Consumer Paid-For Nutro Testing Results

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auntie crazy

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Don Earl, of Pet Food Safety Alliance, has received the results from testing he ordered on some of the recalled Nutro dry cat food, purchased after the recall was announced. Scary, but well worth reading.

pfsa.org news

pfpsa nutro test results
 

sharky

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Auntie Thank you...

AM I misreading or were many things in the second link way off.>>??
 

marysmith

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Originally Posted by sharky

Auntie Thank you...

AM I misreading or were many things in the second link way off.>>??
I would bet that you were NOT reading it wrongly. Many levels are way too HIGH!
 

darlili

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Is this the University of Idaho testing lab? University of Illinois? Iowa? Someplace else? Couldn't identify the testing lab from the page 2 of 2 link. Also, assume we should have already seen thousands of dead cats based on this.

Was this sent to the FDA and Nutro? - Don Earl just mentions wanting to get together for a class action suit, but maybe elsewhere on this site he documents delivery to the FDA, etc. He does seem to be pretty fixated on Mars - but don't see anything on Evangers? Doesn't that seem just a little odd?

BTW, who else is in this group's board of directors - I see neither financial statements nor a listing of officers, even though they post their by-laws and request donations. I'm sorry - this is triggering a lot of red flags to me, just like consumeraffairs.com.
 

sohni

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The first article says that two days of normal feeding would result in lethal doses. A lot of cats, just on this board, were fed the food for over a week before the recall was found. Has anyone read about any sick cats as a direct result of the food? I am just curious.
 

darlili

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Snake_Lady;2655706 said:


its no wonder more people are switching to raw.
QUOTE]

as long as it's not Nature's Variety raw, it seems! hard to catch a break anywhere, i think.
 
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auntie crazy

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Don is just a person, like you or me, who lost a cat in the 2007 poisoning. Unlike most of us, he took the issue to court. You can read all about it on his site Pet Food Recall Facts

Don has received foods from all over the US and sent them out for testing (I sent him some myself after Ollie died). He's also purchased foods himself. Everything comes out of his own pocket or from donations from folks like us, and he posts every result for us to see.

He's a good guy, fighting a good fight.
 
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auntie crazy

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For those who are questioning the deadly test results against what seems to be a lack of dead animals.... Consumer Affairs, sadly, has plenty of dead animal complaints.

Some of you, for whatever reason, are discounting the hundreds of folks who have documented their stories at Consumer Affairs. That's your right, but until someone creates and implements a coherent, systematic, reliable and enforceable method of reporting pet deaths from all over the country in a manner that can be analyzed for patterns, these "anecdotal" stories are all we have.

The test results, however, are factual proof. One or the other was enough for me, together, well, I'm convinced enough to be taking time away from family and friends to email, post, blog and call to spread this information as far as I can.

A.C.
 

darlili

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I was just thinking that the Menu Foods recall got major press play all over the US and in other countries, and, while any deaths are too many, there weren't thousands of deaths - yet still it made headlines worldwide. Based on Don's analysis, and the sheer number of cats eating Nutro foods, we should indeed be seeing thousands of deaths, and the corresponding press attention. But, have we?

Personally, I discount Consumer Affairs because they're a cover for some very aggressive attorneys and never present anything more than anecdotal info attached to names like "Jill from Utah". IMO, they are looking for deep pockets to sue - and playing on the emotions of pet owners. I do like the way they present themselves as a consumer affairs advocate - at least to those who don't click a few links deeper - but how many distraught people keep checking further in?

And, I do like to see more specific information - such as, which labs are running Don's analyses? Why isn't the name attached? Where is page 1 of 2?

Who is on his board of directors - a lot of space was given to the by-laws, but, again, no hard information? Where are the financial statements showing how donations are spent? Why isn't the information simply presented for all to see?

In all honesty, how do we know this guy is for real? Maybe he is - but it'd be nice to see some information that could be independently confirmed. Anyone can make up names and allegations on the internet - which is why, for me, it's important for anyone to make sure they provide verifiable documentation when they're making such serious claims.
 
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auntie crazy

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Darlili, a few minutes on one of Don's sites and you'd have all the reassurance you'd like. If you don't want to read either of them, I'd suggest you do some research on the itcho forum. Don's as real as they get, and more courageous than most.

We need more people like him.

Oh, and by the way, MANY THOUSANDS of animals died in 2007. Paul Pion of the Veterinarian Information Network - and the veterinary cardiologist who discovered the deadly taurine deficiency back in the 1980s - says the VIN estimates that "...thousands, maybe tens of thousands" of pets died (and continue to die) from the 2007 poisoning. TENS OF THOUSANDS.

counting the dead

That's not why the press got involved; in fact, for a long time they mentioned only the 14-16 dead that Menu Foods killed in their own food trials... no, the press picked it up because it was the LARGEST CONSUMER RECALL in American history.

Here, the Government acknowledges thousands died...
someone-in-the-government-has-been-counting-dead-pets/

Here, the main-stream media admits that thousands died...
settlement-near-in-2007-pet-food-poisonings

And here...
pet-food-recall-buyer-beware/

And here...
the-grey-lady-says-uncle-thousands-of-pets-died/
 

sharky

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1600 plus CONFIRMED dead from the 2007 recall.. IMHO many more did , Likely my Kandie was a victim but I cannot prove it as she was CRF for over four yrs ... My Gigi may have been a later victim but again multiple issues make proving hard ...

