Pet Drugs online

For more information about Pet Drugs online, visit our pet site Online Pet Drugs website OnlinePetDrugs.com

Q: What online pet pharmacies are reputable?
I have heard that some online pet pharmacies sell fake or not completely reputable drugs, does anyone know which to avoid? I need levothyroxine (thyroid meds) for my dog, so I really want the correct drug for the best price. Is petcarerx.com ok?

A: I have always used petmeds.com with no problem.

My vet doesn’t like that I use them but I have never found anything wrong with their products & they are less than buying direct from my vets office. One time I pruchased products from my vets office & when I got the Rymidal home & opened it I looked at the label & it was past it’s expiration date!!!

Q: Has anyone ever used online Vetinary prescription drugs for their pets?
my cat has just been diagnosed with diabetes and I am wondering if getting the insulin online rather than from the vet (when I know what it is she is prescribed), will be safe? Im worried about buying ‘dodgy’ goods online which might harm her, but am keen to see if I can save some money as the cost of the treatment is looking like £120 a month at the moment.
CF – my cats have had nothing but top quality complete foods from the vets, Hills, Iams, James Welbeloved etc. They dont do cheap…

A: Be very careful with this. The manufactures of most of the products will not guarantee the products you buy from the online pharmacies. I know for a fact that Navartis and Meriel will not guarantee those products. You should be concerned about “dodgy” goods from these companies. If you do speak with a salesperson for one of these companies ask if they will pay for any side issues that arise from using the products they sell. Then get it in writing. If you buy from these companies you void the manufactures warranty.
Ask your vet if a local pharmacy will compound the insulin. Cats can sometimes go from insulin dependent to non if you change their diet to a canned food diet. I feed my diabetic cat Friskies canned food and he has not had insulin in almost 3 years. Purina makes a diet called DM and it comes in canned and dry. I am not a fan of dry foods b/c they have a lot of carbs and that is why our cats become diabetic. Please talk with your vet about diet change as well as insulin treatment.

Q: Has anyone ever heard of 1800petmeds or other reputable online pet med sites selling counterfit medicine?
Today I tried a new vet since moving back to NYC and they immediately started asking me what type of food am I feeling my dog and if she is on flea and tick preventative, To which i answered royal canin and yes she is on preventative meds. Then she was like do you get it from your vet or online. I said I get it online with a prescription. So she starts telling me that 1800ped meds sells counterfit drugs and they don’t guarantee their products and they(meaning the vet clinic) stand behind all the medicine they sell and if my dog had any reaction they would treat her for free, blah blah blah. I mean i’ve been using heartguard from my online store since she was a puppy and she’s never had a reaction. I was really turned off by them and don’t think I will use them again. I think they are just trying to boost their sales and are not really concerned with their patients or owners. But please let me know if I’m wrong.
Today I tried a new vet since moving back to NYC and they immediately started asking me what type of food am I feeling my dog and if she is on flea and tick preventative, To which i answered royal canin and yes she is on preventative meds. Then she was like do you get it from your vet or online. I said I get it online with a prescription. So she starts telling me that 1800ped meds sells counterfit drugs and they don’t guarantee their products and they(meaning the vet clinic) stand behind all the medicine they sell and if my dog had any reaction they would treat her for free, blah blah blah. I mean i’ve been using heartguard from my online store since she was a puppy and she’s never had a reaction. I was really turned off by them and don’t think I will use them again. I think they are just trying to boost their sales and are not really concerned with their patients or owners. But please let me know if I’m wrong.* I left out in the original post I use Lambert Vet suppy to get my meds

A: Yes, they DO sell counterfeit drugs.

Just ask a few of our clients who have been royally screwed over by 1-800-petmeds. One of the dogs tested heartworm positive while they were taking heartworm prevention (Heartgard) from Pet Meds. Yikes!

Our hospital REFUSES to deal with these *unlicensed* online pharmacies because we care about our patients!

