Message to Fur Parents Who Have Lost or Almost Lost Their Furbabies (and the Rest of Us)
As of this morning, the news on the Menu Pet Recall is getting worse. I just heard that at least 100 brands are now affected and the company knew there were problems as far back as February. The toxic element seems to be a tainted wheat gluten filler. Obviously, this is not a limited incident. At this point, ALL food coming out of the Menu Pet factories should be under heavy scrutiny.
But let’s not let the companies that put their names on this food off the hook. They should bear just as much of the blame. They used their names to gain our trust.
How many of us thought that we could safely feed our furbabies food that had previously trusted names like Iams? Now we know that these companies wasted that trust and betrayed our dogs and cats for a few more pennies. They outsourced their food production and our trust. Moreover, they seem to have done little in the way of oversight or their own testing of the products. For a little more profit they condemned untold dogs and cats to suffering and death. Otherwise, how could this disaster have spread as far as it has?
So where do we go from here?
Start with buying dog and cat foods made by the people who actually brand and sell them. That keeps the company responsible for the food in the immediate mix. Its easier for companies that do not actually produce the food to claim that they are not really responsible for these deaths. Yes, they are but legally they may be able to shift the blame. Let’s reward companies that are responsible enough to make and sell their own pet food.
Next, if your pet has been affected, let the companies involved know you will not forget their transgressions. Obviously, if you bought a name brand in a grocery or chain store that only handled the final product and had nothing to do with production or branding, then they cannot be held to task. But if it is a company such as Schnucks or other grocery store that put their brand on it, go hard. They are responsible for EVERYTHING that bears their name. Only by leaning on THEM (the companies and people who enabled the poisoners) can we affect the people directly responsible for buying bad fillers and continuing to selll these products long after there was significant suggestion of definite danger to pets ingesting this poisoned food.
Lastly, forgive yourself. I can read in many of your barks and meows to the blog that you feel guilty for having bought this food and fed it to your furbabies. You didn’t know and had no way to even guess that the very companies who have spent decades gaining our trust would so callously allow our loved ones to eat tainted food that they provided. Your furbabies know you would never have hurt them. Blame the people responsible –the corporate executives who put money before your furbabies’ health. Aim your anger at them; not yourself.
List or no list, I can’t take it anymore! I am throwing out all my dog & cat ’s canned food! I do not want to take a chance on hurting by babies! Reports say it is the wheat gluten that they put in the food to blame, don’t they put the same wheat gluten in the dry food too??? Very nervous!!!!
First off, my heart goes out to anyone who’s furbaby has been effected by this horrible contaminaiton.
Secondly, consumers should boycott ALL of these brands to show the manufacturers that we will not stand for such carelessness with the companies we trust with our beloved pets.
Shame how Eukanuba is also on this list, be it wet food or not, as they are the number one sponser of AKC events. That just really gets under my skin! How can Eukanuba/Iams call themselves “premium” when we now can see they are made by the same company that produces the grocery store brands??!! Thank Dog for Natural Balance!!!!
I think its wrong to single out Schnucks when they are a very small part of this recall. Why not Wal-Mart? Did you know that Wal-Mart is the largest seller of pet food in the country and that its Old Roy brand is the number one selling brand?
Also, I was in a Schnucks on Friday night and they had alredy pulled all of their Schnucks-brand pet food as a precautionary measure. Earlier that day, Menu Foods said there would be a recall but did not release the list of affected products until Saturday at 6 a.m. As it turns out, there were only one Schnucks cat food and one Schnucks dog food affected.
It seems to me that Schnucks was being very proactive and was willing to forgo a day of sales of product that was perfectly fine because they wanted to keep the trust of customers that they have earned over several decades.
My heart goes out to anyone who has lost a pet, but let’s put the blame where it belongs – the manufaturer – not the retailer.
Paul
Thanks for barking in!
You’re right that Schnucks is only PART of the problem but when consumers walk in and buy a brand (like Schnucks or IAMS or any of the other brands who trusted Menu Pet to make their pet food) they are putting THEIR trust in that brand. I am not singling out Schnucks from the other 100 or so brands for censure.
From what you’ve said Schnucks has acted responsibly and should be commended. I personally shop quite a bit at Schnucks and plan on continuing to do so.
Where I differ with you however is that we as consumers can do nothing or very little to show disgust with Menu Pet. My bet is that this scandal is so deep that Menu Pet may very well go out of business or change businesses. (Do not take that as an inside tip. I know nothing other than what the rest of you know which is that this is an ever-growing mess with Menu Pet at the center of it.)
