Recall Update: Wednesday
Your Responses On Pet Food Recall Reimbursements:
Here are some excerpts from two of the emails we received. There are too many to post for one day, so we will continue to post excerpts from various emails throughout the week.
First, the good news from one reader:
I work for a Vet clinic. We only had one client on a food that was recalled and that was MD Dry. We submitted the receipts for the clients bloodwork, food etc. to Hills. Within just a couple of weeks we received a check for the full amount the client had spent on the bloodwork and food. We sent it on to the client and she was very pleased.
And here’s one not-so-great news:
Our lovely Himalayan, Kisses, died May 25. She, our wonderful vet and I fought the toxins in her system for two months — a battle we were unable to win. Although 14, she had been in amazing health, no diseases or chronic conditions. We’d started feeding her Iams Select Bites each evening in December 2006, in addition to the Iams dry food we continued to use in the mornings.
I just wanted help with my vet bills, and I stupidly thought Iams would live up to its reputation.
I thought this would be pretty simple, cut and dried, we could settle up and move on and hopefully Kisses would recover! Instead it took me three phone calls, an email and almost eight weeks just to get a claim rep on the phone with me.
Although the claim rep said on May 14 once she confirmed renal failure I would have a check, she did not call my vet, I learned on May 23 after my cat’s worst seizure.
We would have paid thousands to make Kisses well or even to create a decent quality of life where her pleasure was not so heavily outweighed by her suffering. Today, all I have are ashes and a lock of hair — and apparently a new claim rep. I’m not entirely certain what her role is, actually, since she won’t return any of my calls. Last week, claim rep #2’s voice suddenly appeared on the voicemail extension I’d previously used for claim rep #1. Kisses has been gone almost a month now with no word from either of them.
On a good day, I only cry twice.
Her full, unedited email is after the jump.
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MY STORY
Our lovely Himalayan, Kisses, died May 25. She, our wonderful vet and I fought the toxins in her system for two months — a battle we were unable to win. Although 14, she had been in amazing health, no diseases or chronic conditions. We’d started feeding her IAMS Select Bites each evening in December 2006, in addition to the IAMS dry food we continued to use in the mornings.
To sue or not to sue…it’s a personal decision. So far, I have not sued. So far, I have not asked for compensation for the weeks this freelance writer didn’t feel like writing or generating new business — an estimated loss of $1,000-$5,000 based on past earnings. So far, I have not asked for someone to compensate my husband for the vacation days he used to help me or manage his own grief. I just wanted help with my vet bills, and I stupidly thought IAMS would live up to its reputation.
So did my vet.
I still have a rotting, open packet of recalled food filed in a plastic bag. Thanks to the timing of the recall, trash pickup took all but two wrappers, the final packets from two variety pack boxes. The one beef packet remaining seemed ok though the numbers were smeared; the tuna packet was recalled; the other 3 flavors were already gone.
The extra water she’d been drinking made sense when the vet found an elevated BUN and spotted melamine crystals in her urine. He trained me to do some things at home where she was more comfortable which happened to reduce our cost, so our bills are just under $1,000. I thought this would be pretty simple, cut and dried, we could settle up and move on and hopefully Kisses would recover! Instead it took me three phone calls, an email and almost eight weeks just to get a claim rep on the phone with me. (The claim rep works for Risk Enterprise Management or REM, apparently hired to handle claims by Procter and Gamble, parent company for IAMS.)
Although the claim rep said on May 14 once she confirmed renal failure I would have a check, she did NOT call my vet, I learned on May 23 after my cat’s worst seizure. I called the claim rep immediately to say among other things ACT LIKE SHE (my cat) MATTERS. Finally, the claim rep called him that day, and spoke with him once more after Kisses was gone.
We would have paid thousands to make Kisses well or even to create a decent quality of life where her pleasure was not so heavily outweighed by her suffering. Today, all I have are ashes and a lock of hair — and apparently a NEW CLAIM REP. I’m not entirely certain what her role is, actually, since she won’t return any of my calls. Last week, claim rep #2’s voice suddenly appeared on the voicemail extension I’d previously used for claim rep #1. Kisses has been gone almost a month now with no word from either of them.