ADD: 1-800-Petmeds gets an estimated 80% of their meds from 3rd world countries who do not have any organizations (like the FDA) to set standards and check on manufacturing procedures…. pretty scary.

Q: Alt. meds, Natural Remedies, presciptions, otc, pet meds & vitamins at good prices?
Have you ever purchased any meds for yourself or your pet at this online website? They have name brand and generic presciption drugs, over the counter, holistic and pet meds for good prices.
www.safemedsforless.com
This is a reputable company with quality products. Just want to know if anyone has visited their website or purchased from them.

A: No I use DrsFosterSmith.com for my pets. There are so many scams out there for prescription drugs I would be really careful. and if they are selling human and pet meds out of the same company I would worry about the quality.

Q: If a vet. does not have a specific Rx in its pharmacy, they can still give my cat a prescription for it, no?
Ok my family’s new cat has fleas, I have tried a few prescription strength and OTC flea medicines for our cats but the only one that has worked and continued to work is Revolution for Cats. I have a lady friend that works as a veterinary assistant and I asked her if I could bring in my cat to complete the charade so I can buy more Revolution legitimately now since the online pet drug site I used to just get it from shipped from overseas also requires a prescription for it just like all the RL pet pharmacies would. The problem is she says her place doesn’t have Revolution, but I can’t see why they can’t just look at the cat and write a prescription for Revolution anyway and leave the rest to me. Just because a certain place writes you a pet prescription does not require you to fill it with them, or is this some stubborn veterinary practice?!
I am not planning to make my friend’s employer write me a prescription for my cat sight unseen, I just figure once I pay for an exam or whatever the hell it is gets them to write me a prescription they should be indifferent to wherever it is I happen to fill this prescription at.

In the good old days before the feds cracked down on all those online pet pharmacies selling Rx medicines without a Rx I didn’t have to jump through this hoop. Now my friend is making it even more difficult by saying her place doesn’t even stock Revolution.
Advantage is a joke! I tried that before, paid nearly $150 for it OTC from a vet, just to have it kill the fleas off for 2 months only to have nothing but the super-fleas impervious to everything out there besides Revolution left bothering my cats.
Frontline is crap too! That stuff was weaker than Advantage was, I didn’t even think that was possible.
I think what the real problem is is that the vet where my friend works at is just greedy and wants me to buy whatever kind of chump flea medicine they do have in their pharmacy. I know what I am talking about here, I have used Revolution (purchased online from overseas in the good ol days) and all my cats used it just fine. I have tried all the other flea medicines under the sun on my cats and none of them work worth a crap except for Revolution.
Pretty Kitty: That is what I meant! So what if my friend’s place does not stock it. I don’t care, so long as they write me a Rx for it I can fill it wherever I want or feel like filling it.
Advantage stopped working after two months, I gave it to the cats as indicated on the box, but after the two month mark only the incorrigible super-fleas remained. We combed the cats and vacuumed the place throughout but still the super-fleas stuck around for more.
So in summary, either the place where my friend works is trying to be as self-serving as possible in that they only want to write Rx for things they stock or my friend is being a bitch? Either or both seems to be the real reason…

A: they can, you have a right to one, and if they refuse to give you one you are within your rights to report them to the local vetinary association..

however, they also the right to charge an “admin” charge for the privalage.. in britain admin charges are usually capped at £10 but it depends on the industry..

Q: MORE pet food contaminated!!! Tylenol found!!?
My mom just sent me an email from an online vet that said they found Tylenol in dog and cat food. What is going on here, why all of a sudden are we having so many problems with pet food? Has anyone else heard about this news of Tylenol being found in pet food? They didn’t list the names of the companies and I couldn’t find anything about it on the site for the FDA. How are perscription drugs getting into these foods, is somebody trying to poison them? I am so worried, I have a 17 year old cat who can only eat wet canned food!!
Side effects to look for in cats, can be very deadly for them….”The most common effects of acetaminophen poisoning in cats include swelling of the face and paws; depression; weakness; and difficulty in breathing. “We also see a condition called ‘cyanosis,’” said Dr. Hansen, “which is literally when their gums and tongue start turning a muddy color due to the lack of oxygen.”

