Author Topic: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**  (Read 6309 times)

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Offline Lola

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #15 on: February 07, 2013, 01:26:15 PM »
Purina complaints are up to 526 now.  Some of the heart breaking stories... WOW!

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Debbie of Seminole, FL on Feb. 3, 2013
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I am trying to figure out what is going on with my 3 dogs. I have been feeding them Purina One Beyond for the past few years with no problems. …They seem to take turns being sick. I tried mixing it again yesterday, and the third one started throwing up…I'm just wondering if anyone else has seen this change?

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Michele of Philadelphia, PA on Feb. 3, 2013

The last 1.5 years has been hell for us. Our cats experienced UTIs, defecating issues, and now, fatty liver disease. The two more affected are senior cats who preferred dry over wet. One has IBD, therefore a suppressed immune system. Cat #2 had at least UTIs (took months to figure out which cat was ill) and stopped eating over a week ago. He just spent 4 nights in the ER and $3600 later, he is on a feeding tube and may have neurological disorder.
Cat #  1 is back to not eating for a 2nd time. He is on medication that stimulates his appetite...

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Jeff of Al, al on Feb. 2, 2013

We have been feeding our golden retriever Purina brand for years, including Beneful. On January 28, 2013, everything was fine. She was playing and running around like normal. The night of January 29, 2013, I noticed her crying about 6PM. When I went to her, she was seizing uncontrollably ….She suffered several seizures before we finally had to put her down. The last dog food we gave her was Purina Dog Chow. If this is indeed what is happening, it's all Purina and not just Beneful.

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Jennifer of Nevada, TX on Jan. 31, 2013

Lira is a rescue horse…She got so bad that I had the vet scheduled to come euthanize her, but the morning it was scheduled, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Coincidentally, she had eaten the last of her Ultium the day before, so I stopped at a different little place and picked her up some cheap sweet feed, just to get her by. The lady who ran that store told me that she would not sell Purina products - that a friend of hers had lost their two racehorses because of Purina Ultium, but I didn't think too much of it, and just took the new feed home to Lira…

She was having muscle spasms in her rear legs, and concluded that she had ended up with organophosphate poisoning. My other two horses are housed in the same pasture with her and never had a problem, but they were never given the Purina food…
Lira is still recovering and improving, but it's a long, slow, ongoing process and I doubt that she will ever fully recover from this. I no longer had the bag or any food left to test by the time I put two and two together, but I believe with all my heart (as do my vet and farrier) that this was the problem. Please beware of this and other Purina products. I was told that there was a lawsuit pending against Purina over the racehorses that died but the food was never recalled, nor was I able to find any information whatsoever on what may have been going on with it at that time. I just wanted to warn others so maybe they won't have to go through what Lira and I have.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/ralston.html
« Last Edit: February 07, 2013, 01:29:22 PM by Lola »
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #16 on: February 07, 2013, 01:48:09 PM »
What I don't understand is why these people KEEP FEEDING THE FOOD!  And why they throw it away rather than contacting Purina.  I just don't understand why they are so....passive about it.

Offline Lola

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #17 on: February 07, 2013, 01:57:07 PM »
Maybe it is difficult to make rational decisions when allllll the commercials, bag labels, vets, etc. all SING Purina praises.  It CAN'T be the food...
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Offline Pookie

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #18 on: February 07, 2013, 03:53:06 PM »
What I don't understand is why these people KEEP FEEDING THE FOOD!  And why they throw it away rather than contacting Purina.  I just don't understand why they are so....passive about it.

I was thinking that, too, then I saw Lola's response and remembered that I really didn't *GET* just HOW important nutrition was to health until I had struggled for years to figure out why my kitties kept throwing up their food.  I had ASSuMEd that vets learned a lot about nutrition and was clueless about where that "education" (such as it is) came from.  I remember thinking to myself once, "Well, he went to vet school . . . he knows more about it than I do."  And if it hadn't been for Pookie and his sister having all their problems, I still wouldn't "get it."  I'd be doing what so many others do and feeding dry and I wouldn't have learned a thing.  Sadly, it seems we don't learn unless something motivates us to, like having sick furkids.  :(  Maybe that's why they chose each of us.  Because they know we needed to learn, and that once we do, we'll be spreading the word like crazy to help others.
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #19 on: February 07, 2013, 09:09:45 PM »
I was thinking that, too, then I saw Lola's response and remembered that I really didn't *GET* just HOW important nutrition was to health until I had struggled for years to figure out why my kitties kept throwing up their food.  I had ASSuMEd that vets learned a lot about nutrition and was clueless about where that "education" (such as it is) came from.  I remember thinking to myself once, "Well, he went to vet school . . . he knows more about it than I do."  And if it hadn't been for Pookie and his sister having all their problems, I still wouldn't "get it."  I'd be doing what so many others do and feeding dry and I wouldn't have learned a thing.  Sadly, it seems we don't learn unless something motivates us to, like having sick furkids.  Sad
 Maybe that's why they chose each of us.  Because they know we needed to learn, and that once we do, we'll be spreading the word like crazy to help others.

