Just the humble opinions of an animal lover...  I am really enjoying
following everyone's comments on this topic.  Here, here to Heather for
standing by her convictions.

Some of us think we should send it to food banks, pet shelters or mail it
back to the manufacturer.  I just read a previous post from yesterday about
reporting receiving unwanted formula in the mail to the FTC.  What is the
advantage of reporting this practice to the FTC (US Federal Trade
Commission)? I'm clueless-please enlighten me!   If it will make an impact,
perhaps more of us should do this.  I am happy to say I received no formula
this time around in the mail, but did receive formula at my OBs office at
my first prenatal visit, but that's another story.

As for sending it to pet shelters, I must disagree on this one.  Some of
you know about the menagerie I have at home and my intimate realtionship
with a zoologist, also known as my DH.  If a pig, cat or dog, for example,
is needing supplementation for whatever reason, we latch them onto another
lactating pig, cat or dog.  We have even seen cross species wet nurses
work.

We have had puppies that are born small and very weak.  Sometimes they are
unable to compete with littermates or suckle at their mother's teats.  In
these cases, we've used a widget (a 10cc syringe with the end cut off) to
express milk from the mother and finger fed them.  The size of syringe you
use depends on the size of the animal.  We have Beagles and Australian
Shepards.

Some of you may have read James Herriot's 'Moses the Cat', where James
finds a kitten near death that is nourished and nurtured back to health at
the teats of a sow.  IMHO, all animals (including humans) need the milk
from their species.  Just think, in some non-Western cultures, wet nursing
is the norm.  Mention wet nursing in Western cultures though and stones are
thrown at you.

Back to my point...I don't think infant formula (made from cows milk or
soybeans for humans) is appropriate for other mammals.  We raise beef
cattle-they are nothing like humans, cats or dogs, other than the common
thread that they are mammals.  Their diets aren't even close.   Expressed
milk or species specific formula is more appropriate.   Keep in mind though
that all of our animals are well cared for because we like them we want
them and in some cases are a good business venture.  I am biased!   My
situation is different from the animal shelter situation.

Again, just my humble opinion.

Maurenne in Manhattan, KS
Canine, feline, porcine and bovine midwife
...who is looking forward to calving season very soon and hoping the
weather will cooperate...