Here is the press release from the ASPCA:

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_060607_3

A: Yes, they did find pain medicine in pet food. They weren’t even looking for that at all. This lab in Texas was investigating the other contaminations involved in largest pet food recall in history. And they just happened to stumble upon this and could hardly believe it.

Several vets have also expressed their surprise in this new contaminate. Pain killer medicine is tough on dogs but worse on cats. Vomiting, etc, is one suspicious sign.

You can find another link about this in my source below. Look there again tomorrow for updates.

Q: Can you get a Prescription from your vet to buy medications online?
I have an elderly Jack Russell who is incontinent and needs Propalin Syrup. She also suffers from flea allergic dermatitis and just one flea bite will cause her to flare up and start ripping her hair out! As we have an outdoor cat, (although we treat them both for fleas) its impossible to stop her picking up flea bites.

The medications she needs for these conditions (Propalin Syrup, Prednicare and Synulox) are fearly expensive at the Vets and as we are on a low income we are struggling to afford them. I’ve found a website called Pet Dispensary where they sell the same drugs at a lower cost but you must provide a prescription. Would a vet be willing to do this? Plus, once you’d paid for postage etc would it be any cheaper than buying them from the Vets?

A: By law, a vet has to give you a prescription if you ask for it rather than fill the medication at the practice. Some vets may charge a fee for writing the prescription though. Many times, after the S&H, your vet may be cheaper than the online pharmacy. Also, many vets will price match an online pharmacy price.

Q: Can I rate my ex-employer legally online?
I am a vet tech and helped a vet design, build, and open a new vet clinic in Minnesota. I worked like a dog for weeks, only to be fired after four months being told we were going in different directions.

My question is this – can I legally write a review for her online at a well know rating site or could I be sued for this?

There are several things that I’m sure pet owners would appreciate knowing – her overuse of medications, relying heavily on the internet for diagnosing animals, allowing another vet to perform surgery (which is semi-legal because the outside vet is licensed in this state but carries no insurance) but not informing pet owners that she wouldn’t do the procedure herself…. in this case, the outside vet took about double the time and the animal bled heavily and was under anesthesia much longer than necessary. Animals have fallen from cages while the doctor stood with the doors open in front of them on her cell phone and didn’t perform any exam to make sure the drugged animals were okay after sustaining a fall, and often leaves animals under anesthesia while seeing appointments,etc which is NOT safe to do.

And sadly, that’s not including the personal stuff like berating owners for being stupid out of earshot because they ask questions, etc. I’d like to say I’m not emotionally invested, because I am, but when it comes to the safety of animals, that tops my own personal feelings.

A: You are walking on thin ice doing that and I would highly suggest not doing that. You’d better make sure you have hard and factual evidence that can be seen in court, because if the vet loses business as a result of your post, you can be sued. If you don’t have proof of this beyond what you say, you will lose and you will be held financially liable.

Q: Help Me figure out what is wrong with my online dating profile?
Ok this is a copy of the profile I have on OKCupid. I can’t seem to get any responses. I Messaged a lot of girls and at first I only messaged girls that I had a lot in common with and were attractive to me. (I’m not that picky when it comes to looks so pretty much all of them were pretty to me) But only one responded and only once (she never re messaged me again.) So I decided to message even girls that I an not attracted to at all but who pass the filters. Ive messaged like 20 girls and gotten no responses so I can only assume I’m doing something wrong.
It wonk let me link my profile but here is everything that I typed.

The Skinny

Ethnicity Black, Hispanic / Latin

Height 5′ 7″ (1.70m).