On a good day, I only cry twice. I’m working on projects again. And as I continue to leave unanswered voicemails, I consider what to do next if we are not reimbursed.
If I sue, I won’t care if I recover 7 cents and the rest goes to a team of attorneys. It will be about forcing a company to do what’s right. Whether they see her as a pet or as property, a product damaged her. If someone dies from eating tainted food, does it matter whether the victim is young or a grandmother? Injury is injury; bills are bills.
And promises are promises, whether a claim rep promises to pay someone when renal failure is confirmed, or whether an FAQ implies harmed customers can receive assistance (see Q9 about compensating pet owners).
IAMS seems to emphasize the “IAMS Promise,” too. IAMS: Your actions speak so loudly, your words are meaningless to me.
I know our pain is mirrored in so many other families, some who lost multiple pets and/or thousands of dollars. And it’s difficult for any pet owner out there wondering if selecting a commercial food is like playing Russian Roulette with Fifi or Fido. Although Kisses was hurt by “premium” pet food, buying even the cheapest pet food based on budget or preference
shouldn’t carry a death sentence.
Greed is dangerous, whether it’s capitalist or communist. Greed doesn’t care who it hurts or what happens. But I think one thing can control greed even better than regulation: INFORMATION. I researched daily for Kisses, looking for new and alternative methods of treatment. Along the way, I learned so much about food and nutrition thanks to sites like yours and books written in the 1980s and 1990s I wish I’d read so much earlier. I will continue to share these facts and ideas with everyone around me.
Words matter. Kisses mattered. Her life and her death made a difference, and I am forever changed.
The next lesson I need to learn is forgiveness, for me as the person who happened to select toxic food, as well as for IAMS. But forgiveness does not always include forgetfulness. Forgiveness and justice make excellent partners.
Pay me, IAMS. Pay me and the others who wait. Stop adding to our pain with your silence and feeding our anger with your delays. You may not have known what was in your food, but your behavior today is willful, deliberate, intentional, well-informed… Stand up and do the right thing.
————-
Itchmo, whether you find the information above or below useful for publication or not, thanks for the opportunity to send it to you and air my grief a bit. The email I sent to IAMS April 27 follows below. I heard nothing until the claim rep contacted me in mid-May.
I would word it differently now of course…
MY EMAIL TO IAMS, sent Friday, April 27:
——————-
I applaud you for being the first one to step forward with a recall (as announced in recent hearings). I applaud you for the professionalism of your call center. HOWEVER…
After nearly five weeks of waiting for a “specialist” to contact me “in a few days” and fulfill the promise (verbalized by your call center March 24) of assistance with growing vet bills… I am disappointed. Either I have fallen through the cracks despite having the call center rep recite my phone number back to me, or as I have been told in two subsequent calls, it is taking longer than expected to reach pet owners.
Why, why does it take more than a month to contact me… this is not about the $; we will pay what it takes to keep her comfortable with or without assistance. She IS FAMILY.
But the cheerful nature of your Web site and its attempts to build your brand during this delay only increase my pain. Because as you’ve probably heard from hundreds or thousands already, we’re not just waiting. I’m taking my cat to and from the vet — at first, multiple times a day. I’m hearing the vet tell me about odd crystals in her urine, then matching them to the recall. I’m giving her a sub-cut IV at home, 3x a week. I’m watching her BUN and creatinine decline at first, then stop at toxicities still far too high. I’m hearing the vet say things like “potentially permanent damage.” My husband and I are cleaning vomit off the floor, the sofa, the chairs. I’m spending hours each day researching ARF and CRF, creatinine and BUN, vet sites and blogs. I’m not just waiting.
I’m disappointed. I’m also surprised. Because the expense of hiring additional specialists to follow-up in a timely manner could build more goodwill and repair your brand in a way no Web site, newspaper ad or commercials ever can. Regardless of how long my cat lives, she can never eat IAMS food again. She is on a special diet. But I am still a customer.
SHE is your customer. I trust that you know this, and will get to her eventually.
