Pet Food Settlement Appeal Decided

An appeals court that reviewed a $24-million class-action suit settlement over melamine-contaminated pet food has concluded that the deal is “fair, reasonable and adequate” except for one minor issue.

The issue relates to the limit of purchase claims to a maximum of $250,000. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third District, in an opinion filed Thursday, sent the case back to U.S. District Court Judge Noel Hillman in New Jersey for more information to support the purchase-claim limit. It was Hillman who approved the settlement in November 2008. Appeals filed by two separate parties blocked disbursements from the settlement fund.

Lisa Rodriguez, liaison counsel for the multiple class-action suits covered by the settlement, described the appeals court’s single concern as minor. Purchases are just one category of expense under which claimants may seek reimbursement. Rodriguez said the decision generally is favorable to the claimants.

“I think it’s a very good opinion,” Rodriguez told the VIN News Service. “It wasn’t ... particularly critical. They just wanted additional findings.”

Rodriguez said lawyers on the case will try to get “a quick turnaround date” with the judge to settle the matter once and for all. “Early January is our hope,” she said.

The delayed resolution to the pet food settlement has salted the wounds of people whose pets were killed or sickened by melamine and cyanuric acid found in more than 150 brands of dog foods and treats in 2007. The contamination led to the largest pet food recall in North American history, involving more than 60 million containers of pet food.

According to information in the appellate court decision, 24,344 claims were submitted by the Nov. 24, 2008, deadline. Of those, 20,550 have been deemed payable. The average claim is about $1,283, for a total estimated payable amount of $26,365,575.41, which exceeds the settlement fund by more than $2 million.

In addition, plaintiffs’ lead counsel may apply for reimbursement of attorneys’ fees for a total of up to $7.45 million, plus reimbursement of expenses. The fund covers claims and legal costs in the United States and Canada.

The pet food scandal was caused by unscrupulous suppliers in China who spiked wheat gluten and rice protein with nitrogen-rich melamine in an attempt to boost the products’ apparent protein levels.

Melamine is an industrial chemical not approved for consumption. If ingested, it can combine with the chemical byproduct cyanuric acid to form crystals in the kidneys, causing potentially fatal renal blockage.

Tainted imported product was sold to Menu Foods, a Canadia manufacturer that produced private-label and name-brand wet pet foods for a variety of companies. The contamination affected pet food giants including Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Mars, Inc., Nestle Purina PetCare Co., The Iams Co. and Procter & Gamble, along with prominent retail chains such as Walmart, Target, Costco, Petsmart and Petco.

Owners of ChemNutra, the company that imported the adulterated wheat gluten and rice protein, pleaded guilty last year to charges stemming from the scandal. The company and its owners, Sally Qing Miller and Stephen S. Miller, were fined a total of $35,000. The Millers were spared prison sentences but each given three years of probation.

This article is from the VIN News Service.

Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats

Treatment for inflammatory bowel disease in cats:

1.  Foods:

Avoid the following ingredients in foods:
Lamb
Beef
Seafood
Wheat
Corn
Soy

Do feed:  Poultry and rabbit

Read the ingredients on foods carefully because they often contain mixtures of different meats.

Avoid dry foods.

2.  Probiotics:  Consider probiotics.  We recommend Fortiflora which can be found online as well as at vet clinics.

3.  Vitamin B12 injections:  Some cats have a cobalamine deficiency and respond to B12 injections that are given once weekly initially and then less frequently.

4.  Checking a stool sample is prudent, because cat can occasionally have intestinal parasites.

5.  Treating with a parasite medication that eliminates parasites not easily detectable is also advised.

6.  Antibiotics such as metronidazole can be helpful.

City Cat Gets Excellent Reviews on Yelp!

Thanks to our super sweet clients for posting the nicest reviews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Introducing Smiley Dog.... They Have Food and Toys for Cats Too!

We would like to introduce Smiley Dog which is a local online pet store that offers free delivery of healthy, natural pet food, pet toys, and pet supplies in the Seattle, WA area.  This is particularly beneficial to clients who do not have cars such as people in the Capitol Hill area and downtown.  The owner of the store is often able to order things that are not listed on his website as well!!!

smileydog.com

Rabies in Washington State

We recommend vaccinating all cats, even indoor cats for rabies due to the prevalence of the disease in bats in Washington State.  Even indoor cats can be exposed to bats that enter the house.

The following information is from Communicable Disease and Epidemiology News published Public Health of Seattle and King County.

• Bats are the primary reservoir for rabies in Washington State.  
• In the period 2003-2007, between 5.5 to 10% of bats tested each year in Washington were positive for rabies.  
• Rabies in humans is almost always fatal.  
• In Washington State, the most recent human deaths that occurred from exposue to bat rabies strains occurred in 1995 in a Lewis County resident and 1997 in a Mason County resident.

Photos From The Holbox Spay and Neuter Program

Over 300 dogs were spayed on Isla Holbox, Mexico and surrounding areas from May 8th through the 12th, 2010.

The Most Common Food Ingredients that Cause GI Inflammation in Cats

Avoid the feeding the following foods to cats that have sensitive stomachs:

1. Beef
2. Lamb
3. Seafood
4. Wheat
5. Corn
6. Soy

Cats that Dislike Kidney Diets

According to studies, cats with chronic renal failure that are on kidney diets live significantly longer than cats that are not on kidney diets. The most recent thought is that this is due to the fact that kidney diets limit phosphorus. Unfortunately, however, many cats are not too excited about kidney diets. There are now other options available that have been shown to benefit picky eaters: Epakitin which is a phosphorus binder that can be added to their food and Calcitriol which is a form of vitamin D that also decreases the level of phosphorus.

