Fetchit Pet Pinatas are SAFE! - Another Web Rumor Quashed






We have to start backwards with this terrible mess -

First the RETRACTION

Sent: Wed, 27 May 2009 9:13 am
Subject: apology letter

To Fetch it Pets:
 
I am sincerely sorry that the incident with our parrot has gotten out
of hand.  I am not a competitor - indeed, I am simply a parrot owner of
a bird that got extremely ill after ingesting parts of a toy.  I do not
wish any harm to you or your company, and I appreciate that you took
appropriate measures to have your toys tested.  That they came back
negative for toxicity is a testament to your commitment to the parrot
owners who purchase your product. 
 
I apologize for the issues, and hope that my public apology will
suffice.  I intended no harm to you or your company, and wish you
success in the future.
 
I am asking that this apology be as widely circulated as the
information on my bird's illness was, so that all involved will hear
that I do not hold you responsible for her illness.  Unfortunately,
what were believed to be communications of a private nature to a chat
list were taken to other sites and also quoted out of context. 
 
If you were one of the people that were concerned and circulated the
original information, please circulate this letter as well.
 
Sincerely,
elizabeth

It started with this email sent out to hundreds of people

Hi Everyone,

A lady on a parrot forum I belong to recently had a horrible experience and her parrot nearly died due to ingesting parts of a toy that was advertised as 'bird-safe'. This toy is the bird pinata, more specifically "Polly Wanna Pinata" and these are sold in many places, online as well as in pet stores. The importer/manufacturer is Fetch-it-Pets, in California. (http://www.fetchitpets.com/core/pinatas/index.html) The cardboard that the toy is made from is glued together with a dangerous glue, resin or formaldehyde. The bird suffered an immense intestinal blockage and were it not for the use of helpful digestive enzymes would have surely died. The vet treating the bird adimtted to having a previous case.

Please don't use or sell this pinata and pull it if you already do. Some birds don't swallow toys but others ingest things on a regular basis. It would be wise not to take that chance. Feel free to cross post this anywhere you can.

Thanks for spreading the word to your local pet stores and other online stores.
 
 
Elizabeth.

Here's Fetchit Pets Original response

Fetch-It Pets was very concerned to hear about the unfortunate incident

with Gemma.  We were accused of having formaldehyde in our Polly Wanna

Pinata Bird Toys.  This is not true.  I am a life long bird owner and

lover.  I create products for the safety and enjoyment of my own birds

as well as others.  Having manufactured quality bird toys for over 9

years and sold over a million products this is the first incident like

this that has ever come to my attention.  We have just again had the

product tested in an independent laboratory to insure the safety of

every Fetch-It Pets customer's beloved pet.  The laboratory result

shows that our Polly Wanna Pinata showed a negative result for

formaldehyde and are a safe bird friendly product.  Polly Wanna Pinata

is manufactured in its own controlled factory environment, where

quality control and the safety of every bird is of the highest

importance.  We will continue to create stimulating, fun and SAFE toys

for your birds.

Vickie Canepa

Fetch-It Pets, Inc./CEO
 

Being a retailer of  FetchIt Pet's fine products for several years I emailed Elizabeth and pressed for more info
 

Elizabeth,
 
Thank you for the email.
 
I am concerned about the message and that you asking others to be "spreading the word to your local pet stores and other online stores," based on " A lady on a parrot forum I belong to" and no veterinarian's name.
 
I have Googled several variations of "Fetch it Pet" and "Bird" and "Forum" and found nothing. Bird Talk Magazine endorses the product. Not one of our customers has called to say their bird has died as a result of ingesting pieces of a Fetch-It-Pet product. We have lab reports that contradict your information
 
Thus at this point unless you have better  information you are doing nothing but harming the integrity of a fine company and the retailers that sell these products. You have also become susceptible to a libel law suit.
 
In the future, please choose carefully, "facts" you choose to share with the world
 
Regards,

Mitch Rezman
Vice President
Windy City Parrot, Inc

 

I received this response

It's funny how untrusting the public can be nowadays.
 
This was a very sad event that occurred through TEC (The Eclectus Connection) to a woman whose parrot Gemma was hospitalized for days and put through intense testing and procedures in order to first identify and then treat the blockage, none of which worked until the enzymes were introduced. She was force fed for over a week because she had stopped eating. She also stopped eliminating completely for a number of days once the blockage become complete.