Looking For New friends, Long-term dating, Short-term dating, Activity partners

Smokes No

Drinks Rarely

Drugs Never

Religion Agnosticism and somewhat serious about it

Sign Sagittarius but it doesn’t matter

Education Working on college/university

Job Student

Income N/A

Kids Likes children

Pets Owns dogs

Languages English (Fluently)

My Self-Summary:
I am a very nice person and consider myself to be an intellectual even though when I was in school I didn’t enjoy it. I like science and technology, books and (some) art, Anime and Manga and other nerdy things . I care about expanding my mind and feel that my path to happiness is most likely knowledge and strong relationships. I love video games that expand immersion so you forget your playing a game and I would like nothing more then to revolutionize gaming beyond just “shoot and kill”. I want to do something like Peter Molyneux (The Fable series), Will wright (The Sims), Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid) or Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy) did. I am very shy but I am working on that. I want to find somebody who even if we were not dating I would still want to spend time with them.

What I’m doing with my life:
Well I’m in collage for gaming and simulation programming. I have changed the way I eat and exercise. Not like a diet I actually changed my eating habits and its not that hard at all. I’m trying to learn Japanese so a girl who knows Japanese or likes J-culture (movies, games, anime or music) is a big plus.

I’m really good at:
Taking many elements and making them work together to achieve more then the some of their parts.

The first thing(s) people usually notice about me:
That I am an kind and intelligent person.

My favorite books, movies, music, and food:
Books: I like non-fiction and sci-fi;
Ender’s Game, The Vampire Chronicles, The Mayfair Chronicles, Misquoting Jesus, Religion Explained, Night
Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland

Some Manga and Anime.

TV: I try to limit how much TV I watch.
Boston Legal, X-Play, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Real Time (Bill Maher), Family Guy and any high quality documentary.

Movies: I like a lot of movies.
The Star Wars Saga, Tideland, Religulous (Bill Maher), Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill and many others.

Music: I like too many to mention but in terms of genre I like
everything from Rock to Classical and everything in between. Lately Ive been listening to J-Rock though.

Food: I like good food of all types but
I like Japanese and Thai the most.

The six things I could never do without:
My computer, Video Games, Books, Music, Asian Food, My family.

I spend a lot of time thinking about:
Other then Religion and Politics?
It would take a very long time to explain. Just know that I’m never in my own daydreams. Its a series of characters that represent different aspects of who I am or who I wish I was.

On a typical Friday night I am:
Playing video games or reading.

You should message me if:
You want to talk to someone of substance who is looking for a relationship.

The only difference is that my real one has a picture (it is an accurate picture and I’m only average looking) and I answered like 200 match questions and the address is different. But other then that its exactly the same. I will take ANY advice you can give me. I’m also willing to leave stuff out that makes me seem less attractive at this point. Help Me!

Also if its what I’m saying to girls that are the problem here are 2 of the massages I have sent out so far:

I noticed we have a lot in common. (I know that’s probably a cliche’ first line) But you seem like someone I’d like to get to know. You are into gaming? I’m actually in college for gaming and simulation programing. I like the paranormal too. Message me back when you get a chance.

I noticed you have almost nothing on your profile. Was that to be mysterious? Because it worked lol. I’m curios, What are you into? What movies or books do you like? Do you like video games or are you into sports? Well I think your cute so check out my profile, you know just to see if we have anything in common. And get back to me if we do. Hope to hear from you.

I got no response from those or any others. Any ad
Marie~ That only works for women and attractive people. Why would anyone respond to a blank profile.

A: Try looking at http://www.onlinedatingsolutions.com/ for all your online dating questions even profile making. Your off to a really great start though

Q: long trip for my puppy =(?
so I’m driving from New Orleans to Atlanta (8 hours) , and it’s either leave my dog alone for 3 days (with friends coming over to let him out, but they probably wouldn’t stay long) or let him come. He hates cars, thats the ONLY thing he is afraid of. I saw petsmart at least online sells “Pet Ease” but I’m kinda skeptical to use “drugs” on my puppy (9 months) but I wanna make it easier on him. Anyone use it before.

