Blue Buffalo

Update: Here is Blue Buffalo's response. http://www.bluebuffalo.com/news/nestle-purina-response
Like I said, I'm still going to be using this food until these allegations are proved or disproved because I don't trust Purina one bit and this sounds like a whiny "I don't like that I'm not getting customers" situation so I stand with Blue Buffalo on this one!
As many of you know, I currently feed my cats Blue Buffalo Wilderness. I've had absolutely NO complaints with this food since I switched a year or so ago. I am closely watching the results of a lawsuit Purina has filed against them, claiming that they use by-product meals and corn (they claim they do not and it is NOT listed on the label). I don't believe this is even true (considering Purina's record AND the fact that I do not believe there is a way to tell chicken meal from chicken by-product meal through ingredient analysis). Purina has not released the name of the "independent" testing facility or the actual results of the "tests." They also have consistently claimed false things about their foods (such as the levels of illegal antibiotics found in the jerky treats). After reading the lawsuit press release, this sounds A LOT like Purina complaining that Blue Buffalo is taking business away from them and their cheap, poor-quality product (they state this though not the poor-quality part!). Purina claims that their foods are all "100% complete and balanced". So, tell me this Purina... why do you make so many different brands of food with different ingredients of differing quality if you take so much pride in your foods? Why does the list of dog foods include brands like: Alpo (corn first), Dog Chow (corn first), Beneful (corn first), One (chicken first), Pro Plan (chicken first), Be Happy (corn first), BeyOnd (corn, wheat free, chicken first) etc.? Why does the cat food list contain brands like: One (chicken first), Friskies (corn first), Pro Plan (chicken first), Cat Chow (corn first), Fancy Feast (brewers rice first), Be Happy (corn first), Deli-Cat (corn first), Kit & Kaboodle (corn first), BeyOnd (corn, wheat free, chicken first), etc.? How can corn and rice as the first (primary) ingredient be "complete and balanced" for a carnivorous cat or mostly carnivorous dog? How can corn and rice as first ingredient be complete and balanced but chicken as the first ingredient ALSO be complete and balanced??? If corn is such a "good" ingredient, why is it NOT in BeyOnd??? Why does Purina claim to be so concerned about the health of animals and then market so many different tiers of food? Because they are only interested in profit and market share.

Post veterinary update on Lilly.

Well, I went to the vet today with Lilly. The vet initially agreed that it was likely diabetes (based on the fact that she is SO young to get cataracts and that they came on so quickly). However, after a blood-glucose test (stick in the foot-pad), we found out that this is not likely the cause because her level was 137, which is normal for guinea pigs (and guinea pigs are not likely to have highs and lows like other animals since they forage all day). She gets plenty of vitamin C so it is not that (and there are no other symptoms of deficiency according to the vet). So, she likely has a genetic predisposition to cataracts, but I have been referred to an eye specialist to find out more. She most likely cannot see very well because the vet could not see her retinas at all because of the cataracts. So, while it is very good that she doesn't have diabetes, it is not so good that she may have a genetic tendency for cataracts and that she cannot see well. Apparently there is a procedure to "liquify" the cataracts with a laser that has been done on RABBITS (not sure if it has been done on guinea pigs or not) that clears the vision but we'll see.