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-   -   Recall Support (https://www.neurotalk.org/pets-and-wildlife/16312-recall-support.html)

hsiw 03-26-2007 09:46 AM

Recall Support
 
I know that there is already a link here about the Pet Food Recall but I am hoping that someone can help me find more information. I have been calling, I have been searching online- and I dont know. Does anyone know if a class action lawsuit has been filed yet? I see online lots of places that are thinking of it. Does anyone know if kidney failure is reversible or the survival rate of severe renal failure? Does anyone know anyone who has gotten a reimbursement for pet bills? Has anyone been called back by Menufoods regarding this issue? I called the FDA, Nutro, & Menufoods and they all were voicemail or took my name to call me back.

I have statistics, but is bloodwork enough to prove this? In october her createnine levels were 1.1 for a normal range of .5-1.7 and NOW they are 9.7! Her BUN/Creatanine levels are 130 in a normal range of 7-27. In October they were 22! Everything was fine at her senior check up, she was in great health. That was before I changed her diet to Nutro. I have spoken to two doctors, I don't know what type of proof or written statement I should get from them. If anything happens to Lucy, I don't know what I will do. Nothing could pay for this.

~~~

Starting yesterday, Lucy has been vomiting and dizzy and not herself. Today I decided to check again the pet recall list. Her food has been added. Last week I was reassured by Petsmart that since her food was not on the list, it was safe.

Tonight, I took her to the emergency clinic and they told me she had renal failure with 85% kidney failure. She is staying the night, I coughed up $500 and will know tomorrow if it is even worth the trouble of a week of diluting her kidney. She will NEVER be back to normal. The best case scenario: a year of her life, with daily injections to flush her kidney out.

She had her senior check up less than a year ago and they said she was in PERFECT condition, no problems at all. She has been eating Nutro Ultra Senior for months now that she has been refusing dry food. Without dilution, she may not last a week. I am so angry at Petsmart whose website insists they have NO customers who have been affected. I am upset at Menufoods who says only 16 customers have been affected. Do the research, look online and you will find thousands of people with DEAD pets. You will find families who have lost ALL their cats and pets at once. And only 3 people are suing and it claims that those three have unrelated deaths. BS! They just have good lawyers that can wiggle out of it.

I have spent hundreds to thousands on Lucy because she likes to eat chocolate, she likes to eat cat poop, she had ear infections with a burst ear drum a few months ago. And what causes her to be sick now? Something I can't control, something that can't be fixed. I spend extra money to make sure she is getting the BEST FOOD I can afford, and it disappoints me that this is what happens. She is the healthiest beagle I have seen at 15 and my vet was shocked at how healthy she was. Wait till he hears tomorrow (he isn't open weekends, so she is at an emergency clinic).

I have left my name and number with both Menufoods, the company who somehow got rat poision into the canned food, and Nutro, the individual company of food she ate. What can be done? No amount of money will EVER pay for Lucy to get better. This really is a shame. I just don't understand. How could something like this happen?

mrsD 03-26-2007 11:00 AM

a really hard question!
 
This is really hard. Older cats and dogs get kidney failure.

I talked to my son this weekend. Here is his timeline for his Aimee:

This is a young cat, found on the street with an abdominal hernia. That was fixed, and he adopted her thru a rescue operation. They did NOT tell him of
her kidney issues.

A couple of months after he took her home she had two urinary tract infections.
Prompting Xrays, blood work, and finally a special ultrasound of her kidneys.

As it turns out she has congenitally malformed kidneys, so then he started feeding her a kidney formula. He gives Eukanuba pouches too, mostly to the other cat, but Aimee eats it sometimes.

So just before Xmas Aimee starts vomiting, and getting very lethargic. He takes her to an ER vet who did kidney tests along with other stuff, and said her kidneys were FINE. Then they say she has bacterial hepatitis. She recovers with IVs for 3 days.

So last week he took both cats to the vet for rabies update shot, and Aimee gets blood work for kidneys and she is back to high levels measured BUN and creatinine. But no higher than the first testings.

So he is puzzled why she showed normal at the ER place. Bad testing? poor diagnosis?