A: If you are going to use a sedative, call the vet and ask for one. Over the counter meds tend to give a much higher risk of bad reactions on the dog.

Q: Got this from Yahoo news Menu Foods Delayed recall?
By MARK JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Fri Mar 23, 12:16 PM ET
ALBANY, N.Y. – Rat poison has been found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs, a spokeswoman for the State

Department of Agriculture and Markets said Friday.
Spokeswoman Jessica Chittenden would not identify the chemical or its source beyond saying it was a rodent poison.
ABC News reported it was aminopterin that may have been on imported wheat used in the pet food. Aminopterin is used to kill rats in some countries but is not registered for that use in the United States, according to the

Environmental Protection Agency. The chemical, also a cancer drug, is highly toxic in high doses.
Officials from the agriculture department and Cornell University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center would not immediately confirm the ABC report but scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon to release laboratory findings from tests on the pet food.
The

Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation was focusing on wheat gluten in the food. Wheat gluten itself would not cause kidney failure, but the common ingredient could have been contaminated by heavy metals or mold toxins, the FDA said.
State and

FBI officials said they knew of no criminal investigations in the case.
The pet deaths led to a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food produced by Menu Foods and sold throughout North America under 95 brand names. There have been several reports of kidney failure in pets that ate the recalled brands, and the company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and one dog.
Menu Foods last week recalled “cuts and gravy” style dog and cat food. The recall sparked concern among pet owners across North America. It includes food sold under store brands carried by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers, as well as private labels such as Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.
Menu Foods is majority owned by Menu Foods Income Fund of Streetsville. The company also makes foods for zoo cats, but those products are unaffected by the recall.
The company’s chief executive and president said Menu Foods delayed announcing the recall until it could confirm that the animals had eaten its product before dying. Two earlier complaints from consumers whose cats had died involved animals that lived outside or had access to a garage, which left open the possibility they had been poisoned by something other than contaminated food, he said.
Menu Foods planned a media teleconference for later Friday, a spokesman said.
A spokesman for New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he was not aware of any criminal investigation involving the tainted food. FBI spokesman Paul Holstein in Albany said Friday he was not aware of any FBI involvement in the case.
“I don’t know where we’ll go from here,” he said.
A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was posted online by Menu Foods and is available at http://tinyurl.com/2pn6mm. The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could call for information: (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708.
___
Associated Press writer Andrew Bridges in Washington contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
FDA pet food recall information: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html
Menu Foods: http://tinyurl.com/2pn6mm

http://www.petconnection.com/

A: I read that they did not say anything for a month.
If you want more information go to www.howl 911.com and you will see more about this whole recall. I checked it out and I am still in shock. The FDA is in real trouble. thats what I read. They are are going to try to get the top guy to resign because of this. It has alot of information go check it out.

Q: Could my boyfriend be cheating out of town?
Well his dad lives in my town, but his mom lives in another city. He’s been gone for about four weeks now. He’s dealing drugs and going to parties down there. Don’t say he’s a bad boyfriend, because I love him and he’s great. You’ve never met him. But there’s a girl who comment’s on EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS PCITURES online. Every single one. I’m not joking. She gives him pet names like “future straw????(i don’t get that one.)” I don’t even get it. And she writes “gorgeous pic, love it!” on many. I look on his profile to find he wrote “nice bum, future straightener????(i don’t know.)” and worst of all, “i love this one, ouu! pretty” on one that she has her shirt rolled up to her boobs. I don’t want to ask him because he will say somethign stupid like ‘Why are you asking me that? Don’t you trust me?” And to be honest, i have half and half trust. Because he goes to parties and passes out drunk and wakes up with marker all over him. Maybe he hooked up with this girl when he was drunk too?

