ESBILAC - Issue with new formula isn't calcium, it's cotton fibers!
It's easier for me to copy over the email I sent to PetAg today, rather than rehashing my findings. Please read and be aware! Ugh... I hope I don't have problems with Fox Valley
Hello, I have been using Esbilac for 30+ years. I am a wildlife rehabilitator working mostly with infant squirrels. I opened a new can of powdered Esbilac today and mixed a small batch. I use a coffee frother to whip the formula smooth. As I removed the small electric frother, the small whisk came up matted with fibers that look like cotton clumps. I thought I had somehow caused the issue, perhaps a linty rag. I poured everything out, washed everything, did NOT dry it, and mixed another batch. Again the wand was matted with some sort of cotton fibers. I then poured the mixture through a fine strainer and found a large amount of these fibers and thin (what appear to be) splinters of wood or something similar. Please see photos below: One is of the splinter on my finger, the other is a wad of the cotton fibers on my finger, and the last is the cotton clumps in a strainer.
Months ago, there was a discussion on my rehab group chat telling everyone to stop using Esbilac because the infants were all constipated and (in the case of puppies) the infants were crying and moaning for an hour after each meal. I have used Esbilac for so long, I didn't want to mess with my success and bought this new large can of powder, but these fibers are what I found. I then went to my rehab group and let them know my findings and concern. They all say they are now using Fox Valley Formula. They believed Esbilac had increased the calcium and that this was causing the stomach upset. Now, with my photos, they believe it is wads of fiber blocking up the infant's bellies. I was also told you are no longer making your product in the USA.
What good is saving money via making your product in another country when you are now losing all of your faithful clientele? I am returning the product to Amazon tomorrow, but I now have no formula to feed my current babies for the next few days until my order of Fox Valley arrives. I will be making a homemade formula temporarily.
I am saddened by your choice to use foreign ingredients and change your product. I ask PetAg to please reconsider your decision, go back to the old formula and, please purchase your ingredients in the USA for safety. I hope something will be done QUICKLY to rectify this issue before more animals suffer or die.
Sincerely,
Brooklyn Hudson
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