It has to be hard to prove anything. Who keeps the empty cans/pouches for evidence if the damage occurred before the announcement? Cats get renal failure easily/commonly..esp with age. So do small dogs. How to distinguish renal failure that would have come anyway from this incident?

And we don't even know if this issue has been in the works before. Do we have PROOF that this is the first and only shipment from China? NOPE.

You make some very valid points... maybe others here have more to offer?

I really feel for you and other pet owners who are going thru this decision making process. Keep all receipts-- maybe you have the food receipts at least? (we keep all receipts in this house for income tax purposes).

moose53 03-26-2007 11:32 AM

((((((HSIW)))))),

I'm sorry to hear about how sick Lucy has become :(


.


You might find this information helpful:

.


I agree, there's something fishy about the numbers that we're seeing in the news. They're saying that something like 16 animals have died. I know Menu Foods did a trial about a week ago in which 6 or 7 animals died (that's about a 20% death rate, based on the number of animals they tested). Between my local news and the people who lost animals in newsgroups that I belong to, like NeuroTalk, that's a heck of a lot more than "16" -- it's more like thousands.

I did a quick search through Google News, and it looks like there are now about three class action lawsuits started already -- one in Canada and two in the United States. There's a Yahoo-Health Newsgroup that's been formed about the class action lawsuits -- you might want to join that group and see what you can find out.

If you use the link that I posted above (
.
, you can find out how to post to an online database (for tracking purposes), how to notify your local branch of the FDA. I would also notify your local Attorney General's Office.

If you have any packaging or labels from the food that you gave, Lucy, keep those. Keep any sales receipts that you might have. Keep any vet bills.

It sounds like people are just now starting to pull together to figure out what to do about this. If you work together with other people that are in the same boat as you, it might help you collect your thoughts and get organized. Oh, I would also send a registered, certified letter to Menu Foods and ask how they intend to reimburse you for vet bills:

Paul Henderson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Menu Foods GenPar Limited
8 Falconer Drive
Mississauga, ON L5M 2C1 Canada

I don't know about the long-term implications of kidney failure. I had an old-old cat -- Fluffy -- that was diagnosed with kidney failure (brought on by old age, not poisoning). He lived for almost 6 years after the diagnosis. I finally put him down a week before his 22nd birthday because he seemed to be suffering too much.

I don't know what the implications are for your Lucy. I would make sure that I had a good, honest, caring vet who will keep me informed about what's best for Lucy. And hookup with as many other people are you can that are going through the same thing that you and Lucy are. Together, the burden is easier. And together, you're all stronger.

I love cats. I had 5 elderly cats up until about 8 years ago. They all died older than 16 years, except for one. I now have 3 brothers that are 8 1/2 years old. I thank God every day that my "bad feelings" about Science Diet foods 9 years ago prompted me to no longer give my pets canned cat food. They've all been eating Purina Urinary Tract dry since they were weaned from their Mother.

I wish you and Lucy the best. I hope Lucy's able to lead a long, productive, healthy life. Hugs for both of you.

Barb

hsiw 03-26-2007 09:17 PM

Thanks for the replies mrs.d & barb. Your advice is so helpful. I have already started a file for all this, keeping all papers as I go. I have asked for copies of the bloodwork from the vet offices (i have seen 2 so far, an emergency and her regular one). Tonight... I got a call back from Nutro!! The woman assigned my case gave me a fax number, took my information down, and asked me to fax her everything I have and said I can fax more as I get more bills. She said they will look over my papers and call me back later. I hope that they can recognize she was fine in October. I started her on Nutro around November because she started to refuse dry food since her teeth are bad (even though I keep getting dental work done on her).

Moose, you really are lucky you switched foods. I keep blaming myself for switching her to Nutro wet food. I should have gone to the vet and asked why she won't eat dry food anymore. I should have tried another brand. Or maybe I should have stuck with Pedigree 3 years ago when I decided to change brands.

