Following are selected posts to the Holisticat (TM) Mailing List regarding substances, events and other things which merit caution. There's a lot of information here, and the posts are arranged in ascending chronological order. This is one archive that should be leafed through at least once.

Happy hunting :)

<15 June 98 From: Judy Re: Worm -Moth Balls>

GoForaSail@ wrote:

<< All I ever needed was vitamineral mix, a few moth balls in my vacuum bag and a few flea bombs for my house. >>

I don't know anything about flea bombs, but moth balls in the vacuum cleaner bag is not safe.  Moth balls can cause kidney disease.  They have a very pudgent odor and don't need to be swollowed to be toxic.  As a matter of fact, I'm pretty certain that this is what caused my baby Sammy to contract that chronic disease :(  I had an ant problem, and it was suggested to me to use moth balls in the vac bag, to kill the ants, incase I had vacummed any up.

Passing this on with permission so no one else goes through this needless tragedy. Even though this is a cat list, many of us have d*gs too, and this email tells us always to question our pets' treatments.

TJ

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998
via the internet: Leonberger Discussion Group
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dear Leo Listers...

For those of you at the National in Colorado, you may remember seeing my Akita, Tootsie, the black and white pinto.  We almost didn't get to Colorado because Tootsie seemed to have injured her leg.  Our vet took her off Rimadyl and tried her on a round of prednisone.  She seemed to improve which is why we went to the National.

When we arrived back home, Tootsie was not walking as well as I expected, and she underwent x-rays.  I was shocked to learn she had osteosarcoma.  There are few options for this bone cancer, amputation being one of the best, but this cancer was in Tootsie's good leg.

We were lucky to get her into a clinical study of samarium-153 through UCLA. This is a radioactive isotope that targets bone cells, especially those of rapid turnover which are cancer cells.  The reatment consists of one injection followed by two days of isolation since they are radioactive for 47 hours. Samarium is touted as a pain control for metastasized cancer in the bone but the tech who performs it here in Los Angeles was very reassuring that some of the dogs had tumor remission when the lesion was small.  Tootsie's lesion was small.

She had her treatment and was extremely well tended at UCLA.  A few days after she returned home, she seemed to be limping more than usual.  We took her back to her oncologist who performed an x-ray.  Nothing could be seen on the x-ray because the samarium remains for 6 weeks.  The oncologist said she would give Tootsie a "pain patch," to help until the samarium had more time to work.  The
patch was called Duragesic and contained fentanyl.  That was on Wednesday June 17.

Tootsie died Saturday morning from an adverse reaction to Duragesic.

Akitas are sensitive to all drugs.  Friday morning I realized she was having an adverse reaction to the patch and removed it.  I phoned the oncologist who did not seem concerned; I called the drug distributor for more information. They said the drug had never been approved for dogs and therefore there was no information on how dog's react to it.  They said it takes 17 hours to filter from the system but she would be okay.

With my blanket on the floor next to Tootsie, I massaged and talked to her for 4 hours watching the clock pass the 17 hour mark.  Finally, Tootsie pushed her head up under my chin and drifted into a relaxed sleep for the first time in 2 days.  She died a few moments later.

I'm sharing this with you because that information must be made available to everyone who owns dogs.  The Duragesic patch is not approved for dogs even though veterinary surgeons and oncologists are using it.  The FDA recently ordered changes in labeling of this drug because fentanyl by transdermal patch can cause severe side effects, some fatal.  It represses breathing by causing the chest muscles to become rigid.  If only I had known all this before my Tootsie died a needless death.

Leonbergers are sensitive to drugs.  Please keep this in mind as a drug to be avoided if ever your Leonberger needs pain medication."

Barbara

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 4, 1998

"Helen....

Thank you for writing.  I appreciate the support from so many people.  By all means, please post to everyone, everywhere about Tootsie.  This has truly broken my heart.  I love Tootsie more than any friend I've known in my life. What's so horrible about the story is the total ignorance of a Board Certified Oncologist using a drug without any knowledge of its side effects. Tootsie died a prolonged and terrible death because of Duragesic, a pain patch that uses the drug fentanyl.  Worse still, her pain was a weight-bearing pain only, not a reason to use an opiate.  I had no idea what this patch was--foolishly, I trusted a veterinarian.

When she began showing symptoms, I called the oncologist twice, phoned the distributor of the drug, phoned Pet Emergency but no one seemed concerned. We removed the patch thinking that was the end of it.  Janssen Pharmaceutica said the drug would be filtered from her system within 17 hours.  Tootsie died in my arms 20 hours later.

