[Gpdd] [CARE] Colourings in propriety GP foods & Cystitis

[DebJonSara at aol.com]

I'm recently out of hospital, but before I went in I remember there being a  
post about the colourings used in Gertie Guinea Pig Food and other special  
guinea pig food mixes causing cystitis in piggies. I wanted to react  straight 
away, but I knew I was to be out of action for a while, so left it -  until now.
 
When Red Dandy was suspected of having bladderstones or cystitis (which in  
the end he didn't have), I was advised not to feed him Gertie Guinea Pig Food  
nor any other guinea pig food containing colourings because the colourings  
contribute to bladder problems. Indeed, I have a handout produced by the  
Cambridge Cavy Trust which says the same thing - "It's best to avoid many of the  
propriety mixes that contain artificial colours", and goes on to say that Sunset 
 Yellow is known to cause irritation to the gastro-intestinal and urinary 
tracts  and to cause cystitis, and that the coloured bits are only there for the 
benefit  of the slave, not the pigs.
 
Well, I am sorry, but this, quite simply, is jolly well not on!!! I make a  
special hour and a half return trip to purchase what I've found to be the  
propriety food my piggies most enjoy, which has Vitamin C added and pellets and  
so on. It's not Gertie Guinea Pig, but it does have coloured bits in it, which  
my piggies do seem to enjoy. Sunset Yellow is not mentioned in the list of  
ingredients, but I do worry. The only additives listed are Vitamins A, D3, E  & 
C and copper sulphate - but is it a legal requirement to list colourants?  
And if not, why not??
 
I want, quite simply, to launch a campaign against firms producing food for  
my piggies which they know will make them ill. Imagine if it were baby food -  
the worldwide scandal, the lawsuits, the public outrage ....! Well, as 
someone  recently on here so rightly pointed out, our piggies are, to most of us, 
our  babies. So I think it's about time we silent, peaceful slaves took up the 
cause  of our inarticulate, peaceful unwitting consumers of these poisons and 
caused a  bit of scandal and public outrage ourselves. Maybe there is even an 
organisation  out there that would be willing to fund a lawsuit/?
 
What I need from my fellow gpdd-ers is hard evidence. I have tried  doing a 
little research online, but came up with nothing. Indeed, I have to  admit to 
being extremely impressed with the website of Supreme Petfoods, who  make 
Gertie Guinea Pig Food. I have hopefully sent them an email directly asking  for 
information on the ingredients of Gertie Guinea Pig Food, but it was one of  
those online forms and didn't show up in my "sent email" box, so I don't know  
whether it went or not.
 
I simply want to persuade manufacturers of foods for guinea pigs that these  
"coloured bits" do NOT benefit we slaves one iota - we would be far, far 
happier  purchasing bland, greenish grey mixes which were equally varied and 
appealing  for our piggies but which did not represent a serious threat to their 
health.  And I think the only way for us to do that is to band together and wheek 
with  one voice - petitions, boycotts, demonstrations - whatever it takes.
 
So, I look forward to hearing from anyone whose piggie has been diagnosed  
with an illness related to additives in propriety guinea pig food mixes. Please  
feel free to email me privately if you prefer, although I do personally feel  
it's about time we made a more public stand. What we really need more than  
anything is concrete testaments from vets who have treated these unfortunate  
victims - so see what you can get from your vet.
 
You know, as I have said before, guinea pigs must be one of the best-known  
and best documented of Earth's creatures in terms of health and development, as 
 they have been incarcerated in scientific laboratories and used to test a  
multitude of products for as long as scientific laboratories have existed. So  
there really is no excuse whatsoever for scientific ignorance on what food  
components to feed them and which cause illness. I really do feel it's time we  
all took a stand on behalf of these poor ill-used creatures who, after all, 
have  no choice but to eat whatever food we, as trusted slaves, put in their 
bowls. We  owe it to them to offer nothing but the very best.
 
Rant over
 
Debbie