If you think your pet ate affected food - GET TO A VET

I'm still seeing posts and comments online asking what to do if your pet might have eaten affected food.

I am not a veterinarian, I am a cat lover and owner who has had too many cats die because I hesitated to take them to a vet. So, with all my heart, and it's breaking as I write this, I say this:

If you believe your pet has eaten any of the affected food, take him or her to a vet IMMEDIATELY. Don't post a question here, don't post a question on a message board, don't post a question on a Yahoo Group. Don't ask your friends, don't ask a pet food store. Take them to a vet IMMEDIATELY.

If they show signs of this poison or kidney failure but they've eaten different food, take them to a vet immediately.

If you don't have the money, go to or call Banfield. They set up a fund to help owners pay for treatment. See if your vet will test/treat first and accept payment later. Ask another vet! And another! Or ask your parents, your children, your friends, your neighbors if they will cover the upfront costs.

If you don't and your pet dies, you will never forgive yourself. There are thousands of us, at the very least, who have to live with the guilt of 'what-might-have-been' every day. Thousands more joined that list this week.

Please, you do not want to be a member of this club. If you've done everything you can you will still grieve, but you will at least have the peace of knowing you did everything possible.