It is the brands’ responsibility to uphold their quality. What else are we buying if not the trusted name that we believe will, at the very least, NOT harm our pets? No, we MUST hold those who make their money off that trust to account for something that happens under their names and on their watch!
Retailers ARE responsible for what they sell, especially if the tainted food is a house brand and carries their names. That may not hold legally but I’m talking about morality here, not lawsuits. I’m sure the lawsuits are on the way. Most of us will not participate in those. We can, however, participate in disciplining those retailers and wholesalers who decided that it was more important to watch the bottom line rather than many furbabies’ lifelines.
This is so crazy…what are we supposed to feed our dogs now?? My Brussels Griffon was eating Science Diet dry mixed with canned. Since Saturday, I’ve been giving him plain chicken mixed with the dry food and some chicken broth. I’m so nervous about giving him ANY kind of dog food. Does anyone have any suggestions…I’m definitely not going back to Science Diet.
There are a ton of resources out there for pet owners that want to make good food decisions. Subscribe to the Whole Dog Journal…they test and review tons of food every year and send out annual lists of what is the best available. Also… talk to a good holistic vet in your area and your conventional vet if they are open minded about preparing the meals for your dog. I did a 30/30/30/10 formula. all organic and or local products were used…. 30 meat or fish, 30 grain…less corn and wheat as some dogs have stomach issues with both of these…quinqoa is an excellent choice, 30 veggie…. sweet potato, kale, carrots, beets,etc- NO ONIONS, and 10 fruit…. blueberries, blackberries, cranberries – NO GRAPES. I wood food process all of this together with whatever supplements/herbs my dog might need …I added some seaweed for extra iron, grated turmeric, sometimes ginger and garlic. There was a great product from an herbal company whose name I had at home that was great… I would sprinkle it on and mix it in with her meal portion… this was easiest when I mixed in some sugar free plain kefir which helped keep my pups gastro system happy. I also had some alcohol free tinctures from a company called herbalist and alchemist .
This sounds like hard work and I wont lie..at first it was a pain in the ass but I gota system down that worked for me and I would make her food once a week and then just dish it out at each meal time and mix in whatever other supplement she required. It didn’t cure her cancer but I believe it helped improve her quality of life for the time she had left. In fact my ex switched her dog onto a home cooked diet and some friends of mine switched theirs shortly after and all three dogs are thriving. They are maintaining healthy weights, are full of energy, love their food…. if anyone has any questions they can email me. I can give them the phone number for the holisitic vet whom I loved.
Also…. please for the love of all pets everywhere…. boycott IAMS/Eukanuba and Proctor and Gamble who is the parent company of IAMS/Eukanuba. Go to IAMSKILLS.COM for details. They need to stop masquerading as caring for the animals when in reality they care more about the dollar and use and abuse animals in invasive surgical laboratory settings for their dietary research. It is needless the methods they use…..
Best Regards,
Michele in Boston
I hope that those affected will complain to the FDA:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01590.html
“FDA is conducting an investigation and working with Menu Foods, Inc. to ensure the effectiveness of the recall. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-866-895-2708. Consumers who wish to report adverse actions or other problems can go to http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html to contact the FDA complaint coordinator in their state.”
Jammin’ Lady and MomJo
I have been on my own private campaign against the pet food industry for a long time. I have tried to spread the word via pet websites. I have lost three of my dogs to cancer. They were all on the same dog food. I always thought it was the dog food that caused their death, as they had the best of care from me. Isn’t it odd that our vets tell us “which dog food is best for our pets” and we buy it thinking we are doing the best for our pets. Or even if you go to a store to get your pet their food, you are assuming it is ok. But think very carefully. Have you ever really read the ingredients on the packaging?? What does “chicken or beef by products” really really really mean??? What terrible parts are added that we are not aware of in these by products. What else is added that is not fit for consumption?? Also think about the fact that our pets are acquiring all human illness. Could it be the food we are giving not knowing the ingredients?? Let all who read this spread the word that we want the pet food MONITORED AND CHECKED OUT BEFORE BEING GIVEN TO THE CONSUMER. IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE PET FOOD. AND LASTLY pets were better off years ago without all the processed food they are fed today and led longer and healthier lives.