If it weren't for an amazing vet and The Eclectus Connection people suggesting the use of the enzymes, Gemma would have passed away.

The good news, after weeks recovering, she is now almost back to normal, she started playing again a few days ago and even took an exuberant bath in her water bowl.

The toy in question is made in Mexico, where formaldehyde is used heavily in the paper making process. Gemma's mom was able to identify the toy and had it removed from the shelves of the place where she purchased it. Perhaps consider finding another pinata toy by a different company? Or even use register tape instead.
 
But whatever you do, please don't simply write off information just because you're skeptical.
I am not stating that the digestive enzymes alone worked to help this bird pass this mass. I am, however, stating that they helped immensely. This is an attempt to bring awareness about this toy which is what caused the blockage. If you still insist on more proof, I will send you the name and address of the veterinarian where many of the group's members have donated some help funds for this woman and what she went through. You can simply call there and verify that this is what happened and that it's not the first time this veterinarian has been witness to it. I don't know how much the actual vet's office will disclose as far as specific details to you (patient confidentiality, etc) but just by calling and verifying that there has been a fund set up for this case should be proof enough that this isn't BS.
 
If you need even more information, feel free to ask.
 
Elizabeth.

A second email stated

PS
 
The enzyme in question breaks down cellulose, it's called "Cellulase." Hence why it was suggested as a possible aid in helping clear this blockage by breaking it down in ways that Gemma's body could not.

The original sickness that Gemma presented with was a toxicity issue with the formaldehyde, less than 24 hours after consuming part of the pinata. As the time passed while the vet was treating her for that, the blockage became apparent. Ultimately, her body could not pass the blockage and the enzymes were introduced to aid in that passing. Once the blockage was cleared, she started the slow path to recovery.

Gemma presented with toxicity issues on April 27th. She was finally allowed to go home May 1st and was not eating/drinking without aid until May 5th. May 23rd was the last update, saying that that was her most active day yet, including taking a bath and chatting up a storm. She is almost fully recovered.
 
Elizabeth.

 

I then wrote

Elizabeth – we are still investigating but I have additional questions – I’m just not sure how they identified a Pinata

 Could the bird owner be a mortician? Are there kids in the house in biology class? Formaldehyde has been found in toilet paper cores and paper towel cores – did they recently get new carpeting? Have all those been ruled out?

 FYI

In homes, the most significant sources of formaldehyde are likely to be pressed wood products made using adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. Pressed wood products made for indoor use include: particleboard (used as sub-flooring and shelving and in cabinetry and furniture); hardwood plywood paneling (used for decorative wall covering and used in cabinets and furniture); and medium density fiberboard (used for drawer fronts, cabinets, and furniture tops). Medium density fiberboard contains a higher resin-to-wood ratio than any other UF pressed wood product and is generally recognized as being the highest formaldehyde-emitting pressed wood product.

Other pressed wood products, such as softwood plywood and flake or oriented strand board, are produced for exterior construction use and contain the dark, or red/black-colored phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin. Although formaldehyde is present in both types of resins, pressed woods that contain PF resin generally emit formaldehyde at considerably lower rates than those containing UF resin

  • Smog is a major source of formaldehyde exposure.
  • Cigarettes and other tobacco products, gas cookers, and open fireplaces are sources of formaldehyde exposure.
  • It is used in many industries and in hospitals and laboratories.
  • Formaldehyde is given off as a gas from the manufactured wood products used in new mobile homes.
  • The amount of formaldehyde in foods is very small.
  • Household sources, such as fiberglass, carpets, permanent press fabrics, paper products, and some household cleaners

 Exposure Pathways

You are exposed to small amounts of formaldehyde in the air. It occurs from both natural and man made sources although combustion is the largest source. If you live in an unpopulated area, you may be exposed to about 0.2 parts per billion (ppb) of formaldehyde in the air outdoors. In suburban areas, you may be exposed to about 2-6 ppb of formaldehyde. If you live in a heavily populated area or near some industries, you may be exposed to 10-20 ppb. You may also be exposed to higher levels of formaldehyde during rush hour commutes in highly populated areas because if is formed in automobile and truck exhaust.