The information I found online about the Duragesic patch was shocking.  The drug has never been approved for veterinary use.  It's called an "off-label" drug because it is used by veterinarians without FDA approval.  There are many drugs out there like that.  No studies have been on done on dogs but worse, no database is maintained about its effects on dogs.

Janssen Pharmaceutica received an FDA warning letter March 5, 1998, citing them for promoting the drug using "misleading comparisons to competitive agents;"  for "promotion of unapproved use," and for making "false or misleading statements."

I found many articles published in scientific journals stating the Duragesic patch was implicated in preventable human patient deaths by causing respiratory depression, muscle rigidity, renal and liver dysfunction. Meaning, the drug could not be filtered from the body because the two main body filters, kidney and liver, were not functioning because of the drug.

When Janssen Pharmaceutical assured me the drug would be filtered from my dog's system within 17 hours, that was not true.  If they spent a moment reading their own literature, they would have known the half-life of fentanyl administered by the transdermal patch is "relatively long, indicating ongoing absorption from a subcutaneous depot."  The drug pockets under the skin where it continues to be released into the tissues.  Removing the patch did nothing!

Another article stated the 100 micrograms transdermal patch was "too potent for routine postoperative pain relief due to a risk of respiratory depression."  That was the dose used on my 104 pound Akita.  Veterinary oncology seminars throughout the country are recommending this high dose but scientists using the drug with humans recommend beginning treatment with a 25 microgram patch, then closely monitoring the patient for depressed respiration and other side effects.

The Duragesic patch is not only for cancer patients.  It is widely used for orthopedic-surgical cases.  I know there are responsible, caring veterinarians out there but as lay people we have no way of knowing if their assurances are based on knowledge or attitude.  To protect our pets, we can't simply accept and trust.  We must all begin to question and demand.  I have always done just that--asked what the drug was before allowing its use on my dogs but this time the answers were not completely honest.

To Janssen Pharmaceutica and the oncology group in Southern California, she was just another dog. To me Tootsie was what humans should strive to become: courageous without complaint, loyal without demanding, an unselfish friend and a loving companion.  Losing her is unbearable but losing her to lies and negligence is a real nightmare.  If her death and this bitter experience save another dog's life, at least it will give it some meaning.  I'm sharing this to alert dog owners to take control of their dogs' medical care.  Educate yourselves because too many vets stop reading when they start practicing."

Barbara Bouyet

Didn't get to my 'puter yesterday, but I saw the post on Tularemia and thought this information might be h*lpful.  It's taken from "Control of Communicable Diseases in Man", a book I used when I was taking Microbiology.  I won't type the whole thing, as it's quite long,  just
what I hope will be pertinent.

Tularemia (Rabbit fever, Deerfly fever, Ohara disease)

1.  Identification - A zoonotic, bacterial disease with a variety of clinical manifestations related to the route of introduction and the
virulence of the strain.  Most often it presents as an indolent ulcer often on the hand, accompanied by swelling of the regional lymph nodes (ulceroglandular type).  There may be no apparent primary ulcer, but only one or more enlarged and painful lymph nodes which may supparate.  Inhalation of infectious material may be followed by a pneumonic disease or a primary systemic (typhoidal) syndrome.  Ingestion of organisms may product a pharyngitis (with or without ulceration), abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomitting.>  (There are other types but it really gets too technical)

2.  Infectious agent--Francisella tularansis (Pasturella tularensis)  All isolates seem to be antigenically homogeneous but are differentiated
epidemiologically and biochemically into Jellison type A (F. tularensis biovar tularensis) and type B strains (F tularensis biovar palaearctica).

3.  Occurrence--Throughout N. America and in many parts of Europe,  USSR, China and Japan.  Occurs in the USA all months of the year;
incidence may be higher in adults in early winter during rabbit-hunting season and in children during the summer when ticks and deerflies are abundant.

4.  Resevoir--Numerous wild animals, especially rabbits, hares, muskrats, beavers and some domestic animals; also various hard ticks.  In
general, F.t. biovar tularensis is maintained in a rabbit-tick cycle; F. t. biovar palaearcticica, in a rodent-mosquito cycle.

5.  Mode of transmission--Inoculation of skin, conjuctival sac or oropharyngeal mucosa with blood or tissue while handling infected
animals, as in skinning, dressing or performing necropsies, by fluids of infectied flies, ticks or other animals; through the bite of arthropods,
including the Deerfly...byt the bite of wood ticks...dog ticks...and Lone Star ticks...by handling or ingestion of insufficiently cooked rabbit or hare meat; by drinking contaminated waterm, by inhalation of dust from contaminate soil, grain or hay; rarely from bites of coyote, squirrel, skunks, hog, cat and dog whose mouth was presumably contaminated from eating an infected rabbit; also from contaminated pelts and paws of other animals...