I am in the mood today to vent so please bear with me. Every time I see a cruel pet injustice I want to either scream or sob. Besides the current tragedy of our wonderful pets, there is another injustice also being done. I am so very sad when I hear of any animal abuse and have to turn off the tv not to listen to the whole story. What is also on my mind today is the animal abusers who never get punished severely. The laws have to be more severe and on the level of human abuse. The demented person who abuses an animal is a menace to society because he will turn on a human too. If he is not punished enough he will commit the crime again and again and will also eventually commit a crime on a human. When you hear of dog fights and the penalty is not severe enough for the demented person who organizes these vicious crimes , then a human will also be a victim. We need to start doing something for our cherished pets and any animal that is suffering because of mankind’s inhumanity. Let yourself be heard on websites such as this one. TAKE SOME TIME TO CARE FOR OUR ANIMALS. DO ANYTHING YOU CAN TO TRY TO STOP THE ABUSE OR NEGLECT YOU EVER SEE WITH ANY ANIMAL.
We did not know what caused our Angel’s death until the recall. She passed away march 2nd, The vets wanted me to call the FDA and make a report. The lady told me the numbers that they are reporting to the media are incorrect. She said the FDA had over a 1000 reports of death so far. That is so scary to think that we were feeding this to our pets. If we would have known i would not have continued to feed her the food after she got sick.
My Bulldog Winston is now at the vet on IV fluids. We’re trying to flush his kidneys. Please keep him in your prayers. He solely ate Nutro Ultra Weight Management and Nutro Ultra Senior.
I feel sorry about what has happened but we almost feed our cats food that was being recalled
Rhon, I am so sorry to hear this. Please let us know how Winston does. I hope he will make it through this awful thing, and will be praying for him and you.
There are no words of comfort for those whose lives have been tragically altered by this disaster. If this had been baby food, you can imagine the outcry and the serious investigation it would provoke. We must let our lawmakers know that we value our pets and that their safety should be protected–they are as helpless as children to protect themselves!
[...] Update (3/20 6:30pm Pacific): A pet parent on dogster.com reports that the FDA has received more than 1,000 reports of pet deaths. Thanks Howl911. [...]
I understand your frustration at what to feed your furbabies. I too would love to feed an all homemade diet and greatly respect those fur parents who do so! Unfortunately I too have to make a compromise and feed store bought food.
So how can you find good prepared foods? Check with your local smaller pet stores or at the least look for the better foods carried in the bigger pet stores. There are some really premium brands that maintain strict controls and a few are carried in the the big box pet stores.
Do you need to find a local store that carries better foods? Checkout Dogster Local on your home page. Its a great Dogster service that lets you find all kinds of pet related and pet friendly businesses near you! I just checked my local zip code and found about 300 businesses and groups.
Also, there are some great magazines like Whole Dog Journal and Modern Dog that feature info on food brands.
So don’t lose hope or get frustrated. Just look around and see your many options. Yes, it may take a little more time and energy to change what you’ve been doing but is there really any other choice?
i’ve been neck-deep in this mess of a recall since it was first announced on March 16th and the website I threw together to consolidate info for concerned pet parents has grown legs and is becoming a huge black hole of unearthed facts–frightening facts. Facts like:
Menu Foods waited three months to do anything–not one month as has been reported in the U.S. press–but three months, as far back as December when they first began getting phone calls from scared pet parents. Menu foods has also continued to feed deliberately misleading or watered down info to the U.S. media, the public and the FDA about the facts surrounding this nightmare–facts like “only 10 deaths have thus far been reported.” In reality, according to Angel’s mom, the FDA said they’ve already received over a THOUSAND reports. Beyond all this, there is the damning information on PETA’s website about the inhumane feed testing experiments Menu Foods conducts. Yes, I know, it’s PETA, but it appears there is no exaggeration on PETA’s part with respect to their undercover investigation work at Menu Foods.
Now, here is the gut-wrencher. For years I have advocated the holistic and ethical brands (as I thought them to be), brands like Wellness and Castor & Pollux. Today I made some phone calls. Turns out both Wellness and Castor and Pollux’ food is made by….you guessed it…MENU FOODS. I now have a whole list of other super premium / holistic / organic / ethcal brands I’ll be calling tomorrow asking them the same question: Are any or all of your products made by Menu Foods? Doesn’t matter if these brands are on the recall list or not. Menu Foods has deceived, misled, and ignored us pet parents and I refuse to do business with any brand or label that contracts with them for manufacturing their food. If Castor & Pollux and others who tout their high ethics use such a manufacturer, I cannot in good conscience continue to support their products.
