Inspired by her unique colouring, he named this beautiful Bengal cat Marmalade.
A visit to the vet revealed that Marmalade had stage-2 chronic kidney disease (CKD), but was otherwise healthy apart from being skinny due to malnourishment. She would have to be given regular subcutaneous infusions, whereby fluid is administered through a needle inserted under the skin to prevent dehydration and reduce stress on the kidneys.
The frequency of such treatment depends on blood tests that reveal the condition of the animal’s kidneys and its levels. For Marmalade, it was recommended she be given these infusions up to five times a week.
It was a big commitment, but Choo had already picked her up from the “lorong” and couldn’t bear the thought of abandoning her once again. He has since been diligently bringing her to the vet for her “subcut” appointments, even though this relatively simple (albeit daunting for first-timers) treatment can be done at home.
In addition, Choo has been feeding Marmalade a steady diet of renal food as well as supplements that claim to protect and assist kidney function in cats. There are several such products available in the market, including Azodyl, which many vets recommend; as well as brands such as Renal P and Renal C, VetriScience Renal, and AminAvast.
The efficacy of these is dependent on the individual animal and how it responds based on follow-up blood tests. Always consult your vet for the best supplements for your furkid.
As Marmalade’s kidney levels seemed to respond well to AminAvast, she has been on this product since October 2022. Choo usually orders it from trusted sellers on the Shopee platform, paying between RM180 and RM195 per bottle.
Recently, he came across Shopee sellers promoting AminAvast for RM99. Intrigued by this price reduction – and with his Spidey senses already whispering that something might be “off” – Choo purchased a bottle.
When it was delivered, he immediately noticed inconsistencies with the new item compared with an older bottle of AminAvast. By all accounts, this new item could be counterfeit. The differences he observed were:
- The original product has a cardboard tearaway seal with “sealed for your protection” in red. The counterfeit has a plastic removable cap.
- The original product has a glossy label with debossed lot- and expiry-date stamps. The counterfeit has a matte label, haphazardly applied, with no debossed dates.
- Most compellingly, the original contains clear capsules with a pure white powder. The counterfeit product comes in white-beige-pinkish capsules, filled with an unknown substance.
A deeper search on Shopee revealed a second store that was also touting these “promotional” bottles of AminAvast. Reviews and comments from other buyers similarly warned that this might be a fake product, with one reviewer suggesting the substance within resembled Ajinomoto (MSG).
Another reviewer claimed to have sampled the original AminAvast powder and found it had no taste, while the counterfeit version tasted salty.
Choo reached out to the seller of his purported fake item but did not receive any direct acknowledgement. He is shocked that some sellers are promoting a product that will likely cause more harm to cats and dogs that are already suffering from health issues.
Choo is sharing this story so that owners of pets who have CKD, and who depend on AminAvast, will steer clear of this cheaply priced version on online shopping platforms. The price point is a revealing and important factor, as is the actual product itself, so keep your eye out for the details outlined above.
Always look to trusted sellers – a store called “old_and_fast” on Shopee is a dependable merchant who sells the real thing, even though they offer repackaged quantities at cheaper prices, which could be confused with the potentially counterfeit version. (Choo also reached out to this merchant for comment on the possible fake products but has yet to receive an official response as of press time.)
There are also Taiwanese sellers on Shopee who sell genuine AminAvast.
For those who have already purchased the cheaper and possibly fake version, Choo’s experience is that you might still get your money back if you apply for a refund with full details and return the product, capsules intact, to the seller. The merchant is not likely to acknowledge you, but if your refund request has been accepted by Shopee, you could nevertheless be reimbursed.
The bottom line is, it might cost more to pay for the genuine product, but forking out extra is surely worth it to safeguard the health and wellbeing of your cherished pet.