There is usually more formaldehyde present indoors than outdoors. Formaldehyde is released to the air from many home products and you may breath in formaldehyde while using these products. Latex paint, fingernail hardener, and fingernail polish release a large amount of formaldehyde to the air. Plywood and particle board, as well as furniture and cabinets made from them, fiberglass products, new carpets, decorative laminates, and some permanent press fabrics give off a moderate amount of formaldehyde. Some paper products, such as grocery bags and paper towels, give off small amounts of formaldehyde. Because these products contain formaldehyde, you may also be exposed on the skin by touching or coming in direct contact with them. You may also be exposed to small amounts of formaldehyde in the food you eat. You are not likely to be exposed to formaldehyde in the water you drink because it does not last a long time in water.

Many other home products contain and give off formaldehyde although the amount has not been carefully measured. These products include household cleaners, carpet cleaners, disinfectants, cosmetics, medicines, fabric softeners, glues, lacquers, and antiseptics. You may also breath formaldehyde if you use unvented gas or kerosene heaters indoors or if you or someone else smokes a cigar, cigarette, or pipe indoors. The amount of formaldehyde in mobile homes is usually higher than it is in conventional homes because of their lower air turnover.

People who work at or near chemical plants that make or use formaldehyde can be exposed to higher than normal amounts of formaldehyde. Doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, pathologists, embalmers, workers in the clothing industry or in furniture factories, and teachers and students who handle preserved specimens in laboratories also might be exposed to higher amounts of formaldehyde. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that 1,329,332 individuals in the United States have had the potential for occupational exposure to formaldehyde.

  Please let me know if you have answers to any of the questions.

Thanx 

Mitch Rezman
General Manager
WindyCityParrot.com
 

 Elizabeth's Response

If I may, I'd like to forward you the emails from the person that experienced this. they are compiled in a word file so they're easy to read. The veterinarian was the one who suggested it was the paper and formaldehyde combined that caused the serious blockage in Gemma the parrot.  This is the only toy Gemma chewed on and ingested prior to becoming ill.  
 
The owner of Gemma is a responsible bird owner and does not smoke. Formaldehyde in the air is a much smaller source than the amount of glue/formaldehyde and paper  that clogged Gemma's intestines.
 
The other items, aka the mortician, new carpeting, toilet paper have indeed been ruled out.  I appreciate you taking the time to review the information. Have you contacted the veterinarian? I am wondering  how much information he is willing to disclose based on patient/doctor confidentiality but if you were to tell him you are considering changing the pinata but need to have it confirmed before you did so (after telling him you're a seller) I'm sure he'll be open to discussion.
 
Attached are the emails. If you are interested in emailing the owner directly, her email address is: elizabeth@@@@@ She has been in contact with the manufacturer about this incident.
 
I know that you have probably sold many of these pinatas without incident. I admit to having used them in the past myself. The issue here is that this veterinarian admitted to having a prior case like this with this same type of pinata and that the actual construction of the pinata occurs in Mexico where the regulations on formaldehyde use are much less strict than in the US. However, it's really a matter of this toy being advertised as 'bird safe' when truly it's compounded with materials that aren't bird safe. It's also a question of 'how many birds does it take' and to comment briefly on your response about affecting someone's business, Mitch, a company can make the same choice of using only bird safe products in constructing their toys just as it can decide not to. It's really a matter of bringing it to their awareness because we don't think even they knew what was in their pinatas.
 
By bringing it to the attention of the seller, the manufacturer is more likely to listen and make necessary changes to make their toys truly safe for birds.
 
Thank you... let me know if you need anything else.

(I have the emails if anyone would like to read them)

I obtained the vet's name and was going to call today to further investigate when the retraction hit my in box.

Please don't believe EVERYTHING you read on the internet - especially when it comes to the care of your birds -

Please get some BIRD SAFE FetchIt Pet Pinatas today

Posted by WindyCityParrot.com at Thursday, December 08, 2011 4:58 PM
Categories: Parrot Care

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  • Thursday, May 28, 2009 9:54 AM Elizy wrote:
    Just because someone was pressured into an apology (which clearly this reads as) doesn't make the toy safe or the issue not real - clearly a blockage happened (toxic or not), maybe as a result of this toy, maybe not. It just means a lawsuit was probably threatened as seems to be our society these days.
    Reply to this
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