I would love to see an action committee formed which would take on the task of uncovering ALL the companies that use Menu Foods, and thus begin a campaign of pressuring these companies to terminate their contracts with Menu Foods.
Anyone in for making phone calls, writing letters and emails, etc.?
You know what makes me so mad I feed all of mine Natural Balance, but Angel was a rescue and i mixed the moist in with the kibble because she did not have many teeth. We kept saying she was acting like she was poisoned, but we can’t blame ourselves because how were we to know. I think Natural Balance is a good food and i will continue to feed my dogs and cats that food. I am a diabetic and barely have time to make sure my meals are balanced, that is why we depend of pet foods to help us with feeding our pets. Even if they compensate us it would NEVER replace our baby or fix what we witnessed her go through. I stayed awake with her the entire week trying to get her better, then to feed her another can when she was able to eat again. My god , i hope those CEO’s die the same kind of death.
I live in Rushville, Nebraska…forget finding good dog food…all we have is Wal Mart 34 miles away..and our feed stores carry cheap dog food, made of corn corn corn…I’ve searched high and low. I did however just find out that a new store just opened up near wal mart that sells “Chicken Soup for the Soul” Pet food and it’s highly recommended. Then I researched a bit on my own and it’s made by Diamond Pet Foods. Now, Diamond had that recall last year. I’ve had my issues with Diamond. I purchased Diamond before that recall at our local feed store. I live in Ranch/Cattle country…everything out here is about CORN and Sunflower seeds. Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food, sounds really good. I have friends that feed that to their pets and swear by it. I enjoy making my dogs Chicken and Rice with veggies and hard boiled fresh eggs. Guess I’ll just make more of it. Someone earlier asked, “…don’t they use the same ingredients in wet food as dry…” That was my thinking…so why only wet food? Wheat gluton is in everything just about …
The best book on the subject of pet food safety I’ve read is “Food Pets Die For.” Written by Ann.N Martin. I had ignored this book for a long time, thinking it was too radical and over the top – but as I started seeing more and more pet food problems crop up, I picked it up and started reading. I found the author to be a true advocate for finding the dirty truths about the pet food industry. Her book is an eye opener that’s for sure! She’s done the research, and the companies she listed to be wary of, (back in 2003) are all the companies that have recently been in the news for pet food recalls. Scary! I’m definitely glad I read it. I used to feed our dogs Eukanuba – I stopped after reading her book. Hoping this helps -
I am so sorry for all the losses of beloved furbabies – Angel’s story is so sad – she had a hard life before finding her new mommie – and her new mommie loved her so much.
I feed my dogs Royal Canine dry. It makes me sick, though, because when I saw Mixables (which is on the list) a while back, I started buying that – thinking what a wonderful treat to mix in with their dry food. Especially for Poni since she is missing a few teeth.
Mixables comes in different flavors and was packaged in two seperate boxes – one was orange, the other purple. The two boxes had flavors different from each other.
I would always buy 1 box of each color. Then, maybe 2 months ago, I noticed that the purple box wasn’t being stocked anymore. They always had the orange box but no longer the purple box.
I wonder now if that purple box disappearing from the stores shelves had anything to do with this.
When this report first came out I wasn’t too worried because when I glanced at the list (and I mean no disrespect to anyone – I know a lot of people can’t afford to buy real expensive food for their furbabies) but I thought it was more of the cheaper type dog foods – boy what a fool I was. The Mixables have been thrown out.
Now I am worried – and have been keeping a close eye on my dogs for any unusual behavior.
I certainly do hope that the manufactures are held responsible for all these horrible, un-necessary deaths.
Hi
For all of you wondering what to feed your dogs, here in the UK I feed my dogs “James Wellbeloved” food and have never had any problems….not sure if they export to the USA. “Burns” is also a good one but my dogs seems to prefer the James Wellbeloved but I know lots of people who say Burns is a superior to James Wellbeloved – just a matter of personal choice I think. Also not sure if Burns export to the USA but both companies have websites.
Hope this helps.
Naomi
Just an FYI to Tammy and Michelle: Natural Balance, like Chicken Soup for the Soul, is made by Diamond.
I’ll be calling every “premium” food label today to ask who makes their food and will list this on http://www.howl911.com later today.