Very profound, and I absolutely think this too.  If Little Cat hadn't come along with her mal-absorption issues, would I ever have made it to raw feeding? I was desperate to find food she could eat.  And of course from her, I turned to Struvite Kitty. MAYBE I would have tried it with SK, even without LC's problem. But I bet it would have taken me longer.

And I do, oh I do, talk about pet nutrition to everyone.  Even people who don't have pets.

But...some of these people, they say that once the animal is better they go back to feeding the food (and the pet gets sick again).  I mean how much does it take for them to figure it out? I am too impatient I guess. All we can do is keep spreading the word/ Even if we only reach one pet owner, that is one more who has learned and who will pass on what they know and reach maybe one more.


Offline CarnivorousCritter

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #20 on: February 08, 2013, 03:26:54 AM »


But...some of these people, they say that once the animal is better they go back to feeding the food (and the pet gets sick again).  I mean how much does it take for them to figure it out?

It takes for them to keep learning the hard way over and over as to get desperate enough to hop on the Internet because they are lsitening to their trusted VETS.  How many of the trusted vets told them to immediately dump -- permanently --  whatever it is they're feeding? Apparently not many although it's common sense  -- especially for such an educated person to do so.      

People trust their vets.

And, unfortuantely, most people have NO reason to doubt these vets, or believe that food which is "just fine with their vets" is detrimental because hardly any pet owners who ARE aware, are speaking UP regarding the vast differences in veterinarians today.  (See Drs Pierson & Hodgkins -the Internet's best kept secrets,  vs. the  mainstream.)

Lurking forums for a few years now, I see plenty of educated pet owners speak up about foods,  but not the difference in vets who are even more influential than the advertising because the majority of people will listen to their vets over all.  (The TV advertisers didn't go to vet school...) 

I'm not bashing people "listening to their vets" in general.   There is a huge issue, however, when the PFI literally owns the majority.  
Vets "protecting" and even endorsing these foods are just as bad as ones who declaw.  Animals suffer, only in different ways.  They should know they're carnivores.

I see pet owners get chastised alll the time, but no outrage or blame towards the vets who are recommending/protecting/condoning.... and even selling these products/practices.  Different with every other profession because they're all regulated....

And Purina happens to be one of the biggest funders.   But nobody wants to take issue  with this, so who's gonna believe that Purina could possibly be harmful?   Just those who have found out the hard way eough to get desperate enough to go digging on the Internet... and be open to solutions not mainstream.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2013, 03:59:11 AM by CarnivorousCritter »

Offline CarnivorousCritter

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #21 on: February 08, 2013, 04:04:42 AM »
I do not expect vets to know all about nutrition. However I Do expect them to know about the carnivore thing.  
The big issue here, and on consumeraffairs stories, is that Purina is "PROTECTED" by the mainstream vet community, due to allll the generous funding.   A vet should impulsively tell the person "Dump whatever it is you're feeding. Period."   No rice & ground meat trials, only to return to the culprit  Doh1

But it's Purina, therfore not happening with the majority of people.  No recalls or warnings yet, either.

Offline CarnivorousCritter

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #22 on: February 08, 2013, 04:37:04 AM »
Maybe it is difficult to make rational decisions when allllll the commercials, bag labels, vets, etc. all SING Purina praises.  It CAN'T be the food...

How true. 

Even more compounded now: people in general thinking for themselves.   :-X   That ship has certainly sailed.   :(   If it's not on TV, facebook, or texted to them, forget it.   




Offline Middle Child

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #23 on: February 08, 2013, 06:57:41 AM »
You make a good point CC. I was recently called a "dangerous person" in another forum, for advising someone to go against their vet on the food that was recommended.  And in still another forum I was lambasted by a vet tech not too long ago for recommending to someone whose cat was having intestinal issue that they try a raw diet.