Luckily, our vet is great. He was not in tomorrow, and I met the female vet that works with him and she seemed great also. They helped make me feel a little more optimistic and I think I may sleep a little better tonight. Except I won't be able to sleep with Lucy tonight because she is still being observed for the next few days. I am anxious to speak with him, he is always honest.

I will check out that website you mentioned moose, and see what it says. I already contacted the state FDA branch and left a message. I also contacted one of the US class action suits (the one in Wisconsin) and gave them all my information. I am waiting to hear back from the FDA and Menufoods. I also think it would be better to find others in a similar situation so we can work together to find some sort of conclusion.

Luckily for us, we have 10 extra cans of the tainted can food. So I have a bunch of evidence. They want me to send them one for testing. Somehow I see them trying to prove me wrong. Who knows what will happen? I will let you all know.

Mrs.D I am sorry to hear about your sons cat. You did not mention what happened next? Is she alright, going through testing? And thank you moose for giving me some optimisim about Lucy, another 6 years would be wonderful!

Chemar 03-26-2007 09:31 PM

hsiw

I am so sorry to hear about your Lucy:(

I do hope you are able to obtain the funds from them as compensation to pay for the expensive treatment Lucy will need

mrsD 03-27-2007 06:00 AM

no...
 
My son does not know what to think anymore. This cat has been very puzzling.

He says she is doing fine--actually getting FAT, since the kidney formula is high in fat to replace some of the protein. He is only feeding dry right now.
I've encouraged him to start making some chicken food for them since he
likes to cook. But so far he hasn't tried that.

Aimee has such complex issues, it would be impossible to link the food to her
kidney situation. I use this as an example of how hard it would be for some people to prove. (when his own vets have had trouble diagnosing her even).

It appears that the most straightforward presentations would be the easiest.
That is an animal who had just had a check up...and then suddenly becomes ill.

I am really sad to read that you are going thru all of this. It is very stressful.

hsiw 03-27-2007 06:37 PM

I got sad news tonight. Tomorrow I will have to make a decision of what I should do. The vet said the newest bloodwork is showing INCREASES in her levels and since they are not decreasing like they should, that means the damage is permanent. It means she is basically on life support, can not survive without the IVs and pain killers. She also has ulcers inside her making her vomit a few times every day. Based on this, it would be a waste of money and lead her only to suffering to keep her alive -unless there is some miraculous miracle, which I doubt.

I am very angry. I am devastated. I can not believe. I can't help feeling guilty. I should have stopped the food last week when I first heard of the recall. Even if it was not on the list & even though the Petsmart manager said it was safe... which it was not and was added this weekend to the list as proof. Bf's mom told me to stop giving her the food, I didn't listen when I should have.

We are thinking of filing a lawsuit. I wish I could fly straight to the White House and camp out in a tent outside, i am so upset. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? I just dont understand- if it was baby food, that would be a whole different story, wouldn't it? So, about the lawsuit- do you think that if we euthanize her tomorrow, they will say that the food did not lead to her death? That *I* led to her death since I chose to end it? Does that mean I need to make her suffer (which of course I will not)? Do I need a necropsy to be completed (does anyone know how this differs from an autopsy?)?

I am going to try and get my vet to help me out and write a letter for proof, but when I asked him if he thinks the food led directly to her renal failure, he said that he doesn't see any other explanation and would like to connect the dots and put two and two together based on the recent recall situation. It sounds as though he doesn't want to outright admit it and say yes. He did say it was acute renal failure, which if it were chronic Menufoods would say that it wasn't caused by the food.

I am flabbergasted how the reported deaths are still so low! 15 cats and 1 dog? Yeah right. If you go on yahoo and search for the class action group you will see THOUSANDS of people mourning their pets, some lost MULTIPLE pets at the same time. I am lucky Charley eats another food, even though I am now skeptical about dry food since many unofficial reports of Iams Dry Food are surfacing.

I think I went on enough of a :Soapbox: for tonight. I just love my Lucy so much and I want them to pay for what they have done to us. I don't understand how they can get away with this. And if I have anything to do about it, they definitely won't.

moose53 03-27-2007 09:27 PM

((((((Wish)))))),

I wish there were something I could say to make it easier...