Any thoughts?
OR- maybe he’s not cheating… do you think he’s taking ADVANTAGE of me? Because i really do love him and it’s confusing!!!
OR- maybe he’s not cheating… do you think he’s taking ADVANTAGE of me? Because i really do love him and it’s confusing!!!
i’m 16 and he’s 19 too!
She lives in the same city that he’s in too!

A: He might be cheating on you but he’s obviously flirting with this other girl and that’s not being very fair to you. I would talk to him about it and let him know that it bothers you and if he says its not a big deal I would consider moving on because you deserve someone that’s going to be loyal to you and that’s going to treat you with respect. If he really was a great bf he wouldn’t be doing those kinds of things.

Q: Who’s your daddy? Answer’s at the drugstore (What Do you Think?? About That. )?
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Who’s your daddy? Answer’s at the drugstore
Pharmacy chain markets DNA paternity tests in 30 states nationwide

Pierre-philippe Marcou / AFP – Getty Images file
New at-home DNA paternity tests require samples of cells swabbed from the cheeks of the child, the alleged father and, ideally, the mother.
View related photos

Video

Who’s your daddy? DIY paternity test debuts
March 27: A new type of at-home medical test can reveal a child’s paternity. But is it a good idea? NBC’s Michelle Kosinski reports.
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By JoNel Aleccia
Health writer
MSNBC
updated 8:36 a.m. ET, Thurs., March. 27, 2008

JoNel Aleccia
Health writer

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• E-mail

After two decades, Sean Reid of Surrey, British Columbia, discovered that he had a son. Fred Turley of Des Plaines, Ill., learned he didn’t have a daughter. And Wendy Lieb of Lewis Center, Ohio, made certain she wasn’t going to be a grandmother quite yet.

In all three situations, crucial genetic information altered the lives of the people involved. And in each case, it came not from a doctor or other medical source, but from a $29.99 kit on a drugstore shelf.

Reid, Turley and Lieb are among more than 800 customers who responded to the first wave of marketing for do-it-yourself DNA paternity tests sold as Identigene by Sorenson Genomics of Salt Lake City.

Story continues below ↓
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Sales in three western states — Washington, Oregon and California — were so brisk last fall that Rite Aid Corp. expanded the product this week to some 4,300 stores in 30 states across the country.

“The running joke is that we’re the Maury Povich family,” said Reid, 37, who confirmed years of speculation about a former girlfriend’s son with a kit purchased at a Bellingham, Wash., store. “But why not do it privately? We did this as discreetly, as efficiently and as cost-effectively as possible.”

For users like Reid, the tests provide easier answers to one of life’s crucial questions — Who’s your daddy? — said Douglas Fogg, chief operating officer of Identigene.

“Everyone is purchasing the tests because they’re curious,” said Fogg, who expects to sell at least 52,000 tests this year. “They’re looking to establish questions about their own child or their own paternity.”

But for genetics experts, drugstore marketing of DNA testing raises questions of accuracy and ethics.

“From our perspective, direct-to-consumer genetic tests raise all the same issues for lax government oversight, potentially misleading or false advertising and the potential for making profound medical decisions on the basis of poorly interpreted or understood results,” said Rick Borchelt, a spokesman for the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University.

At the very least, the kits have the potential to complicate the lives of the people who use them, legal experts cautioned.

“We all need to take a step back and realize that this is different than many tests that you take,” said R. Alta Charo, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “This is a life-changing moment.”

DNA tests join other diagnostic tools
The paternity kits have taken their place on store shelves next to other diagnostic tests that don’t rely on DNA, including those for pregnancy, HIV and blood sugar, said Michael S. Watson, executive director of the American College of Medical Genetics.

Unlike genetic tests for health conditions, tests that use DNA to determine paternity are fairly simple to provide and fairly easy to interpret, said Watson. They’re subject to limited oversight, however, with no review required by the Food and Drug Administration and no certification required under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, or CLIA.

