Can you tell us whether your company is doing anything to make sure that your products are free of toxic heavy metals (i.e. arsenic, mercury and lead)? Thank you.

I too am EXTREMELY SENSITIVE to poison ivy and recently broke out in a similar rash after being careless while propagating my all time favorite plant, the philodendron micans. I also suspected that had to be it so I took a fresh cutting and dabbed the sap several times in my arm and didn't wash off for a few hours. Somewhere between 12 & 24 hours later, I started feeling that familiar itch and watched as my test patch gradually spread out the size of a dime and rose up with the little tiny bubble pattern I'm used to seeing with poison ivy rash. THIS SUCKS! I'm in the middle of battling it right now and in my research found this helpful article. I also read another helpful tip that said the sap from these plants can somehow penetrate through standard medical gloves so thicker gardening type gloves should be used when propagating and caution should also be taken when refreshing propagation water. I plant to purchase some thick, SOLID rubber gloves that can easily be thoroughly washed. NOT those gardening gloves that have a breathable section at the back of the hand and wrists! You should also clean the tools you use and the work area. Rubbing alcohol AT LEAST 70% grade is known to be effective for cleaning tools that have come in contact with poison ivy so I plan on implementing that. As well as never shortcutting again by taking rushed cuttings and not doing the basics like laying out a protective mat and immediately washing my hands afterwards. I lazily let my NUMEROUS cuttings drop to the floor (CARPET!) and I know I didn't wash my hands right away like I normally do. A couple hours later I laid on this floor in a tank top and got a mild rash a day later across my upper back and shoulder area as well as my ear lobes which I believe is from handling my earbuds right after propagating my favorite plant. PLEASE MAKE MY PAIN WORTH IT AND LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YOU... PUH-LEAZE!

Not much to know. Hits dogs suddenly, mostly smaller breeds but has impacted larger breeds as well. Vets are uncertain as to its cause. Whenever I hear about sudden onset of diseases like these I automatically think about diet and the by-products used in so many dog foods. Food whch is loaded with grains and corn which contain pesticides, insecticides,herbicides, Meat by roducts from animals which have been ill treated. Small Breeds are more suseptible to toxics becuase they are closer to the ground, where cleaning products and chemicals put on plants and lawns are more easily inhaled or ingested. I hope they find a cause and cure soon.

Ok that´s what the VIN says, but it doesn´t tell us the caloric intake recommended nor the digestible energy requirements. It´s very easy to alter the guaranteed analysis ( the percentages you find in the label ), what the analysis does is just to measure the ammount ( % ) of nitrogen in the diet, nitrogen = protein, well, sort of and not entirely true, you can boost up the protein percentage by adding nitrogen sources like, speaking of "protein", feathers, hair, beaks, "animal digest" ( fancy name to indicate poop ) or from non proteic sources like ammonium treatment or urea. But many of these "alternative sources" of protein have little or no nutritional value because they can´t be digested or the digestion is poor. The label in the food may say that it contains 26-28%, yes, by law it´s mandatory that the food should include the guaranteed anaylisis and the list of ingredients, but caloric density of the formula isn´t mandatory, the manufacturer may or may not include it ( I know that Eukanuba has it on the label, others don´t have it on the label but they have it in the information panfltes & leaflets ); the guaranteed analysis doesn´t guarantee the caloric density nor the digestible energy levels the formula provides. The manufacturer has to comply with the law placing the analysis and the ingredient list, now it´s time to see the important stuff ---> WHAT´S IN THE INGREDIENT LIST, that separates friend from foe. By law the manufacturer has to indicate in the list all the ingredients used to make the food, and it must be done in descending order ( by law ) from the most abundant ingredient to the least ingredient found in the food. All foods must have protein, carbohidrates, fat & minerals, it´s the sources ( products ) of those what gives you the caloric density & the digestability. The nutritionist can design the formula to suit the specific nutritional, caloric and digestable energy needs of the target ( large & giant breeds ) by adding non digestable protein ( which will artificially boost the guaranteed analysis protein percentage ) but keeping the real nutritional values needed.