June 20th, 2007 at 7:17 am
I think that stories like Kisses are going to be commonplace now that this story is out of the news. I have emailed every news affiliate I know to cover the lack of reimbursement and communications with pet parents but have heard nothing back. I remind them of what they all said in the beginning—they would help! I commend the vet clinic for submitting the bills although I’m getting the impression that this pet parent did not have a very sick pet and IF that is true, how ironic that Kisses’ parents have gone through Hell with the illness and loss of her and the through Hell again in dealing with IAMs and have gotten no assistance (or compassion). The last time I spoke with Crawford and Co I was quite emotional as it has been sooooo long we’ve been dealing with this (since Feb 17th) and I truly believed the rep as she seemed to get choked up during our lengthy conversation (over 45 min)-but sadly nothing happened as days later the “court order” to “protect” me came through. I’m no marketing rep but I would think that once illness was confirmed through the vet (just a fax away) that the companies would want to help so as just “maybe” they would not lose so many consumers and avoid more bad press.
June 20th, 2007 at 7:30 am
The letter about precious Kisses….and horrible Iams. I’m so very sorry about Kisses. I know the pain of that loss, the anguish of the suffering that precedes it, and the thousands of dollars willing to be spent at the vets, which I had spent myself. With the depth of the pain of that loss, the crying, things aren’t the same anymore. The loss takes a big part of the life you once shared with a very beloved pet. With such intense love, that is normal because we are human beings who have feelings and memories.
To the person who is going through all of this, dear one, you are not alone by far with the way you feel. It is very, very normal and understandable, and my heart feels your grief.
What makes matters worse is the fact that Iams and pet food companies in general never really did care about pets and never will. They don’t have feelings. Their only goal is to increase their profits, and to do that, they have to be greedy. With greed, the heart does not have the capacity to have compassion or empathy. So it is not unusual that the reps phone calls were never returned as expected because that would mean that they were owning up to their wrong-doing and would have to part with a tad bit of their billions and billions and billions of dollars. That’s the “feeling” that would hurt them. It also means that it would be an occasion for them to be defamed and be proven liars about their advertising. So they hide and try to ignore it.
There are millions of us who have been on a campaign against Iams a lot longer than before the recall for their unethical practices and other pet food companies who torture animals in their labs. So it is not unusual that Iams and those companies would not all of a sudden have compassion for animals. Unfortunately, they have not been affected with our campaign and will never be affected as time goes on. I still see one person after another purchasing and swearing by Iams. Iams even has the gall to still claim that their food is the best and are having all kinds of offers for damage-control.
Unless more and more people get the word out to others massively, more than the millions of us who have been trying to do so, it’s guaranteed that Iams will still come out a winner. Whoever believes the their “New and Improved” and holisitic brands are for real, then I only have pity for the pets. People have to realize that any pet food company who tortures and poisons cats and dogs in their test labs, that the greiving losses people are dealing with now becauses of the recall, means absolutely nothing to them.
Please also be aware that Iams and some of those other recalls companies are trying to sell their brands under another name so that they won’t be associated with the recall.
June 20th, 2007 at 7:39 am
The story about Kisses brought tears to my eyes. What a tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with you and the many others that lost loved ones.
June 20th, 2007 at 7:52 am
Email to Iams on April 27th could be written to any of the pet food companies (minus the first paragraph). It is so heartfelt. It is a shame it ever had to be written…
I know too first hand the pain of this disaster. Although my 2 cats are still alive, they never will know their happy life prior to eating the poison(s). I too spend hours on the computer researching ARF and CRF which both my cats now have (and didn’t prior to Feb17 and March 12) and wonder how I will get caught up on my bills that I put on hold to pay my vet so as the cats could continue with care. I spend hours trying to feed them and give them supplements and follow their every move to make sure they are not “crashing”. The lack of concern and followup from the pet food companies is inexcusable. They caused this disaster. We did not ask for this by doing anything out of the ordinary—we were just feeding our loved ones!!! I sadly believed the “hoopla” in the beginning despite my husbands’ negativity towards help from MF. I did believe that they would contact my vet as I had starting emailing MF on March 16th as soon as the news broke as my 2nd cat was still in the hospital that night—I truly thought they cared about us but now I know that I was completely wrong and reading the emails this week will only certainly confirm that…
I cry for Kisses’ parents and all of us to have to go through this as well as the current victimization from all the pet food companies who are treating us like s*#@!!
June 20th, 2007 at 7:56 am
I am so sorry for your pain and loss-no words can fill the void or take away the hurt. The deaths and suffering of thousands are at the hands of the pet food companies.