Another FYI: Royal Canin just recently announced a recall of some of their prescription foods and a class action lawsuit was filed today against the company. The lawsuit alleges that Royal Canin put excessively high levels of Vitamin D in some of the formulation, full knowing that Vitamin D, in excess, can lead to hypercalcemia and kidney failure. This has not been reported in the U.S. media. The only news reports I could find were Canadian; however, it affects American consumers as well. Over the last month or so, Royal Canin has been quietly contacting vets who sell their food, advising them of the recall. And the kicker, Royal Canin never performed any feed tests for the affected food because, according to a company rep, they only feed test on their maintenance line of food (that which is sold in retail outlets and intended for “healthy” dogs and cats). Can you believe it? Here this food is intended for SICK pets–to make them better–yet it is never feed tested to actual animals to see if it is safe or providing effective therapeutic value to the pets who are prescribed it. What a complete SHAM. There are two links on this breaking story on the http://www.howl911.com website (right column, top of column)
That is scary, i went to natural balance website and did not realize they were made by diamond foods. What are we supposed to feed our pets? I don’t have time to home cook, like i said i am a diabetic and barely have time to balance my own meals , then to try to make sure my 4 cats and 3 dogs are eating right too.
Whoa, all of this is so scary. I am more glad now than ever that I feed all of my dogs a home-cooked diet of cooked chicken/venison/veal/eggs and veggies every day. I believe this is the safest route to go. Kibbles, sure there are some ultra-premium brands out there, but you still can never know what you are getting, especially if the companies are not very upfront about it. I believe this is an unfortunately necessary wake-up call to not only all pet parents everywhere, but also to the companies that put forth false advertising on their kibbles.
We hope others will do their own research and either find the best kibble possible, which even mom is now weary about, or turn to home-cooking fresh and cooked meals on a daily basis.
Here’s to hoping the Whole Dog Journal and http://www.dogfoodproject.com puts out a statement or something on all of this.
Start with buying dog and cat foods made by the people who actually brand and sell them. Let’s reward companies that are responsible enough to make and sell their own pet food.
Can you direct or provide a list of these companies….I feed my Aussie Iams dry and our cat Science Diet dry…..
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
TY
Kim
Michigan
Oh man, thanks Nikki, for the information! I just can’t believe it!!!! I may have to start buying BARF or homecooking for my furbabies (me – I get mostly tv dinners – but I will cook for my babies!!BOL)
Anyway, I just read today in a news report that the reason it’s the *wet* food and not the dry food being recalled is because the wheat glutton is added to the *wet* foods’ gravy to thicken it up.
Still, though, the food company is playing it down. Making it sound like there hasn’t been that many furbabies affected by their food. And they won’t attribute outdoor animals deaths to their food because they say the animals could have picked up something elsewhere.
Doesn’t that just make your fur stand up!
I have been making my dogs food a home for many months, thank God for that. I feel for all the furbabies and their humans that have been involved in this outrage. you all are in my thoughts. Sandra
This is really terrifiying and confusing. We are both on disability, with four dogs, and we recently switched all of them onto Authority Lamb and Rice dry food from Pedigree because I read the label and it was a better food, or so I thought! I’ve never fed ‘wet’ food because the dry was better for their teeth, and I’ve been watching them since this recall began, and so far no problems. But now I really don’t know what to feed them! I can’t stretch the budget to buying something more expensive right now, nor can I afford to cook for them. What are we supposed to do? I haven’t panicked yet, but it’s getting close! What about Canidae? Does anyone know who makes that food or whether it’s safe? I hate to change their food again, but I’m scared!
Merrick is one company that manufactures their own pet foods–they can be found in specialty and high end pet stores. You can check out their site at http://www.merrickpetcare.com. I do not work for merrick–I am just a concerned pet mom who has been digging and searching for a company that makes it’s own foods.
cindy (Roxy’s mom–dogster # 283309)
Thanks Cindy for barking in!
Another brand that is perhaps not as expensive as Merrick(though I like Merrick and usually feed their canned food if my pack is due to get it) is Royal Canin, made here in Missouri. Dogsters and Catsters correct me if I’m wrong but I believe the Royal Canin company seems to keep pretty good control over their food and its sold in places like PetSmart. When I looked at the price of Royal Canin it seemed fairly comparable to upscale Nutro.
Bark in if you know a reason not to use Royal Canin. ALso bark in if you have more duggestions on brands to trust.
Actually, Royal Canin is also having a recall of some of their foods–something about toxic amounts of vitamin D in their foods–there is information on http://www.howl911.com about the Royal Canin recall. I’m almost beginning to think it is time for me to make my own food for my furbabies.
Cindy
Thanks Cindy for barking in and correcting me.