I know how hard it is to put animals down because of old age combined with illness ... what you're having to face is an obscenity.

I listened to the news tonight and they're still reporting that very low number but "the experts" are all saying that that number is gonna grow into the thousands. I think it already has :(

Wish, never doubt that the care that you have given Lucy and the love were the best. Without you, she would have been lost. You trusted that a company that's been providing a product that was necessary FOR LIFE would be made with the same quality and care that you would have made the product. It's a hard, painful lesson to learn.

Follow through with everything as far as you can -- education, lawsuits -- until you feel peace in your heart. Little Lucy's gonna become one of the angels that's gonna prevent thousands and thousands more animals from dying. Lucy's a very special little soul.

BIG HUGS (and love).

Barb
.

~KELLWANTSANSWERS~ 03-27-2007 09:35 PM

{{{{{{{{wish}}}}}}}}}
I am so very sorry to hear this sad news about your lucy.

I hope you can find a way to make them pay for all her medical bills and such.
Take care~
:grouphug:

mrsD 03-28-2007 06:19 AM

this is so sad....
 
I am sorry you have to do this final solution. I've been there 3 times, and know it hurts terribly.:hug:

It really is much harder knowing you are the instrument leading to the decision, even tho it is not your fault the food was tainted.
All of us feed our pets, and those pets in turn trust us. It is very very hard accepting this accident because of those feelings.

Yes, I would get the necropsy...get proof of the lesions in the GI tract, and other evidence.

I am really upset about the public management of this issue. While horrible things do happen in our food chain, or even with air conditioners (Legionaire's infections), and even cruises...this one seems to be obviously minimized in the media. The denial that seems to hover over this is making people more angry and will backfire I suspect. The more they lie, the more I suspect other contamination.

Just goes to show how inadequate our FDA is.

Chemar 03-28-2007 08:04 AM

(((((((((hsiw))))))))))

I just ache for what you are going through, and for what your precious Lucy is suffering.:(

this whole thing has even wider ramifications which I dont think have been discussed yet...........
apart from us pet owners being freaked about the petfood supply.........

my son has OCD/anxiety/panic etc which has been very low for alost 7 years now
however
this whole thing (following so soon after the p nut butter/lettuce/spinach etc scares) has triggered a major flareup in him, where he is suffering panic at eating or drinking anything for fear it is poisoned...to the point of not even being able to take the supplements that actually help him with this!
I am taking him in for an emergency acupuncture/reflexology etc session as I know that will help boost his endorphins and serotonin and hopefully calm him enough to break this cycle

I wonder how many other people are now also suffering paranoia about food safety

hsiw 03-28-2007 08:33 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Here is a photo so you can see how beautiful my Lucy is.

Doody 03-28-2007 09:19 AM

Here you are (((Wish))). I've been wondering about Lucy. I am so very sorry, and please don't blame yourself. You've been a very good mom to Lucy.

I hate fighting overwhelming battles, but this is one I'd try to put some fight into.

I agree that I would have whatever test I need for proof.

Once I had a dog named Lucy, she was a border collie. I lived on a farm and the neighbor farmer shot her for bothering his sheep. And in my 57 years I've had to put down to many precious animals, and it does hurt so much. I'm still emotionally recovering from putting down one of my cats last year. There are so many humans who just cannot conceive of or understand just how important animals are and deserve rights. They do so much for us and out of pure love.

(((Wish)))

Chemar 03-28-2007 10:11 AM

Wish

Lucy is heartbreakingly cute

I have you and her in my thoughts and prayers today

:hug:

Lara 03-28-2007 03:13 PM

(((wish)))

mrsD 03-28-2007 06:17 PM

Awww...
 
what a tragedy! Are you the same "wish" from Secret Garden? Is this the
same beagle? The one who was on SAMe (Denosyl) ?

My heart is just breaking for you and Lucy! :Sob:

I recall some very cute pictures of that beagle in the past.

hsiw 03-29-2007 10:13 AM

Yes mrsd that is me. I have more photos from today if I get the time later to upload them online.