June 20th, 2007 at 8:17 am
I, too, was moved by Kisses’ story. What will it take for these companies to realize their business is living, feeling beings? They will never be able to compensate for all the pain and misery they have caused with their callous and uncaring attitudes.
I, too, have spent thousands of dollars on a very sick cat. Although she is still alive, she will not have a normal lifespan because of the damage done to her kidneys. Unfortunately, she was on the front end of the recall ~ late November before all this surfaced. Of course I don’t have cans and wrappers to prove what happened ~ only a lot of vet bills and a sick cat. But I consider every day with her a special gift.
We cannot let these companies ever do to us what they have done ~ and in some cases, are still doing. We are wiser now, and more informed and all the cute commercials and fancy wrappings aren’t going to convince us to buy the junk that’s too often inside.
My heart goes out to all of you who have suffered with a sick pet or a lost pet. This never should have happened!
June 20th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Kisses does matter- she matters to us.
when my persian tortie died this past year,even though i was devastated, it was due to a serious heart problem in a hyperthyroid cat- and she was over 20 years old. it wasn’t like she was a young, healthy cat murdered by a pet food company. if she had been and they had been so la de da and outright cruel as IAMS i cannot imagine the level of my rage and sadness. persia was my best friend. when i was lonely or upset or hurt she was always there-sitting in my lap, purring. never once ,unlike humans, did she ever let me down. if anyone ever knowingly had hurt her i doubt i could control myself.
i went on a campaign to get all my freinds to have their over aged 7 cats tested for hyperthyroid.maybe i could have had her a few more years, maybe not( persians are prone to certain heart problems anyway- the wonders of ’selective’ pedegree breeding programs at work.) but i was determined that her death would help some cat somewhere live a little longer and be a little healthier. she was always the big momma to all my other cats and in a way to me. she would have wanted that. she always took care of everyone.
what happened to Kisses should never have happened. continue to be difficult and pester and annoy and tell people about what happened to you. there are so many out there who do not have the strength and resources and backbone to do so. it’s important that people know that they don’t have to sit back and take it from these out of control businesses and our could careless government that appears to be in their grasp. you and kisses are making a difference. i am so sorry it was triggered by the morally reprehensible murder of your beloved cat. my cats and i are grateful because it’s the stories of what you and are going through that made us change and expect more accountability from the companies we give our money to. even if IAMS never comes around and does the right thing, you just may have saved some other pets’ life whoese owner heard kisses’ story and changed their pet food. thank you.
June 20th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Kisses’ Mom,
Very sorry for your loss. The incompetance and greed of these careless companies is unforgivable.
What an odd business is the pet food industry! And how little they care about their real customers - our pets who eat their food.
They delegate the manufacturing and quality control of their foods to dishonest contract companies (i.e., Menu Foods) whose only goal is to satisfy the shareholders.
Where are the GMP’s (Good Manufacturing Practices) and the contracts that would have prevented this debacle?
How can these companies NOT TEST ingredients and SUBSTITUTE ingredients helter-skelter with no awareness of what’s going into the food.
And then they have the nerve to call their products QUALITY food that is made with all the care and FDA regulations that apply to human food.
Beware the mega global so called pet food companies (Nestle Purina, Colgate Hills, P&G Iams).
These companies are not serious, and they don’t deserve our business.
June 20th, 2007 at 9:25 am
RE: JANE
Whoever believes the their “New and Improved†and holisitic brands are for real, then I only have pity for the pets. People have to realize that any pet food company who tortures and poisons cats and dogs in their test labs, that the greiving losses people are dealing with now becauses of the recall, means absolutely nothing to them.
Please also be aware that Iams and some of those other recalls companies are trying to sell their brands under another name so that they won’t be associated with the recall.
*************************
Be vigilant, everyone! What Jane says is correct about companies trying to disassociate their brand name with the mass poisonings by “inventing” new foods in completely new packaging with new colors, obscuring the brand name to a large degree, and using huge lettering for names of food, using such words as “healthy” and “natural.” They may TRY to REINVENT themselves by CHANGING THE OUTSIDE PACKAGING, but WE KNOW BETTER!! IT’s what’s inside the bag that counts!!
