, but from which benefit may be derived (such as feeding them to your pet).
An exception to this rule is hametz on Pesah. A Jew must not own or possess hametz, nor benefit from it in any way. Thus, not only may the dog or cat not be fed such, but the pet owner may not possess any. OTOH, feeding Spot hamburger or Fluffy canned tuna for that short period does not seem to be a deal-breaker.
In short, all kosher laws go out the window, so to say, if one’s life is in danger. In addition, if a drug is not taken orally (and I’m not sure about Heparin) there is, likewise, no problem.
By the same token, there is no problem taking pig-derived insulin. Of course, if kosher alternatives are available, one should use them, but one should not refrain from taking necessary lifesaving medication because it is not kosher.
As far as pets go…
Pets of Jewish people do not have to eat kosher. My pet hamster, therefore, can eat pork if I wanted to feed it to him.
However, there are certain substances which a Jew is not allowed to have any benefit from (including feeding it to one’s animals). One such case, as Akatsukami pointed out is chametz (leavened products) on Passover.
Another example of a substance that a Jew cannot have any benefit from is any mixture where meat and milk were cooked together. One does need to check pet foods to make sure that there are no milk products in them (if they are meat-based). If a pet food is non-kosher it can be fed to a Jewish person’s pet. If it is a meat-milk mixture, however, the pet food is off-limits.
I was in the hospital about 10 years ago and they were sticking swine heparin in my IV. When I found out what it was, I told them to lose the swine and give me the vegetarian version. They complied. I’m glad to hear the swine isn’t used any more.
And Jomo Mojo, they told you what it was? I’d figure they’d just mutter something about clots and leave it at that. Of course telling you they were using the “vegitarian version”…well…um…yeah, I guess. It’s not like doctors ever lie, or anything…maybe it was a heparin substitute…
jomo, I don’t believe that you were given a vegetarian version of heparin. Mainly, I doubt your belief because no vegetarian version of heparin exists.
In the PDR (2001 edition) under Blood modifiers/anti-coagulants, 6 medications are listed.
1)Fragmin-heparin derivitive
2)Heparin-'nuff said
3Innohep-heparin derivitive
4)Lovenox-heparin derivitive
5)Orgaran-heparin derivitive
6)Coumadin-not a heparin derivitive
Compounds 1-5 are all heparins and all derive from pork intestinal mucosa. Number 6 is an anti-cougulant that is not derived from pork, but works in a different way, and in fact is dangerous if used in the manner one would use heparin.
I’m curious, then, as to why the elevators at the Jewish General are set to automatic operation on Shabbat when people can’t work elevator buttons. I mean, shouldn’t they have an override?
dr_mom_mcl had a woman in labour who was having complications, so they had to ship her over to the Jewish, since mom’s hospital doesn’t have the necessary facilities. They got her in the elevator, and CHUNK! it went down to the basement. Then CHUNK! back up to the first floor. Finally they found a cargo elevator and got her to maternity just in time. But I thought it was very peculiar that a hospital wouldn’t have an override for that function, especially considering that it’s not just Jews who use the Jewish General. (It’s part of the McGill University Health Centre and a major Montreal hospital.)
Presumably the Shabbat elevator there is for the use of Jewish non-emergency support staff and patients.
I imagine the hospital in question probably had a number of elevators and it was just dumb luck that the elevator that came for your Mom’s patient was the Shabbat one. As Zev said, all rules (for the most part) go out the window if necessary to save a life. I can’t imagine any hospital making the only elevator a Shabbat-automated one.