As the Food and Drug Administration and veterinarians continue to assess the damage caused by contaminated pet food, cat and dog owners can learn valuable lessons.

And the first one may be not to panic.

"When this first broke," said Dr. Sheldon Rubin, director emeritus of Blum Animal Hospital in Chicago and past president of the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association, "I said we didn't have any of the information yet, and [there was] no need to panic at that point. That still stands. Here we are weeks later and I still say the same thing. We don't have all the information."

In March, Menu Foods recalled 60 million cans and pouches of dog and cat food after the reported deaths of 16 pets, mostly cats. The FDA indicated that the food was contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical, which had tainted the imported wheat gluten that was used in the food. The recall has expanded to include some dry food, and last week the government announced that a second ingredient, rice protein concentrate, may have also been contaminated.

As word of the recall spread, veterinarians saw an increase in clients. Still, Rubin said, blaming the pet food alone could be misguided.

"A lot of these people probably hadn't been to a veterinarian for five or six years, or maybe never have been to a veterinarian," he said, "and [they] suddenly decided, 'Maybe we should check this out.' And if you bring an older cat to a veterinarian, of course they're going to have some kidney issues. There's no question about it.” Kidney problems are indeed common in cats and dogs; it goes with the territory for pet owners.

Ellyn Annoreno of Bartlett got Willie, a 5-year-old dachshund, from a rescue organization about 4 1/2 years ago. She was told he had "kidney dysfunction," which turned out to be chronic kidney disease. Through the years, she was able to manage Willie's ailment through diet, medication and regular blood and urine tests.

If that sounds like a lot of work, well, it is.

Start with Willie's food. He's currently eating a mix of lean turkey or chicken, Malt-O-Meal, egg whites and cooked cabbage because home cooking is the best way to control the amount of kidney-damaging phosphorus in the meal, Annoreno said.

His medical care includes daily IV solution, supplements and vitamins and vet visits.

"A lot of people probably wouldn't do what I do," Annoreno said. "It helps that I have health-care practice [she's a physical therapist assistant], so I have no fear in giving my dog IV fluids every day as well as all the other stuff that goes with it."

Willie did pretty well for about four years. Then last July he crashed, Annoreno said, as his kidneys began failing.

Now he has good days and bad. Not too long ago he was chipper enough to chase a squirrel. But she knows where it will end.

"Unfortunately, he's got a one-way road. It will kill him eventually. You just try to make your dog comfortable."

Willie's story may serve as a lesson for others who want to avoid kidney problems in their pets or who need to treat them. Have your animal checked frequently. Get your cat or dog to the vet once a year when it's young, twice that often when it hits 5 or 6 years of age.

Search out information. Annoreno recommends the Yahoo forum at pets.groups .yahoo.com/group/K9KIDNEYS. (There's also one devoted to cats: pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Caring-for-CRF-Felines).

And know that if problems arise, a pet's life can be extended with some effort.

"There are many things we can do to help ailing pets," Rubin said. "Yes, there are expenses. But after all, they're part of our family, and they deserve the best we can possibly give them, as long as we can give them a good quality of life."