We saw that companies took forever to change their labels when they changed ingredients! Do you remember how companies scrambled to change their websites to reflect different ingredients when the rice protein concentrate issue came up, and we were copying their websites minutes before they were taking down pages and changing them? Website pages were changing before our eyes!! Remember the so-called 6-month rule companies “have” to list ingredient changes on their labels so they do not incur the huge expense of having to print new labels every time they change an ingredient???
Well, here’s a contrast: Look how quickly companies have invested mega bucks in **CHANGING their ENTIRE PACKAGING** in their ATTEMPTS TO REPACKAGE THEIR IMAGE — no budget limit on trying to regain customers and reinvent themselves!!! In 3 - 4 months, companies have come out with completely re-designed packaging: hiring PR firms, graphic designers, ad writers, changing from dull paper to glossy, completely changing colors to disassociate themselves from their previous “signature” colors and branding, using photographs and graphics of whole foods, etc.
I guess companies can move fast and lay out the bucks when it’s in THEIR BEST INTERESTS because their shareholders are screaming for larger quarterly dividend checks!
Companies completely changing their looks proves that we have made a huge dent in their sales, despite the carefully-crafted “survey” we see quoted that pet owners are pleased with their pet food — yeah, after they switched to a tiny premium brand or home cooked.
Changing the packaging SHOWS that companies were greatly damaged monetarily and that regaining customers and grabbing your money is the bottom line, NOT the HEALTH OF THE ANIMALS, NOT PAYING for VET BILLS of SICK & DEAD PETS!!
HOW MUCH WAS SPENT ON CHANGING INGREDIENTS and TESTING FOR SAFETY?
DON’T be fooled!!! Same old, same old.
June 20th, 2007 at 9:30 am
I agree with 5 cat mom. The incompetence and greed of these companys is unforgiveable. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
June 20th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Royal Canin has not yet paid my vet bill for blood work done in April.
June 20th, 2007 at 11:05 am
How do I go about proving a free sample can made my cat sick? No receipt, no can. Her regular food tested negative, her urine tested positive for Melamine. She got sick with acute kidney failure 5 days after eating that can. She’s getting better, but the company will not answer questions, has not recalled the food, nothing.
June 20th, 2007 at 11:26 am
It’s the same thing, fancy dressed up packages of pet poison, and fancly clad pet poison producers. They are both poison, and decomposing slowly inside.
June 20th, 2007 at 11:44 am
www.wisconsinagconnection.com/.....mp;yr=2007
June 20th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Im So Sorry for Kisses and her family.
Can you imagine how many stories are out there that don’t have a Clue what happened? The companies have been so snakie and covering their OWN butts about this on all levels. It’s dispicable!
Itchmo Adm. I wanted to let yu know I got a weird “error” type messages trying to access the story about the pentobarbital. 3x’s I think, never got to read it.
It said something about ‘has exceeded it’s CPU Quota’ and that your site ‘has inefficent script running’
It said a bunch of other stuff can’t remember tho. Hope this helps if you’ve got anymore problems going on. Definetely weird :-)
June 20th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Roberto P.,
Very glad that your kitty is better.
What was the free sample of food that made her sick?
What do you want the company to do? Return your call and listen to your story? Recall the food? Reimburse you for the bills?
What you’ll get depends on the company you’re dealing with, and what they’re willing to do based on advise from their lawyers.
Assuming that they’re willing to settle some of the claims, they will allocate a limited amount of $’s. After all, to them, this is just another business expense. A line item on the budget.
Whether or not they agree to settle with you depends on how credible your “evidence” is in pursuading them that your cat’s illness was caused by their food.
You may need for your vet to write a letter for you, or to contact them directly and ask them to call you.
If the company refuses to deal with you directly, you may need to hire a lawyer, or join a class action suit.
Let us know.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
YaYa, I keep getting those messages too?
