Question:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...tm?POE=NEWISVA
seems Hills gets their wheat gluten from the same supplier. Wonder what took them so long to realize this.

Answer:
Originally Posted by fredricktoo http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...tm?POE=NEWISVA
seems Hills gets their wheat gluten from the same supplier. Wonder what took them so long to realize this. Is this ever going to come to a conclusion? Is every brand sold now a possible source of contamination? I have 5 cats and feed them Fancy Feast (wet) in the AM and have IAMS dry available throughout the day. So far so good but it seems like I am waiting for the hammer to fall!

Answer:
Seems to me that it's not the most brilliant idea to put wheat gluten in food for carnivores.
This is a fairly common human allergen (even when the quality is irreproachable), and humans are far more adaptable as omnivores than dogs or cats. I can understand that it's probably a cheap, convenient filler, but frankly, I'm not surprised by the current problems that are being encountered.

Answer:
Originally Posted by kbe Is this ever going to come to a conclusion? Is every brand sold now a possible source of contamination? I have 5 cats and feed them Fancy Feast (wet) in the AM and have IAMS dry available throughout the day. So far so good but it seems like I am waiting for the hammer to fall! I feed my little dudes the exact same thing, FancyFeast in the morning and then I leave Iams dry kibble out for them 24/7.
I'm really worried about it. We don't have a veterinarian out here, so I'm watching my little boys like a hawk. Cats can compensate for kidney failure until 80% of their function is gone, so once they crash...they crash hard.
I'm certified to administer IV fluids to a human but I have no idea how to do it in a cat, other than to administer a subcutaneous fluid bolus like I saw the veterinarian give to my cat Lennybruce once...I'm worried about it. Really really worried.
That's the other thing...in Denver I bought them Royal Canin, which is a brand that I trust. Not only is it $32 for a 15-pound bag, but shipping out here is astronomically expensive. I would like to get organic food from an independent manufacturer that doesn't rely on a behemoth like Menu Foods to source ingredients. I have no idea what to do.

Answer:
As luck would have it, I ran over my dog yesterday. Lately my cats have been eating Brandon Farms Organics, and boiled chopped chicken liver. I figure an organic brand might be more careful of its sources, and it's a highly quality food.

Answer:
Originally Posted by linnea I feed my little dudes the exact same thing, FancyFeast in the morning and then I leave Iams dry kibble out for them 24/7.
I'm really worried about it. We don't have a veterinarian out here, so I'm watching my little boys like a hawk. Cats can compensate for kidney failure until 80% of their function is gone, so once they crash...they crash hard.
I'm certified to administer IV fluids to a human but I have no idea how to do it in a cat, other than to administer a subcutaneous fluid bolus like I saw the veterinarian give to my cat Lennybruce once...I'm worried about it. Really really worried.
That's the other thing...in Denver I bought them Royal Canin, which is a brand that I trust. Not only is it $32 for a 15-pound bag, but shipping out here is astronomically expensive. I would like to get organic food from an independent manufacturer that doesn't rely on a behemoth like Menu Foods to source ingredients. I have no idea what to do. Linnea, I have several liter bags of Lactated Ringers solution on hand and the IV needle delivery setups also. I had a Himmie female, Hairball, diagnosed with terminal PKD in 2003. She swelled in the kidney area one weekend soon after diagnosis and was so uncomfortable I couldn't even touch her there. I decided to give her Milk Thistle (specific for liver problems in humans) as a last resort. She wasn't drinking much water at all then, so I infused her for several weeks with about 100ml of Lactated Ringers sub cutaneously on a twice a day basis (200ml daily total). She actually recovered and was 'normal' until 18 months later, when a carcinoma began blocking her urinary track and I had to euthanize her. But she had a wonderful quality of life for that extra time up to the last week or so of her life, and was almost 10 years old. Her littermate brother, Hobbes, also the owner of my heart, just turned 13 and has PKD also but it is not nearly as advanced as hers was 3 years ago. They were both purebred Himalayans and 'Blues" or white with dark tip markings. Just gorgeous and 'almost human' cats.
It was singularly the most difficult thing I ever had to do in my life. She was my heart and I loved her like she was a beloved family member, which she really was. I still miss her so much.
About a year later a mixed male Maine Coon we had, Emmaleo, crashed with kidney failure also and I infused him with the same but I had to euthanize him the next week. Poor guy was just limp.
Here is how you do it:
1. Insert the tube assembly diagonaly cut plastic end securely into the receiver section of the bottom of a Lactated Ringers bag that you have hanging at least a few feet higher than the place where you will infuse the kitty. Place the needle on the delivery end of the tube assembly. It will have a cutoff valve through which the plastic flex line passes and it should be in the off position.
2. Bleed the air from the line first. Make sure the Ringers bag isn't cold. I used a warmed wet towel to warm it to about 100 degrees F for 10 minutes prior to using each time. Then, sit kitty on the couch or wherever you choose to deliver the Ringers, on his/her side and grasp the loose skin about 3 inches from the neck on the back. Pull it up. It will be very loose. Insert the needle in just below your fingers holding up the skin, into the 'hollow space' you created when you pull up the skin. Just keep it in the loose area below the skin but above the muscle/bone. The infusion will form a large bump that will soon go away.(kitty probably wont feel a thing==this tissue is not very sensitive at all==keep kitty still and open the rolling valve that allows the Ringers to drip into the delivery assembly.
3. Put in about 75 to 100 ml but no more at one time. You can regulate the flow by watching the drip chamber at the top of the assembly. You want about 2-3 drops/sec to flow. It will take a few minutes. When you have put in the correct amount then remove the needle and quickly cut off the flow with the rolling valve.
4. Use a new needle every time but it is ok to keep using the solution until you have exhausted the fluid in the bag. Make sure that you dont allow air bubbles to enter as they will possibly make the kitty uncomfortable.
Good luck. You will do fine if you need to do this. Order from Henry Schein Veternary supplies online. Hell, tell them you are a Vet Tech if they need authorization. It will be cheaper than buying from a local vet by a factor of 10 and you can get everything you need.
Edit: Oops, I didn't read closely enough to see the part of your post indicating you have probably given many more subCutaneous infusions than I have. Scuse..
kbe