Okay folks, now we have to watch out for Royal Canin too…
I’m with you Cindy. I’m starting to wonder if I’m going to have to start cooking for the pack. Seems kind of odd since I barely cook for me.
Okay, holy cow! I looked at Merrick–it’s almost $70 for a 30 pound bag of food! Please, PLEASE don’t get me wrong–I love my dogs immensely, but that’s WAY over my budget; we are both on disability! Is there any less expensive company out there?
Stacy
There are at least a few less expensive yet healthy food options. You don’t have to spend a fortune.
I’ve been sending out messages to folks in the know asking for their suggestions. As soon as I hear back I’ll let you know.
I’ve been using VF Formula food from Arkat in Arkansas and have been pretty happy with it.. Their website is at http://www.arkat.com/contents.html. The price is a bit above the store or PG brands but the quality seems to be much higher. I also noticed that they make a point of saying on their site that they recheck all food leaving their plant.
When I get more info I’ll pass it on.
Thanks, Joy! I also got a recommendation from a friend for Canidae, which she swears by, and it was only $30 for a forty pound bag, so I may try that. At the very least, Canidae is not on the list. I’ll look into Arkat too!
My cat has just informed me we are living on the planet Catostrophia !!! once the world was fresh, and safe ..
now it’s food supply is poisoned with geneticly altered
plants? and toxins in the air.. and water.
can we only blame ourselves? us little people, that don’t
have conections , and corporations that make us mega moneys ? (thru exploting everrything).. i think responibilty
lies with us.. to change the laws that give this “freedom”
to companys that avoid safeguards, and taxes ,and(endless
list,etc.)
anything
that isn’t profitable? our mess was complicated by the present regime in washington? we must act NOW!!!
Pet owners concerned about their pet’s health may want to know about herbal products specifically designed to support kidney function in both dogs and cats. These herbal formulas by Healthy Pet Solutions work by providing anti-oxidants and cellular cleansing agents to strengthen the entire system and help the pet heal. They are not intended to take the place of a visit to the veterinarian – but maybe they can help keep some pets from getting sick! Check out http://www.pet-helper.com.
Convulsing in my arms as we rushed her to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital, Misha died just as we had stepped into the
waiting room.
My 12 year old Minature Schnauzer “Misha”, died on March 23rd, 2007 from the tainted food.
I will never trust Menu Foods again. My dog had Presidents Choice Extra Meaty Cuts with Gravey in the pouches which took her life. The stupid part is, we gave her this food as a treat, buying her a variety box was a one time thing. Her normal food is Hills Science Diet which she has never had a problem with. Although from time to time she tired of this food. So we thought we would give her something different for a change.
The guilt and sorrow I have in my heart is just over whelming me. For the first week after her death I just felt numb, but now anger has set in. Today April 2nd, we will get Misha’s ashes back from her being cremated. There will be no more walks, or having her snuggle up to any of us on the couch. No more playing with my son, or hearing her barks greeting us..There will be no more anything with Misha… except looking at her urn that will hold her ashes. Menu Foods.. rot in hell for putting profit over our pets. .
Marcy (Sydney’s mom)
Misha’s Mom, my thoughts are with you. I too lost my best friend and companion Sydney on March 23rd. I took her to the vet on the 23rd because she had gone down and couldn’t get back up for a while. I did not see her but she must have had a seizure because she had a bowl movement where she was laying. The vet did blood work and took xrays and attributed her failed health to age (11.5) and a mass they said she had under her stomach. They suggested euthanizing her, by this time it was obvious she was in pain. Although I couldn’t understand how she could have failed so quickly, I couldn’t stand to see her in pain. I took her home and had a vet come to my house to euthanize her. I didn’t want her last memory to be laying on a cold table in a place she was not real fond of.
I have since contacted the FDA . Although Sydney was losing weight and had slowed down recently, I still had my doubts about the vet’s diagnosis. Her failing was just too fast.
The FDA took info regarding her dog food. I also gave them info on the dog biscuits she had been eating.
While surfing the net this evening I found out that the biscuits, Pet Life People Pleasers Dog Treats, are one of the latest Recalls on the list. I will call the FDA back tomorrow morning first thing.
Misha’s Mom, did your vet know what had happened to Misha? And are they following through with the FDA.
I too have a hole in my heart, I hate to come home to an empty house, Sydney should be here.
I am happy to read all this succes: you deserve it completely. Proud to work with you in Boston, next june. Please, take all the good thoughts streaming from my heart to you…