June 20th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
YaYa, go back and check out the message board We were on last night. i just posted some Pet Food Companies from Ga.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
The company I am dealing with refuses to acknowledge it was their food. The itchmo administrator has said we shouldn’t make complaints against companies without proof so I’m not naming them. The proof was a free can that I rinsed and threw in the recycle bin and it got taken away. I want them to admit they had poison food out there. Her usual food, Wellness Dry, tested negative for melamine and other toxins. Her urine tested positive for melamine. The vet faxed this info to the company and they categorically deny it was their food. They say I must have fed her one of the recalled foods, which I did not. And yes I am getting involved in a class action suit. I am hoping she recovers completely. Right now I don’t know if she’ll end up with chronic renal failure.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
For any of you in CA, the counterfeit Colgate toothpaste has been found in discount stores there now too:
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/227081
Possible tainted toothpaste find sparks warning
The Star June 19, 2007
“The federal department is investigating after a tube of suspicious toothpaste was discovered Friday at a southwestern Ontario dollar store.
“In the meantime, Duchesne said consumers should look for the eight-digit identification, or DIN, number found on drugs as well as NPN numbers for natural products and DIN-HM numbers for homeopathic products.
“Duchesne said authorities received the toothpaste Tuesday and are now testing it in their labs. They will examine the labelling and try to determine how it arrived at the Guelph, Ont., store, he added.
“Everything for a Dollar Store owner Wahid Choksi said he immediately ordered the toothpaste be taken off the shelves of his 80 stores spanning five provinces, and has contacted his Toronto supplier.
“Choksi said he was merely carrying the toothpaste on a “trial basis” and suspects there were fewer than 100 tubes on the shelves.
“The issue came to light after a consumer noticed his tube of Colgate was missing French labelling, contained spelling errors and was labelled as being manufactured in South Africa.”
We also learn that Hill’s plans a New Plant:
http://www.49abcnews.com/news/.....ood_plant/
Hill’s picks Emporia for pet food plant
ABC49News–Topeka, KS June 20, 2007
“Hill’s Pet Nutrition announced this morning it would build a new plant in Emporia, bringing 100 manufacturing jobs to Lyon County.
“Hill’s is the third pet food plant to locate in Emporia. In addition to Hill’s and Menu, Emporia is also home to Emporia Pet Products, the former Safeway pet food plant. That plant was taken over by American Nutrition in April.”
And we also learn that ANI isn’t only in UT, but has the old Safeway PF plant in Emporia as well.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Good luck to hills. i’ll never buy from them again.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Check these out-
http://www.greatlife4pets.com/
http://www.1doctorschoice.com/
http://www.miraclemix.com/
I think they are in Ga.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Trudy–those sites are strange. I was trying to figure them out. I spoke to the gentleman in Georgia, but one of the sites say they ship from california. Not sure what is going on, but I will not be dealing with him. He suggested me buying this and buying that for my GSD’s.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Thanks Trudy, I’ll check that thread out :-)
June 20th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Jane said: Whoever believes the their “New and Improved†and holisitic brands are for real, then I only have pity for the pets. People have to realize that any pet food company who tortures and poisons cats and dogs in their test labs, that the greiving losses people are dealing with now becauses of the recall, means absolutely nothing to them.
Please also be aware that Iams and some of those other recalls companies are trying to sell their brands under another name so that they won’t be associated with the recall.
Well Said. Also remember what has been realized:
NO LABELS CAN BE TRUSTED. PERIOD.
June 20th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
This all just breaks my heart! Not only should all those pet owners that have sick pets or pets that have died be compensated for their pet bills but also be compensated for the emotional pain and suffering they all had to go through! My dog would not eat and had the tainted food. I took him to the vet twice and both times they said he must of just passed it through his system. I was having a nervous breakdown just over this! I cannot amagine what some of you went though and are still going through! I cried each day just trying to get my baby to eat! I was terribly upset and did not know how to help him! He has cancer and I am dealing with this each day. But.. I have not went through as much as any of you it seems and I just do not know how you all are doing it! I think I would have all ready had a break down! I am so sorry!
June 20th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
menusux,
Emporia, Kansas is the right place for Hills.
Emporia is home to IBP (Iowa Beef Processors), a huge meat processor.
They’ll never have worry about a shortage of by products.
June 20th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Here’s another chance to speak out…..just found this at Pet Connection. They want our comments on how the food recall was handled……the decision to release the melachickens & melahogs…….at least I believe that’s what it is. I wanted to share this before I go over there & have my say…..will I ever…..