Today I got good news and bad news. Right before the vet was going to euthanize her he gave us a speech about how he believes in miracles and has seem some crazy stuff before- so just in case he was going to do another blood check. And lo and behold, her levels turned around and started to decrease. the day before they were skyrocketing higher and higher and now they are showing some improvement. So he said it isn't fair to do it today when she is trying to fight it off. So he said we need to give her another 24 hours watch.

This is good news and I am ecstatic. But that is why its bad. I am getting my hopes up and he said it is one in a thousand chance of her turning around completely. So tomorrow I will get another update and visit her again. Today we brought in Charley (her much younger brother) and he is A-ok except for some allergies and a steroid shot.

So we are waiting and I have missed 6 classes so far this week and worrying about school now and catching up. I am doomed to another restless night and constant worrying. I can't help but feel hopeful and now this added optimisim might just make the downfall even worse.

I got some great homemade food recipes which are so easy to make from the vet. If your interested I will post them online, you really don't need much to make them.

Chemar 03-29-2007 10:20 AM

oh wish I do hope this is a real recovery for Lucy!

Please do start a thread with those homemade recipes! That would be really great and the rest of us can then add to it with our own recipes

keeping you and Lucy in my thoughts and prayers!:hug:

Doody 03-29-2007 10:21 AM

(((Wish))) I am SO glad to hear from you. I thought about you all day and night as was my daughter and we all prayed for you and Lucy. Maybe this is really really good news, you just never know.

There are several stories on the internet of people going to heroic measures for their animals that have been affected by this. One I noted especially was a woman with a cat who now has to have IV all the time. But she chose that as opposed to putting her down. It shows a picture of her with an IV bag in the background!

Makes me wonder if I should really check in to pet insurance.

I hope and pray Lucy recovers even more today.

and YES I would like to hear your recipes if you don't mind! Thanks!

Doody 03-29-2007 10:22 AM

I'd love to see a thread with food recipes for our beloved pets! Great idea Chemar!

Bobbi 03-30-2007 04:16 AM

I'm pulling for you and for Lucy.

I'd also like to see the recipe thread :).


Before this recall, my dog was eating Eukanuba canned food - purchased for her at the suggestion of her doggie doctor and from his office. She ended up at doggie doctor ER - dehydrated and going into renal failure; she was, later, dx'd with pancreatitis :(. This was before any recall. The Eukanuba was immediately out-the-door.

Out of a litter of 8, not a single one of her siblings has pancreatitis, but she does. (Her "parents" and grandparents also were not effected by pancreatitis). I'm so glad that I saved the records from her visit to ER. I'm taking them to her doctor this weekend and am going to ask about that food. I've heard similar from other people (though I don't know them personally) speaking out about their pets also becoming terribly ill prior to this recall. (Each trip to the doctor, labs are run to keep a close eye on her levels.)

~scrabble 03-30-2007 09:29 AM

(((wish))) ((((Lucy)))

hsiw 03-30-2007 09:38 AM

Bobbi, I have heard that Eukanuba IS on the list too (for wet food). You can check out the list at
.
and go down to Dog Products. You should call them up and also Eukanuba and leave your name and number and they should call you back with instructions on how to get your vet bills reimbursed. About 10 years ago we had another beagle named Howie who died of pancreatitis. We got him after we had Lucy for about 5 years and I think they got along better together much more than Lucy and Charley (she hates Charley). Unfortunately, we spent thousands of dollars on Howie and it took a LONG time to pay off and he passed away soon after. We never found out the cause of the pancreatisis but the doctor suggested table food, which we don't give that often or the possibility of him eating from trashcans.

These vets problems are so terrible. I am going back to the vet this afternoon, our vet won't be there today so I will get the female vets opinion today. If anything, we will have to wait until tomorrow anyways since I prefer to do the procedure with our regular vet and he won't be in at all today.

When I get home later, I will be able to post those recipes- they are on my refrigerator now but I havent tried any yet.

If Lucy is ok (cross my fingers) she will need to be on an IV drip for a VERY long time (possibly at home) and I will have to give her weekly or daily injections, which they will teach me how to do. She will also be only allowed special food designed for kidney problem dogs. It will be a very long battle, but I am willing to do it for her.