Staging Kidney Disease in Cats

• Grade 1 creatinine <1.6
  
• Grade 2 creatinine 1.6 to 2.9 (Increased drinking and urination)
• Grade 3 creatinine 2.9 to 5.0 (Systemic signs such as bone pain, gastritis, and anemia)
  
• Grade 4 creatinine >5.0 (Increased severity of systemic signs and uremic crisis)
  

Little Kitty

Little kitty is the most recent addition to my household. To my visitors she is just a blur and many don’t realize that I have a third cat. She usually hides when friends come over due to the fact that she was originally feral and not socialized to humans until later. During the spring of 2009, I worked at the Feral Cats Spay and Neuter Clinic up in Lynnwood quite a bit, spaying and neutering cats. Often cat trappers will bring in cats that they catch in the community to have them altered. These cat trappers do such a service to this area to keep the stray cat population healthy and to a minimum and do not expect anything in return except for the satisfaction that they are helping the community and the cats as well. Anyway, apparently the cat trapper that caught Little Kitty was feeding chicken that day because the kitten was absolutely packed full of chicken bones. I had two choices, either to surgically remove the chicken bones from her stomach and take her home because she would need quite a bit of care after surgery, or to euthanize her. Being the softy I am, I chose the former. It was an intense surgery and I hoped that she would recover well. That night, after the surgery, she slept right next to me in bed. She was on loads of painkiller and probably felt so miserable that she stayed there with me, even though she was scared. The following day she was an active kitten but also shy to her new surroundings. She slowly became accustomed to my other cats and has continued to sleep in bed with me every night. I originally had planned to adopt her out, but could not bring myself to do that. She is outgoing and super social when it is just me at the house, but when other people come over she disappears.

The Feral Cat Clinic in Lynnwood has spayed and neutered over 50,000 cats. In addition to feral cats, they also do low income spays and neuters for private parties. http://www.feralcatproject.org/

Piney Creek Studios Going Out of Business

Due to the fact that Rita Miller who owns Piney Creek Studios is going out of business, City Cat is now in search of a quality card maker. We are sad to see her go because she provided us with quality gift cards that meant a lot to our clients.

Dr. Laura Monahan purchases Atlantic Veterinary Hospital Rainier Valley

City Cat is now able to refer surgeries, x-rays, dentals, and other needed services to Dr. Laura Monahan who recently purchased Atlantic Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Monahan is very feline friendly and has worked at Cats Exclusive, The Cat Clinic of Seattle, and Island Cats. We initially met at Ohio State when they were in veterinary school.

U.S. Veterinarians join coalition to help Haiti

January 20, 2010



U.S. Veterinarians join coalition to help Haiti
Schaumburg, IL
— The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) have joined a coalition of other animal health and welfare groups to help address the ongoing humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti following the January 12 earthquake that devastated the country.


The Animal Relief Coalition of Haiti (ARCH) was developed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). The AVMA is among the participants in the coalition, while the AVMF will participate with the other national and international charities by providing monetary support.

"The American Veterinary Medical Foundation has made a significant initial financial contribution to the animal relief efforts in Haiti," said Michael Cathey, executive director of the AVMF. "As the efforts and initiatives reveal themselves following this terrible disaster it will be the intention of the AVMF to provide even greater support."

According to Heather Case, DVM, MPH, Dipl. ACVPM, director of scientific activities and coordinator for emergency preparedness and response at the AVMA, animal relief efforts in Haiti currently are focused on assessment. There has not been a call for veterinary volunteers or specific veterinary medical supplies at this time.

"Our basic role is one of information gathering," said Dr. Case. "We are in contact with those on the ground who regularly update us on the situation and current needs. There is such an immense humanitarian need at this point the focus is providing for human needs and keeping an eye on public health issues."

The initial animal focus will be on the nation's livestock, estimated to number 5 million, mostly goats. The longer term focus will be on Haiti's large population of stray animals.

"It's hard to comprehend the scope of the devastation in Haiti right now," said Dr. Larry Corry, president of the AVMA. "Hopefully we can work through ARCH to help the Haitians get back on their feet by tending to the public health and welfare needs of the nation's people and animals."

For ongoing updates, please follow the AVMA and the AVMA VMAT on Twitter (@AVMAvets and @AVMAVMAT) or visit www.avma.org/news/Haiti_earthquake.

For more information, contact Michael San Filippo, AVMA media relations assistant, at 847-285-6687 (office), 847-732-6194 (cell), or msanfilippo@avma.org.

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The AVMA and its more than 80,000 member veterinarians are engaged in wide variety of activities dedicated to advancing the science and art of animal, human and public health. Visit the AVMA Web site at www.avma.org to learn more about veterinary medicine and animal care.

The AVMF is the veterinary profession's premier philanthropic and charitable organization. For more than 40 years the Foundation has been dedicated to embracing and advancing the well-being and medical care of animals. To learn more about the AVMF, visit www.avmf.org.

The AVMA disaster response efforts, led by the AVMA Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT), are funded through the generous support of the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Your donation to the AVMF will help the Foundation make emergency care available to all animals in times of crisis.