We’re all – sadly – conversant in tales from pet house owners reporting the heartbreak of a pet sick or that has died linked to a pet meals. 1000’s of {dollars} in vet payments – desperately making an attempt to avoid wasting their life. It’s intestine wrenching to learn or hear these tales – every one breaks our coronary heart.
However most pet house owners usually are not conversant in tales from rescues who’ve confronted a number of sicknesses and deaths of treasured animals of their care linked to a pet meals. Many rescues can’t/don’t disclose these nightmares publicly – in worry of criticism (‘why have been you feeding these animals low-cost pet meals?’), in worry of dropping adoptions (‘animals there have been sick, I’m not adopting from them’), in worry of dropping donations (‘they aren’t correctly caring for his or her animals’), in worry of being sued for defamation by a pet meals producer, or maybe in worry of dropping entry to discounted pet meals to feed the animals they look after. We hardly ever hear of those pet meals associated issues, however once we do – they’re simply as painful and heartbreaking as tales from particular person pet house owners.
Kastaway Kitties Rescue is a small cat rescue group positioned in rural Tennessee (McMinnville, TN). As most rescues do, they battle to boost cash to feed and care for his or her residents. Some are fortunate to have an area veterinarian low cost medical therapies and spay/neuter of the animals of their care, some usually are not so fortunate. The closest veterinarian to Kastaway Kitties is an hour drive.
Most rescues haven’t any selection however to offer their particular company with cheap feed grade pet meals…they do the most effective they’ll with the funds they’ve. Kastaway Kitties is not any exception, they’ve tried for years to pick out the most effective cat meals they might afford. They educated themselves on pet meals, and once more – have executed the most effective they might with the donations that they had.
However…
In early March 2024, Kastaway Kitties Rescue had 15 cats get severely ailing; beforehand wholesome cats. The sicknesses began after opening a brand new bag of cat meals – all of those cats ate from the identical bag. These cats skilled the identical signs which have been reported by so many pet house owners throughout the final 5 months. They tried to avoid wasting all of them – administering medicines and sub-q fluids, making house ready pet meals. However, 4 cats – Hazel, Sassypants, Elizabeth and Breanna – died.
This was not the primary time this rescue has handled pet meals poisoning. In 2018 that they had 50 cats of their care die believed to be linked to a pet meals.
In each cases – this cat rescue reported the sicknesses and deaths to the FDA, reported the sicknesses and deaths to the pet meals producer. In each cases the FDA advised them nothing, the producers denied accountability.
There are millions of animal rescues/shelters throughout the US that might have confronted comparable pet meals poisonings however felt they might not share their story/heartache publicly in worry of…
What can we (pet house owners) do to assist?
So many of those pet sicknesses and deaths – each in rescues and pets in properties – may very well be prevented if FDA would preserve pet house owners up to date to present investigations. If the general public had entry to the data being supplied by pet house owners to the FDA, all may keep away from the merchandise which are being reported as a possible drawback. We’ve got filed an official request with the FDA for this info on the present pet meals challenge. Please submit a remark in help of our request to FDA, it takes solely a minute or two of your time.
To learn the complete Citizen Petition we submitted to FDA, Click on Right here.
To submit a remark, Click on Right here. Click on on the blue ‘Remark’ button. Instance remark: ‘I help this petition, pet house owners should be promptly knowledgeable to antagonistic occasion experiences obtained by FDA, model names concerned, and signs reported’.
And…
Undertake a rescue or shelter (not essentially a pet from the rescue – the rescue itself). Present them help by donating or volunteering. Saving lives will not be simple work – these great organizations want our assist. Collect a bunch of pet loving pals/household and decide to a small month-to-month donation from every of you to an area rescue/shelter of your selection. Think about what modifications may very well be made within the care of rescued animals if a bunch of ten pet house owners ‘undertake’ an area rescue. Simply $10.00 a month from every of you’d end in $1,000.00 a month for that particular rescue group.
Rescue a rescue…undertake a shelter.
We thank Kastaway Kitties for sharing their tales with us, your bravery sheds mild on a significant issue all of us have to know of. For anybody that wishes to undertake Kastaway Kitties, they’ve a Fb donation web page: https://www.fb.com/teams/484438728293348. In addition they have an Amazon Want Listing web page: Click on Right here.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the most effective,
Susan Thixton
Pet Meals Security Advocate
Creator Purchaser Beware, Co-Creator Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Affiliation for Reality in Pet Meals
Change into a member of our pet meals client Affiliation. Affiliation for Reality in Pet Meals is a a stakeholder group representing the voice of pet meals customers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend conferences and voice client considerations with regulatory authorities. Click on Right here to study extra.
What’s in Your Pet’s Meals?
Is your canine or cat consuming threat components? Chinese language imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘remainder of the story’ on over 5,000 cat meals, canine meals, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Assure. Click on Right here to preview Petsumer Report. www.PetsumerReport.com
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The 2024 Listing
Susan’s Listing of trusted pet meals. Click on Right here to study extra.
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Susan’s Listing of trusted pet deal with producers. Click on Right here to study extra.