mrsD 03-30-2007 10:33 AM

Hello, Wish...
 
I vote for giving Lucy a chance... more than just a day. Say a week.

BTW how old is Lucy? That might have a bearing too. Were you still giving her
the SAMe? The reason I ask is that SAMe is a methylation agent and may have been protective to some extent. The poison is a folic acid antagonist which would block methylation chemistry. Just a thought.

Best wishes for Lucy today. I truly hope it all works out for you. :hug:
We have a poster Yorkiemom on PN, who has a dog with kidney issues and she
takes care of them herself. You might want to PM her and get more details.

Farm Wife 03-30-2007 11:44 AM

first, I really hope Lucy is doing better. Hugs for you both.

second, the FDA has released a report saying they found a toxic plastic chemical in the dog foods, melamine which is used to make plastic dishes, etc.

they did not find the "rat poison" in the samples they tested. gosh, what are they going to come up with next? and who do you believe.

I'm sorry I don't have a link to this, I just heard it on my local news.

Hugs and Prayers

mrsD 03-30-2007 11:51 AM

yes...
 
the plot sickens ( as we say around this house)

Here is the link to the FDA info:


.


All the more reason to make your own food!

Chemar 03-30-2007 12:44 PM

ACK!!!!:eek:
from that Yahoo News report:
Quote:

The apparently melamine-contaminated wheat gluten also was shipped to an unnamed company that manufactures dry pet food.
:Sigh: :thud:

hsiw 03-30-2007 12:53 PM

That is crazy, even more reason to make homemade dog food. I am posting the recipes now.

I am going to the vet again at 3pm today to speak with her about the new bloodwork levels. We'll see what happens.

hsiw 03-30-2007 02:07 PM

I'm not sure if this was already posted, but just in case it wasn't:


.


This link shows unofficial reports of DRY FOOD causing illness and renal failure.

Doody 03-30-2007 02:15 PM

Oi vey. Well, maybe it's why my cats never have liked Iams. :(


.

Doody 03-30-2007 02:16 PM

And another.


.

hsiw 03-30-2007 03:52 PM

Ok so we just got back and we scared off the substitute vet asking her so many questions, and we didn't get to say bye since she "disappeared" off to an appointment.

To sum it up quickly: her levels are just about the same. Which can be taken good or badly.

So I recorded the past weeks levels and am trying to analyze them and what we should do. The two kidney levels are called Creatanine and BUN (Blood/Urine/Nitrogen) and go as follows:

3/26
BUN 130
CRE 9.7

3/27
BUN >180
CRE 8.4

3/29
BUN 160
CRE 6.7

3/30
BUN 161
CRE 6.4

I found a few people online with pets that had levels similar to these and pulled out of it. They mentioned it took a few weeks to get them back to a somewhat normal range. Just so you all can get an idea, Lucy in October 2006 her normal levels for BUN were 22 and CRE 1.5. Now they are skyrocketed. I hope that they keep going down, but I know that with permanent damage it is just as likely that they stay the same which means Lucy will have to be put down soon. I can't help but hope they keep lowering. She had been vomiting last night, which is not good either and worries me (she is on Maalox & Pepcid now) BUT she looked alot better today and wagged her tail when she saw us. I feel hopeful but I know that the outcome of this is pretty much a 50/50 chance of going either way.

Pamster 03-30-2007 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doody (Post 84459)
And another.


.

I was stunned at that video they had of the testing facility! :eek: :eek: :eek: I used their form to send off letters to Iams and Menu Foods about it too...Disgusting and shocking fail when you see the way they treat those poor animals. Thank you for posting the link to that story with the testing facility video Doody. I had no idea it was that horrific. :(

hsiw 03-31-2007 08:39 AM

The vet called today to say that even though her BUN and CRE levels seem to be going down, her phosphorous levels are remaining the same, at a very toxic level despite doubling the IV drip. So she is at a 15.8 when she should be between 3 and 7. He suggested putting her down today because he said he wasn't sure how humane and ethical this is anymore, since the finances keep building up and Lucy is very toxic all over (rancid smelling, yellow skin, infected eyes, stomach ulcers, vomiting still). So I made the decision to wait until Monday and see what happens over the weekend (they are closed Sundays). Do any of you know about phosphorous levels?

