I have deleted my original post regarding Esbilac and KMR formula by Pet Ag. I am posting a comment that was made to that post. I appreciate the follow up and clarification.

Comment from: Deirdre A.Wilczak, NYS DEC-licensed RVS Wildlife Rehabilitator [Visitor]
FDA Tells PetAg That Product Complaint is Spurious

Friends,
Shortly after posting that KMR and Esbilac sickened and killed many animals in 2009 I recieved a couple of emails from a wildlife rehabilitator and the Director of Research and Development at PetAg telling me that this was all falsehoods that were being spread.

Food & Drug Administration Tells PetAg That Product Complaint is Spurious

Hampshire, Illinois 2/5/10
PetAg announced today that in a February 4 discussion with Food and Drug Administration officials, the company was notified that a complaint received about one of its dry formula products was “spurious.” The FDA official notified the company that it was not conducting an investigation.

The company previously notified its customers that it was the victim of an activist group distributing misinformation about the company and its products through the internet.

PetAg President and C.O.O. Darlene Frudakis said, “We are gratified to learn that the authorities see this malicious campaign for what it is. We will continue to work with all federal authorities and our supply chain to set the record straight about the safety of our products.”
Below is the letter sent out from PetAg in rebuttal to the false claims that KMR and Esbilac were tainted.

PetAg I N C. Science ? Nutrition ? Research ? Service
February 9, 2010
http://www.petag.com/

Dear PetAg Customer:
Your work is vital to the humane and compassionate development of our pet animals and wildlife. At PetAg, we consider ourselves to be your partner and the reason we are in business is to improve the health of animals. This orientation guides all of our action.

Anything that distracts us from this important work is unfortunate. Therefore, we are saddened to inform you that our small company has been targeted by what we believe to be is a fringe animal activist group. This group is posting false information about the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and about our company and our products. They are maliciously broadcasting that PetAg product is tainted.

There is no problem with PetAg’s products and the FDA has issued no reports. Simply put, the FDA has informed us that it views the one complaint registered with the FDA from this activist group as without merit, “spurious”. We have sent our distributors and retailers a statement to this effect which we reviewed with the FDA before we sent out the information. Please view our website at www.petag.com for our comments.

All of our animal formula products are safe to use as long as they are stored and used as directed by our label. We test and retest product prior to shipment to make sure it is safe. Our powder formula milk replacers, Esbilac® and KMR®, are made from all natural real milk so it is possible for them to sour when exposed to severe prolonged heat stress. This souring is naturally-occurring — though rare — and the same as when fresh milk is left out of the refrigerator too long. Instructions for properly storing powdered formula to avoid this phenomenon are on the label. Our product is not defective and concerns about its freshness are immediately answered through a simple smell test (the product should appear creamy white and have a faint sweet, milk-like odor).

If you have any questions, please contact PetAg’s technical service department at 800-323-0877 between 8 AM and 5 PM EST. We are grateful that our friends and loyal customers are helping us communicate the truth about our products. We are proud of our 50 year history in helping you to save animal lives and, we’re excited about the improvements we’ve developed that now make our formulas better than ever.
Thank you ever so much again.
PETAG INC.

Link: http://www.piedmontwildlifecenter.org/

The following information is from Piedmont Wildlife Center

Alert: Salmonella Suspected in Pets with Exposure to Dead Pine Siskins and Goldfinches

It has recently been documented that there is an outbreak of Salmonella killing songbirds in the Southeastern United States (http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/03/15/birds0315.html). In the last 3 weeks, Bowman Animal Hospital has hospitalized three cats and one dog due to suspected Salmonella infection from contact with sick or dead Pine Siskin or Goldfinch songbirds. It was confirmed by the North Carolina Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory that a dead Goldfinch (which one of the pets had in its mouth) tested positive for a Salmonella isolate belonging to serogroup B. This serogroup includes serotypes that can infect humans and animals. This is not the same strain of Salmonella found in the birdseed that was recently recalled or the peanut butter sold for human consumption. For information on the recall see: http://www.agr.state.nc.us/fooddrug/feed/BirdFoodRecallFAQ

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