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Government health officials have received more than 500 reports since November of illnesses in dogs who ate chicken jerky pet treats.
Amid reports of more than 500 dogs sickened by chicken jerky pet treats imported from China, government health officials are ramping up port inspections for dangerous toxins.
Food and Drug Administration officials have begun collecting and testing chicken jerky treats upon import, analyzing samples for evidence of melamine and melamine analogs and diethylene glycol, chemicals used in plastics and resins, a spokeswoman said.
Melamine-tainted imported pet food sickened and killed thousands of dogs and cats in the U.S. in 2007, leading to massive recalls and criminal indictments of Chinese and American pet food executives.
So far, FDA officials have found no evidence of harmful levels of melamine or other substances in the chicken jerky treats, said spokeswoman Tamara Ward. But the agency has increased its surveillance of the products, even as repeated chemical and microbial tests have failed to reveal a source for illnesses that continue to mount.
FDA now has received 537 reports of illnesses in dogs, including 467 reports since it issued a renewed warning about chicken jerky treats from China in November. That number includes 353 reports logged in 2011 and 184 submitted so far this year, Ward said.
Pet owners and veterinarians are reporting that animals have been stricken with a range of symptoms within hours or days of eating chicken jerky treats, including serious problems such as kidney failure and Fanconi syndrome, a condition marked by low blood sugar.
The illnesses appear tied to imported Chinese chicken jerky products, also sold as chicken tenders, chicken strips or chicken treats.
FDA scientists have worked for months to detect a source of illnesses, Ward said. Samples have been tested for drugs, poisons and mycotoxins, as well as for heavy metals and certain chemicals.
Still, the source of the problem remains a mystery and no specific brands or products have been named or recalled in connection with the illnesses, FDA officials said.
The November warning was the agency’s third alert about chicken jerky treats in four years. Previous cautions were issued in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, 156 reports of dog illnesses tied to chicken jerky were logged, but the number fell sharply, to just 41 in 2008, according to FDA reports.
Consumers can report suspicious illnesses to the FDA’s Pet Food Complaint site.
Related stories:
Chicken jerky treats linked to mystery illnesses in dogs
Chicken jerky treats sicken 353 dogs, owners report
Halloween Hazard: Xylitol-laced treats could kill your dog
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I try my best, but it has been very difficult to find any treats or rawhides sold here in the United States that are NOT made in China or Mexico. I have gone to PetsMart and read all the labels on their rawhides and even asked an employee if they have any packages made in the U.S. - she showed me one package from their whole selection! I even went to a couple local pet stores and these stores ONLY carry rawhides that are imported (same with Walmart & Target). I have been told that I would only be able to get treats and rawhides made in the U.S.A if I ordered them online (and pay for shipping). This is so sad ! BE AWARE - read the label and find out where it is made before you feed it to your pet.
Your salvation is the web. That is all that my wife and I use now, practically. There is also a local food chain called Bark! that buys American. Also bought a dehydrator and make our own jerky for the dog from chicken breast. It may sound expensive, but it's actually slightly cheaper (slightly more work, though). Cheaper than emergency vet visits.
I agree. Tough to find. Tough to be sure. It can be done, though.
I had trouble finding treats made in the good ole USA so I started making my own chicken treats when this story first broke last year. Super easy and actually much cheaper when you buy a bunch of chicken on sale. Plus I know I'm not killing them...They drool and drool waiting for their treats!
By recommendation of my vet, I have been feeding my dog (washed) carrots and green beans for treats. But it is sad that you would think that NATIONAL PET STORES would be more consciencious - considering their commercials claim (in one form or another) "they love pets". By the way, when this story came out a couple months ago I did call Purina to make sure that the Pro Plan dog food was manufactured in the U.S.A.
I make my own dog treats. I have several recipes for different flavors and I make the jerky myself too. Soooo much cheaper and I know exactly what my baby is getting. He LOVES his treats. Might take a little time but he's a really wel-behaved dog and I don't mind spoiling him a little bit. Kinda hard to really control the food (wheat products and other ingredients from China that US manufacturers use makes the point moot) so I tend to buy chicken and make his food from that. He's very healthy and active for an older dog.
Back in 1993 I almost lost two dogs to arsenic poisoning from rawhide made in China. My vet said were major problems with any pet items made anywhere except the USA and not to purchase anything unless it was made in the USA. It may be a problem to find, but then I stopped feeding rawhide when my dogs started consuming it and then getting sick. Now I make my own dog biscuits and the dogs love them!
Read labels should cover all items purchased. I read all labels these, even when the label proclaims American says manufactured or part were manufactured in China, Mexico, Pakistans & so forth. For my dog, nothing but fresh.