Doody 03-31-2007 05:02 PM

(((Wish))) I haven't been able to stop thinking about you and your Lucy. I just feel so bad for you.

I know the first link is a pet food web site, but it discusses phosphorus levels and kidney failure. I also realize that your problems isn't related to feeding him the wrong dog food over a long period of time and is entirely different. But they do explain how the phosphorus levels work.


.



.



.

Doody 03-31-2007 05:11 PM

((Wish)) and others. Here is information for you on the kidneys.
.


Please also look at this page where you can report your stricken pet.
.


And, their homepage has lots of valuable information.
.


Hugs for everyone.

Lara 03-31-2007 05:26 PM

Thanks, Doody.
That's great information you've posted. :hug:

I'm still confused about the melamine issue. I was just checking out the WHO site about melamine and the info. they had on there just doesn't add up to why these cats and dogs would die suddenly. It seems to me to point more at long term issues and exceptionally high doses.

I know this might sound weird, but I just decided to see if I could buy some Melamine online just trying to see more about it. One supplier from China "imports and exports chemical products, mainly organic and inorganic chemicals, medicine, pesticide, dye intermediates, feed, food additive and other refined chemical products." Sorta makes me wonder and also hope they're not all stored or manufactured in the same place.

Doody 03-31-2007 08:25 PM

You're welcome ((Wish)). Yes, Pet Connection does look like a good site to keep updated. It says on one of their pages:

Quote:

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

.

hsiw 04-01-2007 09:40 AM

Thanks Doody, I am going to check out the websites now. I have been spending hours and hours, every free second I have trying to learn more about this. It is a bit exhausting, but really important to know whats going on. Lara, you would be amazed at what kind of things can be bought over the internet.

hsiw 04-01-2007 10:20 PM

I am nervous about tomorrow. I am eager to know if her levels have gone down. I am frightened they haven't and the vet will again suggest me end her suffering- and my gut tells me to wait and wait and wait. I can't help but worry how tomorrow will turn out, how this week will conclude.

I am also tired of preaching. I have done hours of research, days of reading. I am exhausted by this entire pet food recall. I have learned more about kidney failure than I want. I can speel (sp?) off any information you need to know about this on a whim, I can list to you all the brands recalled and all the ones not on the list. I can tell you on the hour updates the second they are announced. And well, I am tired of trying to convince others of the urgency of this situation. I feel it is hopeless. So many of my friends and family members keep thinking that this just can't happen to them. They don't care to realize that it can. And I feel it is pure ignorance. Maybe they don't understand what I am going through, or have empathy towards the situation. Whatever it is that makes those people continue feeding their pets dog foods that are causing renal failure, or just simply ANY commercial pet food. I just don't understand WHY anyone would risk it. Yes I am getting on my :Soapbox: now. I don't wish this on anyone, really. I just wish everyone could understand how close to home this national problem is. My brother doesn't even know what food he gives his cat and doesn't even care less. My aunt is giving her dog food that is recalled but the dry version which has unofficial reports of kidney failure. I tell them, but why listen to me? They thank me for my information and keep feeding it to them. While I am here cooking homemade dog food for 2 hours long. I guess it just boils down to how much you care about your pets. I guess.

Its just frustrating when I am going into $2000 of debt, going to the vet's office everyday thinking I am putting Lucy to sleep, and worrying about if she will ever get out of there alive. I would give anything to rewind time and change what has happened, had I known. And some of you know now already, you know what is going on-but you continue to do it. And this is not aimed at anyone in particular on this site. Just everyone I come across in my life who continues to tell me that *their* pet food is safe, even when it really isn't, because no pet food is safe anymore. Why would you trust any company with the life of your pet when soo many are out there dying?


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