The Identigene kit includes swabs for collecting cell samples from the inside of the cheeks of the child and the alleged father. Collection of the mother’s cells is optional, but strongly recommended to strengthen the results. The swabs are packaged and mailed to the Sorenson laboratory in Salt Lake City where they’re analyzed.

Cast your vote
Are at-home DNA paternity tests a good idea?

The Sorenson lab is accredited by the AABB, the agency formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks.

Results are reported online, by phone or by mail in three to five business days. They come back as a probability figure that verifies paternity with 98 percent to 99 percent accuracy, Watson said.

Total cost is about $150, including the price of the kit and a $119 laboratory processing fee. For another $200, users can purchase validated tests that meet legal requirements for determining paternity, Fogg said.

Court use questionable
But Susan Crockin, a lawyer who specializes in reproductive technology, said consumers shouldn’t count on the tests standing up in court.

Video

Who’s your daddy? DIY paternity test debuts
March 27: A new type of at-home medical test can reveal a child’s paternity. But is it a good idea? NBC’s Michelle Kosinski reports.
Today show

“The jury’s still very much out on these tests in terms of reliability and establishing a chain of custody,” said Crockin, a consultant for the Johns Hopkins public policy center.

Most of the users who have been buying the kits — which have gone on sale for as low as $17.99 — don’t plan to use the results to resolve legal issues, Fogg acknowledged. Instead, most are looking to answer social questions. And that’s where the complexity comes in.

Because the cell samples are taken in private, there’s the potential for fraud and deception, noted Charo, the ethics expert.

“I can imagine rather peculiar circumstances in which somebody has a swab taken without their knowledge,” she said. “It raises questions about informed consent.”

Even when people do consent, the results can be unsettling. Watson estimates that between 5 percent and 10 percent of genetic tests he’s conducted show a child is not related to the presumed father.

“It could break up families,” Watson said. “Some will be broken because that was the goal. Others will be broken up and that wasn’t the goal.”

But people who’ve used the at-home tests swear by the ease, the accuracy — and the results.

After 20 years, a mystery solved
For Reid, the paternity test opened the door to a new extended family. He’d always wondered whether the baby born to a former girlfriend was his, even though she insisted the child was fathered by another man. When the girlfriend contacted Reid on Facebook last summer, the pictures she sent of her oldest son raised the question anew.

“My wife, said ‘Oh my, that’s you,’” said Reid, a nurse.

Internet research pointed Reid to the Identigene test, which was cheaper and more convenient than other options. With cooperation from his former girlfriend and her son, they all took the tests, with results that altered everyone’s lives.

“Our newest son has a family he never knew he had including grandparents, aunts, and three younger brothers who are all very excited to meet him,” Reid said.

For Fred Turley, 55, the DNA test confirmed what his companion had told him: the 4-year-old girl he helped care for was not his. The news was disappointing, but clear, he said.

“The bottom line is, I don’t have to live with the uncertainty about her being my daughter and wind up in a fight just to find out,” Turley said. “This won’t change how I feel about the girl. It will just remove what had become a major concern.”

For Wendy Lieb, 41, the DNA test restored her 20-year-old son’s future. He’d already quit college, taken a job and assumed the responsibilities of pending parenthood after a girl he had sex with at a party claimed she was pregnant with his child.

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‘He just didn’t look like my son at all.’
Lieb said she was proud of her son’s response, but perplexed after the baby, a boy, was born.

“He just didn’t look like my son at all,” Lieb said. “And we have fairly strong genes.”

A trip to the drugstore and 10 days later, the answer was clear: her son was not the father.

“I thought it would have required thousands of dollars and a trip to the doctor,” she said.

Lieb is relieved for her own child, of course, but also for everyone involved. As difficult as the situation has been, she said, it will be easier for them to adjust now, rather than years later. The test may raise ethical questions, she said, but it also provides the peace of mind that comes with answers.