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/ja.....70701c.asp
June 20th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Here’s the email I just sent to FSIS:
I would like my opinion to be heard on the subject of releasing melamine tainted chickens, hogs & fish (melachickens, melahogs & melafish) for human consumption.
We, as pet owners, have completely & absolutely lost all faith in the FDA to protect anyone, be it pets or humans. We have been lied to repeatedly & we now know they are out there protecting big business, not the public as they are supposed to be doing. I wouldn’t trust any of their decisions as they are solely based on helping big business to incur the least amount of loss financially & the rest of the people be damned. The loss of our beloved companion animals was the biggest show of what the FDA can do: protect big business & ignore the deaths of all those animals. I am disgusted with the FDA & all the people within it.
I would like to know why the CDC was alerted to be on the lookout for human renal failure…….because nobody knows what all this melafood is going to do to us? And does anybody care? NOT! As long as big business doesn’t lose any money, that’s all that matters. I am totally disgusted by the inner workings of these Government agencies & will never believe anything I’m told by them ever again.
I want to know which companies are selling this melafood so I can avoid it for both myself, my family & my dog……I don’t want any of us eating this contaminated food. Everyone within these agencies knows which foods to avoid but they won’t tell the public. This sucks big time.
That’s what I think.
June 20th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Info re: Steve’s Real Food:
Have used this with no problems. This is the first company I’ve seen who lists their ingredient suppliers and their websites on their PF company site.
http://www.stevesrealfood.com/index.htm
http://www.stevesrealfood.com/facts/suppliers.html
The list of their suppliers, what each supplies to Steve’s, their addresses, phone numbers and websites (where applicable). And, as expected, Steve’s is NOT a PFI member.
June 20th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
menusux:
I went to that website…..will have to drive a ways to try that food. I need to ask you a dumb question first……is that a dry food or is it the stuff you have to add water to & reconstitute?
Only reason I’m asking is that I tried another freeze dried food (thankfully I had a sample so I didn’t have to buy an expensive bag) that I needed to add water & make like a mush. My dog ate it but it came up as fast as it went down. She seems to do ok on certain dry foods & she’s doing great on home cooked. She has a sensitive tummy & has thrown up a lot of the premium foods. Just looking for alternatives.
June 20th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
This is truly saddening, I’m sorry to hear so many people have been affected by this, you have my sympathy.
All the sites I’ve been able to find are based in and talking about the USA, but does anyone know if this affects UK pet foods? We feed ours on what we believe to be very high quality food from a smaller more specialist company than Iams, Purina etc. but it’s still made in a factory and after reading this I would like to find out just what might be in it.
June 20th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
OK–me going to check out Steve;s site on my lunch hour. I’m always looking for something better than what I have. What is a PFI member? Purina Foods Idiot?
June 20th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Pukanuba, Yeah. a standing ovation for your letter. now i’m going on.
June 20th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Pukanuba,
I always used their frozen in either the 2.5 or 10 lb bags, so that’s the version I’m most familiar with. The food I used (they now also have the freeze-dried nuggets & patties and frozen patties) is about the size of an ice cube. What I did before going to bed every night was to take out the amount of cubes I’d be feeding the next day and let them thaw in the fridge. The frozen’s ready to eat or serve as a “topper” for other foods as soon as it’s thawed.
Never used their freeze-dried so don’t know a thing about that other than what Steve’s page for it says:
http://www.stevesrealfood.com/products/fd.html
and that both versions can be ordered online from those at this link:
http://www.stevesrealfood.com/purchase/online.html
Here’s a little info re: feeding freeze-dried:
http://www.stevesrealfood.com/canine/feed_dog.html
“Some dogs like the freeze-dried re-hydrated. If so, mix 1/4 cup warm water in with each cup of Steve’s and mix well. If you don’t re-hydrate, make sure your dog has access to plenty of fresh water.”
Another nice thing is that while SRF doesn’t sell directly to customers, the product page tells you what the suggested retail price for each of their products is, so you can tell how much (if any) the retailer has marked the product up:
http://www.stevesrealfood.com/.....ducts.html
June 20th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
To Kisses parents: I am so sorry about your pet. I too have been going around in circles with IAMs. They don’t want to be responsible for their crappy food wet or dry.
June 20th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Ok all,
What about Propac? Still looking for kibble.