And in another forum besides those there is a group of people who flat out do not want to learn about the nutritional needs of their pets. They are terrific people and wonderful pet owners, with this one blind spot.  I continue to post everything I learn, including my my struggles with SK and her regurgitation and my transition to and now permanent regimen of feeding partial raw. I have reached a new member, and MAYBE one old member, going by a comment she made as an aside in an unrelated thread.  I know what she used to feed her cat (now senior with auto immune problems) but she made a comment in passing somewhere that she is feeding only canned food now, and my heart sang. I didn't say anything to her about it, but, still it made me so happy.

But I have to remember. I changed,so others can too.  I always fed wet, but didn't know the difference between ingredients in different brands. I use to disbelieve the fact that vets are taught to feed these horrible foods BY the food companies, in vet school.  I used to disbelieve that vets didn't know anything about what to feed. I know better now, and others can learn, too.  My vet is very open minded and actually takes notes when I come in, on the foods I feed or have fed, on the ingredients that I now avoid. And she is VERY supportive of the raw diet.  But not all vets are so willing to listen.

Offline Pookie

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #24 on: February 08, 2013, 09:06:11 AM »
Lurking forums for a few years now, I see plenty of educated pet owners speak up about foods,  but not the difference in vets

My thinking is that if my vet is one of those who isn't open-minded, I'm not going to waste my time.  I'd rather focus on the pet parents, because if a vet has enough clients learning this information on their own, at some point they're going to HAVE to start paying attention.  Esp. if they lose clients because they don't want to deal with a vet who refuses to listen.  As one of the PFK logos says, "Changing how people think about feline nutrition will only happen from the bottom up . . ."  the pet parents.
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Offline CarnivorousCritter

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #25 on: February 09, 2013, 06:36:24 AM »
My thinking is that if my vet is one of those who isn't open-minded, I'm not going to waste my time.  I'd rather focus on the pet parents, because if a vet has enough clients learning this information on their own, at some point they're going to HAVE to start paying attention.  Esp. if they lose clients because they don't want to deal with a vet who refuses to listen.  As one of the PFK logos says, "Changing how people think about feline nutrition will only happen from the bottom up . . ."  the pet parents.

That's what I mean.   But here's the biggest part of the issue:  ... but not the difference in vets who are even more influential than the advertising because the majority of people will listen to their vets over all.

All the Diabetic cats, & cats getting PU surgery while the vets keep them on high carb/dry food, I wonder why people don't raise a stink.  If a mechanic was telling people to put sugar in their gas tanks because "it helps", what would happen to the mechanic?

When I try telling my family about these things, the reply is always:

"If it's so bad, how can they be able to continue to do it?"   Where are the protests, boycotts, and uproars?   And letter-writing campaigns?  

Look what Doritos got for an offensive commercial (dog hiding missing cat).   Likewise Sketchers with the Greyhound racing.

Yet what's the reaction to Purina commercials STILL saying how Beneful is so nutritious, while the consumer complaints regarding their multiple foods  (along with Beneful) continue to pour in to boot!?  The food isn't even species-appropriate to begin with  :o :o :o :o

Even people seeking advice on forums who are starting to learn, most won't even question the vet as to why they would tell them to feed the stuff -- and even sell it to them under the false pretense of "prescription" to boot. How many even get up the nerve to demand a refund for the fraud food, once they get on the internet & find out how bad it is?   What about the other clients with cats who go to these same vets and know nothing?  Like my own family, they'd have NO reason whatsoever to doubt the vets' professional direction.  

Did you know that MARS literally owns the largest Vet chain in the country?  I'm not talking mere generous funding, but literally  :o   Royal canin probably takes the trophy for most recalls.  Check out their history -- even prior to and since the 2007 ctatstrophe   :o :o

Where are the consumer fraud advocates, let alone animal advocates?   (Calling them out for blatant malpractice would be too easy).  

There are many more pets affected each and every day, by vets telling clients to feed species-inappropriate foods, than whatever animals would have been harmed by (for example) those commercials, IMO.  
« Last Edit: February 09, 2013, 07:08:32 AM by CarnivorousCritter »

Offline Lola

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Re: If You Feed Purina *PLEASE READ THIS* **IMPERATIVE**
« Reply #26 on: February 11, 2013, 07:33:06 PM »
Hmmm that IS a good question about why people don't make a stink.  Who is going to listen (outside of pet forums, that is)?  The majority of vets are "owned" by the PFI.  The majority of people believe their vets.  Throw in the advertising dollars...  

« Last Edit: February 11, 2013, 07:34:58 PM by Lola »
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