Just so I am "politically correct" --  I have never made any reference to euthanized pets or rendering. 

debsue and I were trying to describe something that was in the kibble.  Sometimes it's difficult to find the appropriate word to describe something (thus the picture), so how about this "it's beige and sort of like a flat piece of nylon line" 

Donna

Debsue,

 Familiar?


Donna

Jenny,

Let's see, there was the post here from the president on July 3 and the call from their attorney on July 5.  Other than that, I was told by customer service that the president was working closely with the lady to resolve this.    

debsue,

Thank you for sharing your experience.  Sounds like you have a little more to look at in your kibble than I did.  There were a couple of other pieces that had something that looked like a flat nylon line. 

If you decide to send a sample to ExperTox, be sure to give them some of the most identifiable pieces along with a scoop of the general kibble.  They usually need about 1-2 cups total. I bagged my most identifiable pieces in a separate bag than the general mix (sent both to Natura and ExperTox).   They should be able to test the unknown objects specifically.  Keep the package with you and send samples in well identified ziploc baggies. 

Please post pictures when you can.   Thanks.
Donna

yl,

Did your vet give a reason why he didn't want to run a toxin scan when you requested it?    Regarding a lab, if you're looking for one in your state, you might start with your State Dept. of Agriculture.  There is also another thread discussing Dept. of AG - so you might look to that for more info.  

I have found few labs who test pet food.  You would need to ask the lab if they test for melamine, cyanuric acid and acetaminophen and at what levels of detection.   Labs usually ask for 1-2 cups of dry food and a can/pouch of wet.  If it's a dry food, keep the bag; place some in a ziploc and clearly identify the product.  Be sure to keep some of the sample with you.  

Those symptoms are very familiar.  What food are you feeding?  Are you still feeding that one?  

Donna

Becky,
First, I’m very sorry for the loss of one of your cats.  I think each of us shares in the grief with you for your cat, along with all the other pets lost to this crisis.  

I appreciate you taking the time to share your story.  I do think it is helpful to share the symptoms our pets are experiencing and I believe it will be beneficial to others.  I believe there are so many “minor” symptoms that some of us are overlooking.  Hopefully, others will be encouraged through your message to continue to closely monitor their pets for any unusual symptoms or illness that might be associated with the food.  I’m also glad to hear they have been improving.  

I would encourage you to at least keep a sample of the product you have been feeding along with the package; at least for a little while longer.  

I hope all your little ones continue to do well.
Donna

First, I'm not a vet, just a pet owner who reads a lot. 

This topic was touched on a couple days ago.  My thoughts - The concern with bloodwork would be if the pet had been exposed to enough of "whatever" to affect an organ and thus alter a value in the blood or urine.  If the levels of the "whatever" are low/trace maybe it's just revealed in subclinical symptoms rather than some high/low value change. 

Also, a lab did confirm to me that if you are looking for a toxin in blood or urine, you have to request a "toxin scan"; otherwise, it just goes through the normal analysis that you would obtain with any routine office visit. 

This is why I posted to be sure to ask your vet about the blood/urine tests.  If you have unusual, unexplained symptoms (non-life-threatening), then ask the vet if you need to specify a toxin scan as part of the diagnostics.

Donna

Ziggy,
Reference your comment on taurine - we have both spoken to Natura employees and emailed and were told all ingredients are from the US.  Attached is a response we received:

Dear pet lover,
Thank you for contacting us about our products. All of the ingredients that we use in our foods are all from within the United States, with the one exception of the Venison which is from New Zealand.
Please feel free to contact me if you need any additional information or if you have any questions.
Veronica Moreno
Natura Pet Products


There is also the reference from their "Menu Foods Recall Video Message Transcript - April 2, 2007"
"Also effective immediately, I have instructed our buyers to utilize ingredients from domestic suppliers only; and to specifically exclude any ingredients that might be sourced from China."

So I suppose the appropriate question would be when did they start purchasing taurine from a domestic supplier? 

Donna

For any of you having lab work done on your pets, ask the vet if the blood and urine are actually tested for toxins.   

A friend who works for a doctor said toxins are not part of a routine lab test and you would have to request a test for toxins. 

Here's something to consider -- I've been thinking about routine lab work done on our pets who may have consumed toxins in their food.  When a CBC or urinalysis is done it screens for a predetermined range of values for components in the blood and urine.  However, if the pet has been exposed to low levels of a toxin it might not be enough to alter the values in those tests.  So, routine lab tests may not be a true indicator that the pet has not ingested toxins.  I would think it would be similar to the laboratory analyses some people are obtaining for pet food where you have to actually search for toxins.  

The corresponding thought would be if those low level toxins are not discovered through routine lab work, then (1) how long will it take before an accumulation of the toxins causes problems, (2) what would the long term effect be and (3) what happens if a new toxin enters the body that can react with the toxin already there.  

Just a thought,
Donna

I am posting the attached pictures for "1Gone, Another on Meds".  There is a reflection on the package wrap, but you can see the black and white specks in the kibble.  This came from unopened sample packs. 

I would ask 1Gone to confirm the products these pictures are taken of and that she took the pictures.   I am only posting the pictures for her.
Thanks,
Donna

Lanie,
According to Mr. Atkins message posted here on this thread (quoted below), the test they did that came back negative was a test of the vitamin premix that was used in that production. It would be interesting to know how large a "retain sample" they maintain of the premix and would that would that be representative of the entire batch.  It does not indicate that test and result were of my sample and it does not indicate at what levels it was tested at, which could result in a difference in test results.  Natura has had my sample at their production facility since May 24.  To date I have heard no results of my sample. 

(Quoting PAtkins, july 3, 2007, 3:26:18pm:  "We requested that she send samples to us so that Midwest Laboratories could test for these contaminates.  We also asked Midwest Laboratories to test the vitamin premix that was used in its production.  The test results came back negative..")

I hope you will share the answers you receive to your questions here on this thread. 
Donna
 

Regarding the bag you fed, did you feed the entire contents of the bag?   Do NOT open the other packages; they should remain sealed!  .  On any of the other bags, if you can see the specks in the kibble, can you possibly make a digital picture of it and post it here on this thread?

We can find some places for you to have it tested if you wish.  

Thanks,
DonnaC

lesliek,
Why do you suspect the Vitamin E?  Were you supplementing additional Vit.E?  

Donna

Great questions regarding the vitamins!  

I'll repost the pictures.  (They were under posting name "PFR07PS" on Pg. 14)
Please note:  not all chunks were this size.  Some were small particle size.  All chunks were embedded in the kibble.

Donna