Dog Food
http://www.propacpetfood.com/d.....0327154406
Cat food has gluten :-{
June 20th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
menusux:
Thanks for all those links. I looked around & couldn’t find any info on exactly how to feed this stuff. I just think the reconstituted is not for my dog……however, if it can be broken up & put on top of her food, all the better.
Rolf:
What you have to do (& what all of us have done) is to research, research, research. If you have any more questions, call the company directly. If they won’t answer your questions, move along to the next pet food. Any company should be willing to tell you what you need to know unless they’re hiding something. The only thing they seem to be unwilling to share is who manufactures their food. If you go to the pet food list website, there’s a ton of info there.
http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/
June 20th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Is there anyone on here who knows how to make a blog page [I think that’s what I need] and not charge a lot? I need it for people to write to Me about the terribe things that happened with the cat food. To put in My memorial book. Thanks,
June 20th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Trudy:
Thanks…..glad you liked my email. I’ve been waiting for somebody to ask for my opinion & I finally got my chance. I’m mad as hell…..can you tell?
Everyone should have their say…..let’s show those jokers at the FDA what we really think about them & their stupid decisions. They are going to post opinions on the FSIS website I think it said. I wonder how many of OUR emails will get posted.
June 20th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Chris–you’re in the same boat as me. I would tell you NO re ProPac. I saw the ingredients and here is what turned me off: The flour, brewers rice, canola oil. Red flag for me. BUT–I am far from a nutrionist. back to the drawing board for me.
Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley, Oatmeal, Potato Flour, Ground Brown Rice, Menhaden Fish Meal, Brewers Rice, Millet, Quinoa, Amaranth, Ground Whole Flaxseed, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Natural Flavoring, Menhaden Fish Oil, Lecithin, Yeast Culture, Dried Kelp, Alfalfa Leaf, Dried Blueberries, Dried Apples, Dried Carrots, Dried Peas, Dried Parsley, Dried Garlic, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Chicory Root, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Bifidobacterium Bifidum, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Oxide, Magnesium Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, L-Carnitine, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K Activity), Biotin, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate.
June 20th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Also see they have the menadione sodium bisulfite complex…..I believe that’s the stuff that everyone says is bad for animals. I haven’t googled it but people have & I guess it’s not good stuff. A lot of companies have stopped using it.
June 20th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Trudy,
If you want to start a blog, you can get one free from places like WordPress:
http://wordpress.com/features/
They’ll walk you through making it and answer questions if you’re stuck.
June 20th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Pukenuba, I went to the site about melamine but don’t know which thing to do. they don’t make it easy to find the right one? what do i do? thanks,
June 20th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Menusux, thanks, i’ll try it later.
June 20th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Pukanuba–Steve’s Real Food is a raw frozen diet that comes in cube form instead of patties or rolls. You just thaw & feed as is, using their guidelines to determine how many cubes to give your pet. They are supposed to have a really clean manufacturing plant & use only really good ingredients.
I tried it when I was trying out raw diets for my pets & my cats that would eat raw foods turned their noses up at it. They also didn’t like Raw Advantage, which is the premium raw food here in the Pac. Northwest, supre good ingredients & very clean manufacturing. Both of these brands are fairly pricey in the raw foods niche.
Instead, my cats much prefered Nature’s Variety raw, which someone said here several months ago has a really dirty plant. They also don’t state that their meats are human-grade (I emailed this question once & never got an answer).
June 20th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Chris, Pukanuba:
What about his dog food? Hmmm…the ingredients look pretty good.
http://championpetfoods.com/or.....ients.aspx
Anyone have any comments on this food–going back to the pet food list to get more information.
June 20th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I can’t find any info on Orjen dog food–help.
Thanks
June 20th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Chris - re ProPac - big no no is menadione (artificial vit K). The food also contains alot of menhaden fish. I was researching Solid Gold for a friend, and they are replacing this fish with fish such as herring and mackeral. Menhaden is in short supply due to storms in the gulf. Try Nature’s Variety. Check out their site. The canned is made at Menu. I feed dog and cat dry and raw. Good Luck.
June 20th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Barb GSD MOM - I found Orijen at www.acreaturecomfort.com. They are a Canadian company, but also look good.