ESBILAC - Issue with new formula isn't calcium, it's cotton fibers!

[Brooklyn]

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

[Brooklyn]

Please forgive my filthy sink, I had been cleaning out donated crates and cages that had been in someone's back yard for a year. Yikes!

[island rehabber]

Dear God, will this craziness never stop? Pet Ag's explanation last fall of the "too large molecules" that were undigestible by tiny animals seemed plausible and honest. They recommended using only their lots with an expiration date of October 2021 and later. I did, and had no problems -- but now this! Just curious, what is the expiration date on your Esbilac can? Is this cotton fibre thing new, or is it what happened when they "corrected" the formula, or or or? Aaaagh!

PS: never apologize for the state of anything in your house. You're a rehabber. You should see my sink

[HRT4SQRLS]

Brooklyn, more then likely Amazon will tell you to discard the formula. I doubt they will want it returned. Save it. If they do want it shipped back, save a portion in a ziplock baggie.

Try to dry the sediment and see what it looks like dried. I would be interested to see if it looks fibrous when dry.

I would be willing to bet that you never hear from PetAg. They just infuriate me.

[Chirps]

1) That is a superb email. One might hope that if they have no morals/scruples they may at least see the wisdom of not losing clientele, although in many cases it's way too late. They have lost trust. It also gets me to wondering, and I'd be willing to bet the ratio of sales to squirrel rehabbers was ten times the sales for "on label" use. I wonder, are they noticing or missing the lost revenue at all?

2) I doubt anyone even noticed your sink while scrutinizing in dumbfounded horror the subjects of your pics.

3) I am curious what story PetAg will spin if they respond.

[Brooklyn]

Okay, whee do I start. First, the exp. date is October 2021. It is the tall can (32 oz, I think?) Amazon gave me a return label, but PetAg has responded and asked me to send it directly back to them instead. Here is their email:

Hi Brooklyn,

And thank you for reaching out to us. We are not aware of any fibers or splinters being in our product and we would like to have this product picked up from you for further testing. For this, we would just need your address and a good day when you could have this ready to be picked up. If you could send me a screenshot of your invoice from Amazon, I would also be happy to send you a replacement product. In the past, we did have to switch to a larger dicalcium ingredient because of our supplier but since we have been able to source the smaller dicalcium again and all of our Esbilac is now made with the smaller particles of this ingredient.

It is false that we no longer make our products in the United States – all of our milk replacers are manufactured in Hampshire, Illinois in our own facility. The reason we can’t say it’s made in the USA is because of the Federal Trade Commission guidelines that state that all ingredients would have to be sourced within United States in order to have that claim on our products (https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/busi...e-usa-standard). Unfortunately, some of the ingredients are hard to source within the United States so are sourced elsewhere from our trusted suppliers.

Please let me know when we could have this product picked up and once you send the invoice, I’m happy to have a new product sent to you as a replacement.

Consumer Relations

I will keep a baggy, just in case anyone here on the board needs a sample fr any reason. I will also mix one more small batch and try drying the fibers and splinters then show photos here. Bear with me, might be the weekend as I am inundated with babies (and dealing with a very bad tooth that can't be pulled until Saturday...ugh

I appreciate your responses. I'll be back with more info!

Have a great day all...
Brooklyn

[whisperer]

I have been using Esbilac with the dates of 10/2021, since early March. I have not found anything like that in it.

Lisa

[SammysMom]

I just sent you an email. I'm working with the researchers from ewildagain.org on formula issues. Look forward to hearing from you!

[Brooklyn]

Hi everyone I want to offer an update on my Esbilac issue. First, with the whole COVID thing, I couldn't find goats milk anywhere near me, so I was in a panic, but my little ground squirrel (now nearing 9 weeks) began showing disinterest in formula, and only wanting one night feeding before she sleeps. She's eating predominantly solid food now, and quite the variety.

I have to admit, PetAg was very attentive and apologetic. I was asked me to make several small batches of formula from the can and see if the problem persisted. It did not. So far, it appears to have been something at the top of the can. They assured me they went back to the original ingredients and smaller grain calcium. The clumps of cotton are still a mystery. I have continued to fine-strain the formula each and every time, and there is nothing there, both when dry and wet. It might have been some sort of accident in the factory, like a rag falling into a machine. I was in a bind, with my order of Fox Valley not yet arriving, and with their reassurance, I have been capping this little one off at night with the formula. Don't think I'm nuts, but I taste the formula every time I mix a batch and it continues to just have that milky vanilla taste. Baby seems fine, but I continue to strain the formula multiple times.

To be honest, I felt a little sorry for PetAg. I could tell (having talked to several employees there), they are in a panic to keep us (rehabbers) happy. I have always used Esbilac, so this was troubling to me. I remember a time when I was warned NOT to use Fox Valley, and I've always raised fat and happy babies on Esbilac with a dash of heavy cream. Have any of you returned to using Esbiac? Are you still seeing issues? Should I just bite the bullet and switch to Fox Valley permanently?

Thank you again for all your help and concern. I believe I have found another amazing rehabber with a small group of ground squirrels who will help me to release this little one in the right location -- I typically work with tree squirrels and needed to find a population of ground squirrels for her to join - this species is not found in my area.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!
Brooke

[whisperer]

PetAg. I could tell (having talked to several employees there), they are in a panic to keep us (rehabbers) happy. I have always used Esbilac, so this was troubling to me. I remember a time when I was warned NOT to use Fox Valley, and I've always raised fat and happy babies on Esbilac with a dash of heavy cream. Have any of you returned to using Esbiac? Are you still seeing issues? Should I just bite the bullet and switch to Fox Valley permanently?

Thank you again for all your help and concern. I believe I have found another amazing rehabber with a small group of ground squirrels who will help me to release this little one in the right location -- I typically work with tree squirrels and needed to find a population of ground squirrels for her to join - this species is not found in my area.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!
Brooke

Morning Brooke,

I am and always have been a fan of Esbilac(1993). I have been using Esbilac this year since ( like I said above) March for my spring babies. I have been making sure the can expiration date reads 10/2021. My babies are healthy, running, jumping and climbing, I have had no issues with it. I add whipping cream. I used to use the Multi Milk with Esbilac, but now add the cream instead.
I will never use F/V not a fan, and never have been.

Lisa

[island rehabber]

Putting in my two cents: I was Fox Valley all the way, from 2006 until 2015, when the under 4-week version of Day One (32/40) KILLED 12 precious pinkies of mine, slowly, by sitting in their guts like cement. It was by far my most horrible experience in rehabbing and I don't know if I ever would trust it again. Unlike Pet Ag, Nick from Fox Valley was dismissive of the problem (IMHO) and tried to pin it on pilot error: rehabbers weren't using it properly.

I started doing Esbilac from 1 day old until eyes open, WITH ULTRA BOOST ADDED. Ultra Boost is awesome; better than heavy cream or yogurt, I think. I have done that for the past 5 years, transitioning to FV 20/50 with ULTRA BOOST ADDED when eyes open. In those 5 years I have had fat, beautiful, healthy babies with perfect poops. DISCLAIMER: I am not a high volume rehabber; I do 20-30 squirrels per YEAR, so mine is not an extensive sample population. But it works beautifully for me. When I see threads here now about diarrhea I honestly don't know what to tell them because I have not dealt with it in such a long time, I've forgotten what I used to do. (I think FV DiaStat works really well.)

Just my two cents.