6.  Incubation period--related to virulence of infecting strain and to size of inoculum; 2-10 days, usually 3 days.

7.  Period of communicability--Not directly transmitted from person to person.  Unelss treated, the infectious agent may be found in the blood during the first 2 weeks of disease and in lesions for a month from onset, sometimes longer.  Flies are infective for 14 days and ticks
throughout their lifetime (about 2 years).  Rabbit meat constantly frozen at - 15 degrees C (5 degrees F) has remained infective longer than 3 years.

8.  Suseptibility and resistance--All ages are suseptible and long-term immunity follows recovery; however reinfection has been reported.

There are the usual methods of control...hope this h*lps....Sorry it's so long.  PHEW!!!!

Michelle  (manxtabi) & the kittygirls (Libby, Tana & Squirt)

Pyrethrum is toxic to fish. Pyrethrum should be ok for cats too. But if not, let me know. Chemical in Pyrethrum does not last lone time, and it is light sensitive. So, many manufacture synthetic pyrethrum look a like, made to last longer, Pyrethrin. This is not safe for cat.

Just a note about anesthesia.   I worked in an office where they studied different anesthesias and one that was really bad was halothane.  It is still used on animals in the States but not on people any more. Especially if a cat isn't in great health, I always ask and request a different one!

The information I have included below was posted on a breed list in which I participate.  I will be sending a follow-up post also on this.  Kelli, the gal who posted this, has 11 kitties.  The product she used was called "Outright".  I thought the list would want to know; you can do additional research of your own if you'd like of course, but it sounds horrific. Don't know how something like this could be packaged into a product tho ----

The company, Bramton Chemicals - produced a carpet deodorizer - powder form, several years ago - no longer in production - however, because we KNOW that this company produced THIS chemical product and it DID have in it a fatal virus, I feel that ALL products made by this company should be avoided!

Bramton's powder was sealed with a strain of the PanLuk (feline distemper) virus in it - and it killed 6 of my cats (all which had their
vaccines) and three tiny kittens, and caused illness and death of the kittens another pregnant cat had several weeks later - they all died within three days...and I have one cat that lived, that now has nerve and brain damage - but she is still alive.  The chemicals were sent out and tested from the emergency vets office, as well as the University of Illinois - and both were conclusive that the chemical powder DID contain the virus - and that is what killed the cats - they did autopsy my babies - and again - it was conclusive!  These were not outdoor kitties, they were indoor only, cats that I had hand raised and bottle fed - so they were very special to me.

PLEASE be careful with this company and their products - they are the makers of "Simple Solution" - and various other "animal" products.
There are many other natural enzyme products that not only do the same job -they do it BETTER - and they are SAFE for our babies!

Here's part two of the info. I posted previously on Brampton, Simple Solutions products.  I included Kellie's e-mail addy in case you have
further ?s.:

From:    Chip & Kelli Lotrich <chipnkelli@>
Question:
I assume you contacted Brampton about this, and they did what ?

Answer:
I have a file that is approximately 3 inches thick on this matter - I was 24, and just as this happened - I was diagnosed with a serious,
painful and disabling illness that is incurable - it was also just a few weeks before my wedding - which I had been saving over 4 years for - so luckily we had the money in the bank to pay for the $3,000+ bill for the cat that DID live.

Brampton asked the lab at the University of Illinois to "FORWARD THE REMAINS OF THE PRODUCT IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINER" so that they could do testing, as well, as they were very concerned about this matter.  This was VERY smart, as our vet pointed out - because it left us with NO evidence that we ever had the product, except that the emergency vet and the University of Illinois said that they would stand up for us in a court of law and sign affidavits.

We contacted several lawyers - but no one wanted to touch this without some sort of retainer - and we just could not afford it!  We have since been told and informed that we were just one of MANY individuals that had this happen, (via the Better Business Bureau and the investigation that we did get them to pursue) - although, Brampton was fairly efficient with getting most of the people to send them their "PRODUCT IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINER FOR TESTING"...

So, yes, we did contact the company - MANY MANY MANY times - and you know what they did - NOTHING!!!  Pretty much just laughed at us!  Oh well - you can't win them all - but I will die trying to make sure that NO ONE else gets hurt by them!