“I think it’s a lot more ethical for you to find out the truth,” she said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23814032?GT1=43001

A: i was just telling my sister about the home D.N.A. she didn’t believe they were being sold in stores. i think they are a great idea. now all those lil girls /women can stop making a fool of them selves on Maury because it looks so ignorant and disrespectful. and it’s cheaper than going to a lab or the court system.

Q: why does my cat spaz out?
I have two cats who are brother and sister and are 10 years old. Both of them have ideosyncracies, but my female cat jumps on my table when she wants to be petted or needs attention. Sometimes when I give her the attention that she wants all she does is meow and walks away sometimes I get frustrated, not in a psychotic way, but just a little irked that she went through all that drama for me to pet her and then she decides she doesn’t want it. Is she just finicky about when she wants to be touched? She jumps on the table alot and I tell her no and walk over to taker her off and she gets off, but seconds later she is on the table again. It gets old fairly quickly. She is a wonderful cat and we get along all of the time so I am a little perplexed as to why she does this. My male cat does something else; he will just be sitting there and all of a sudden his ears go back towards his neck and he just takes off making a weird gutteral meow. Other times he will do the same things with his ears and meow, but feverishly paw at the carpet. I look at him like he is on drugs or something and he usually stops. He is a wonderful cat as well and we get along just fine. I am not angry at my cats I just find this type of behaviour a little strange. I have asked my vet and he doesn’t know so he suggested asking about it online in forums like this. Thank your for your advice and consideration in advance. Take care and have a great day.

A: You female cat has fun playing games with you.

I would worry about your tom cat. He might have a brain tumor. I once had a tom cat that would be fine one moment, and the next he would freak out and start “fighting” with animals that weren’t there. He died about half a year later and the vet did an autopsy to find a brain tumor. Talk to your vet, and get an x-ray, just to be on the safe side.

Q: Am I really uncared for?
Well, no one calls me, barely anyone talks to me online, my mother won’t let me out of the house without her permission, people say I complain too much, but I never speak to them. They all judge me, like a pet at a pet show. I don’t talk much anymore, or show too much emotion since no one cares around here. Then there comes my father, trying to buy my love with gifts. But he’s one of the ones who ruined me and made me become like this. He left when I was 6 and I may still see him, but he abused me when he lived here. My mother threats to hit me like my father did if I don’t stop bugging my little brother. I don’t even talk to him. My grandmother is over protective and won’t let me have my privacy. What the hell am I supposed to do about all this? I’ve already seen a doctor, and he said I suffer from depression, but he won’t give me drugs to help it. Most of the depression comes from my good friend that died and friends who have left me in the past. What should I do?

A: Oh my God, sweetie. Wow. I really think that you need to find a qualified counselor (or a psychologist or psychiatrist) that can help you deal with some of the problems you are facing now. It is obvious that you need someone to talk to, especially someone that makes you feel “safe” to speak about the things that are troubling you…your home life, the abuse you have suffered there, and most especially, the death of your friend and the loss of other friendships. I am so sorry, and wish I could help you truly beyond the words I write here. But know that someone cares, as will others if you reach out. Try to call someone that is a professional.

I urge you to seek counseling (maybe through school, your job – not sure how old you are) as you are understandably holding all of this in, which is only increasing your depression and self doubt. Do I think you are depressed? Oh yes, but I am worried for you now because depression gets worse if left untreated. You should be on an antidepressant, but Doctors won’t prescribe them to young people because of dangerous side effects, which is why he won’t give them to you, I’m afraid.

Please note: I make these suggestions as I would to any young woman, but because your name is of Asian heritage, I don’t want my suggestions to create additional troubles for you. I know that some cultures adhere to strict, ancient traditions of honor and saving face, and I would feel complete and utter guilt if your following through on them caused you any further harm. I am a white American (Italian) woman, so my words come from that perspective.

Tred carefully. Think things through and most importantly, talk about what you feel. It will help.

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