Personally I have chatted with Don and he has given me Verifiable info ...

These results are IMHO scary
 

carolina

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So, in your opinion, for the Nutro foods that haven't been recalled, like the Nutromax KITTEN chicken... Would you stop feeding that to your pets, if you were feeding now?
If it was you - would you stop, or continue?
 

darlili

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I'm feeding Nutro senior now - and I talked to my vets - and, absent any verifiable information to the contrary, and assuming kitties still like it and I continue getting my excellent health reports from the vet (including blood panels, most recently done Memorial weekend, 2009), I'm not inclined to change, unless there is a formula change that is detrimental.

I've looked at Don's site and still have the same questions about posted, confirmable information - heck, could someone just say what lab he uses? Why is that such a secret? Where is page 1 of 2 of the posted documents? I did see his 697 documents in the Washington state court system, though. That's a heck of a lot of pro se motions.

You know, I'm thinking his heart may bein the right place, but, again, if you're making serious allegations on the internet, I really think you need to supply independently confirmable information openly, so that other people can verify. And, if you're collecting monies, it'd be nice to have some financial information available as well.

Also, honestly, not sure about Itchmo and its reliability - again, seems like a lot of the posters, who seem to go from board to board to board across the internet, get very vehement about things but don't have a lot of hard info available in a lot of cases. I honestly would prefer to get additional confirmation from sites such as Cornell or Tufts, or the ASPCA, or the FDA. With the Menu recall, all of those organizations provided information. It's far too easy, IMO, for misinformation to appear on the internet, and that's why I like a lot of detailed, specific data from more than one source. Also, in Earl's case, he seems far more impressed with ConsumerAffairs.com than I am, which isn't helping me, truthfully. Now, I see info from Cornell or Tufts or any of the top vet schools, that'll help me really believe in any or all allegations.
 

mschauer

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Originally Posted by darlili

I've looked at Don's site and still have the same questions about posted, confirmable information - heck, could someone just say what lab he uses? Why is that such a secret? Where is page 1 of 2 of the posted documents? I did see his 697 documents in the Washington state court system, though. That's a heck of a lot of pro se motions.

You know, I'm thinking his heart may bein the right place, but, again, if you're making serious allegations on the internet, I really think you need to supply independently confirmable information openly, so that other people can verify. And, if you're collecting monies, it'd be nice to have some financial information available as well..
I agree with you.

*Anytime* I read *anything* on a web site I try to remember to consider whether I have any reason to believe what I am reading. If he has verifible information then he should provide what is needed to verify it. It's just about credibility. I don't know him from Adam. I don't whether he is persuing some personal agenda or whether he is exaggerating the facts. How do I know he didn't modify, or totally fabricate for that matter, the test results posted? The test results are supposed to be from "UI Analytical Services Labortories". A Google search on that name turns up nothing. That doesn't mean the lab doesn't exist but if I were inclined to take some action as the result of what that lab report says the first thing I would want to do is contact the lab and verify the report as posted is accurate.

I have no idea whether the information posted by Don Earl is to be trusted. There is much he could do to reassure people he is on the up and up. Like you, I find it suspcious that one of the "benefits" of buying a membership with him is that you get to vote for "officers and directors" and yet no place on his web site is there any mention of who the current officers and directors are and what they do.

In summary, I have no reason to distrust the guy but I also have no reason to trust him. I would put the information on his sites in the "Need More Information" file. I wouldn't ignore it but I also wouldn't be surprised if it came out that the information isn't quite accurate.
 
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auntie crazy

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All your questions can be answered by reading Don's sites or even emailing him. Both Sharky and I vouch for Don; any further info you need or want in reference his background, you'll have to seek out.

As for the incredibly dedicated and passionate folks over at Itchmo - the blood, sweat and tears they've collectively shed has produced (and continues to improve) an astonishingly impressive amount of research that stands on its own and needs no defense from me!


Folks, this food's been tested and the results posted.... feed it if you want, or not, your choice. I certainly have no intention of making that decision for you!


A.C.
 

sharky

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one in Washington state at one of the universities... um cant recall off hand mainly cause I mix them up( the universities that is )
 

darlili

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Thanks - I think Washington State and University of Idaho do a fair amount of shared research, etc. If that sounds right, perhaps I'll drop them a note over the next few days asking about the lab reports being posted on the web and see what they say.

That said, I still don't see why the lab wouldn't be clearly identified on the alliance web site. What reason is there to not post the name? That alone raises a flag to me, but then again back in school and in business, they drilled the idea of correct citations into us so deeply that I always look for the cites when reading what's supposed to be a factual statement. And, truthfully, if I were donating money to have lab work done, I'd kind of want to know where it was being done, or if it were actually being done. There are just too many cases out there where people have been duped by those playing on high emotions and generous hearts - while it's not fair to the legitimate organizations, I think the old Reagan concept of trust but verify could be something we all should think about.

I did notice that the Itchmo mods seem to try to stress that many statements on that site are only personal opinion, but, honestly, I wouldn't get that from reading a lot of the forum posters - to me, there seems to be more heat than light in a lot of the discussions. There does seem to be a lot of reliance on consumer affairs.com as a source for 'facts', which does affect the weight I give those forums.
 
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