Dog Community

Just Read This...

Posted : 3/26/2007 5:31:45 PM

On AOL news, article about all the people calling the FDA, which has NOT started any kind of data base for recording illness/deaths/inquiries. Has been over 4000 calls. Anway, that particular poison, in high dosage (and what is considered high?) causes crystals to form in tiny tubes in the kidneys and casues kidney failure. One guy had two dogs become sick and one had to be put to sleep, necropsy done, and it had the crystals. The other dog survived.
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However, data from the nation's largest chain of pet hospitals, Banfield, suggest it is as high as hundreds a week during the three months the food was on the market.

During that time, the more than 600 Banfield hospitals in 43 states saw 200 to 250 cases of kidney failure in cats above the usual number that would have been expected, says Hugh Lewis, president of Data Savant, Banfield's data collection arm.

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I think this more or less confirms what most of us think--that there are many thousands rather than a few hundred as speculated in some areas, and for certain more than any 16 thta has been confirmed. Most will never be confirmed due to no necropsy.

Xebby

Posted : 3/26/2007 5:37:37 PM

I also wonder if that has any correlation to the number of people who are now taking their pets in to get tested for it than before. It seems that since now people are aware of the problem more are taking their pets to a vet so more animals are getting tested for this sort of thing than ever before. Then there are those who go untreated, I wonder how accurate any of the statics can be. Whatever it is still is pretty scary.

Cazzy

Posted : 3/26/2007 5:39:14 PM

Oh my god Sandra that is terrible..Thanks for the info..I have heard nothing today on the news and I have been watching...

sandra_slayton

Posted : 3/26/2007 5:45:16 PM

According to the article, the number of 200 to 250 more cats more than usual coming in with kidney failure has been going on for for about 3 months not just the past week or two.

Personally i do not like Banfield, they didn't tell the entire truth when there was the ProHeart6 hearing Jan. 2005, and there was dead certain proof of they were not being up front and honest. They denied that any dog treated with proheart6 at any of their hospitals had ever gotten sick or died and yet I had contact with some, read stories by some whose dogs did get sick, did die and they did contact Banfield about it.

Now as to if they are not being totally truthful about this, I don't know. Of course, their vets can't be sued because they didn't dish out the food as with Proheart6 injections. But it does appear they are a little worried and so are other vets. And there is concern about imported human food not being properly inspected. Said there is a severe shortage of people to do and funds to hire the people.