I'm not sure if they sell outside California, but over in Alpine is Pampered Pets, 888-777-8882 (just went over and got the dog biscuit container). They sell a nugget shaped dog cookie that is gluten and corn free (oatmeal). They have 2 flavors - that I know of. We have Costco, and they sell in bulk, but some of the upscale grocers carry the treats - no doubt more expensive. They have a listed website - my dogs love the treats, and I'm afraid to give them China snacks.
www.pamperedpetsUSA.com
I simply googled "American Made Dog Rawhides" and found quite a few places that sell AMERICAN MADE rawhides: Petsco.com, Amazon.com, etc.
I buy NOTHING foreign made. And if you look hard enough, even in the big box stores, you will find whatever it is you're looking for, that is AMERICAN MADE ! ! ! !
We avoid Chinese made items whenever possible. If it is to be eaten or used on our bodies, such as make-up, shampoo, etc., we pass it by--for us and the pets.
All those Chinese folks are wondering just where the ashes they received from the morgue came from, was it really their relatives or are the deceased being sold for dog jerky on the foreign market? Stranger things have happened.
P.S. Don't eat Fido's jerky!
The vet also recommends suger peas pods and all (They say still frozen peas are a great treat) The only draw back is if you feed them too many they will not eat their regular meals (after all these are treats).
For treats I go to the deli at Wal-Mart, where I buy them roast beef, chicken/turkey breast, or nice ham. Yeah, I am aware that it is excessive but I love them so and it is only for treats, and it is safe. I just got a dehydrator and will now begin making jerky at home.
That's because 95% of the chicken and the duck is sourced from China. They don't eat the dark meat so the rest gets turned into jerky. The demand for jerky treats far exceeds the US supply, so it all comes from there. More importantly, Country of Origin Labeling laws exempt pet treats in addition to all processed meats (for humans too) from labels stating the country it originated from. So, until that law changes, Made in the USA is meaningless. Meaningless.
. . . forget the brand name, but just recently bought rawhide treats from Target with 'made in America' on them . . . . would never knowingly give my dog anything to eat from China . . . . . if it's ANYTHING made in China, and I can get by without it somehow, I'll do without, thank you!
It doesn't really matter where rawhide treats come from. Dogs cannot digest rawhide. How about you try eating something you can't digest so you can experience what you're doing to your dog?
Jerky from China (and actually even the USA) is "preserved" by the use of radiation, yes, radiation. So, while they look for chemicals in the chicken, I stay away because I think they over-irradiate their products and dogs may be getting a dose of that...
It is disappointing that pet stores aren't more selfconcious and selective about what they sell for animals. So I've begun making my own pet treats, they are just as good, the girls LOVE them when they are fresh out of the oven (they actually sit in front of the oven waiting) and I know exactly what goes into them. When I don't feel like cooking there are several places including most times at festivals, that have people selling doggy/kitty treats they make themselves. There are also plenty of websites that give recipes for making them, just make sure the foods aren't anything your dogs may have an allergy to!
http://www.bullwrinkle.com/Assets/Recipes/Recipes.htm
is one such website.
If you care about your animal, and you have the time make every thing yourself, food, treats everything. you cant get away from the Chinese ingredients and the store bought food is really not that good for them its a racket and they play you for a fool. my dogs diet consist of meat with rice eggs carrots and green beans, a dab of yogurt on the side, shes an old girl! when I was feeding her top brand store bought food, on a diet she was putting on the pounds, what they put in for fillers is bad for them its not natural for a dog to live on grains that's for horses, oats wheat barley its all fattening, rice isn't so bad as a filler and the protein from the meat and eggs (shells ground into a near powder included) with the carrots and green beans a teaspoon of olive oil and you have a safe meal, keeps in the frig for days and freezer for months, just bag it and freeze it. its no more expensive and doesn't take allot of time. my dog is at a more healthy weight an gets around much better. she also seems to be more satisfied. its like she is 3 years younger. What do the Chinese know about dogs anyways, they think they are for eating. don't by anything from China if you can help it.
I have three German Shepherds and i make all their treats myself and it doesn't takes much times either. One dehydrator cost about 50 bucks. I buy the value packs of buy one get one free chickens and the cheapest steaks or beef i can find and i would just stock up in my freezer. My three buddies are worth all the trouble easily.
Cmon people took me only a minute to find this (http://www.konaschips.com/) American made dog treats. Then go here (http://americansworking.com/pets.html) You can go to this ones main site to find a lot of stuff made iin America. trouble with this is you still have to look at the labels to see if the ingrediants are imported. Lots of candy nowdays is made elsewhere then packaged here.
I don't know why our government can't seem to learn that China keeps on poisoning us and our animals over and over, yet we keep importing their crap??? I don't get it. Common sense says stop giving them chance after chance. It is ridiculous how hard it is to find something made in America and we live here! I lived in Japan for 2yrs and even there I wanted to find souvenirs to take home and it was near imposible to find something that said made in Japan it was all made in China.
FYI folks... you should NEVER feed your dogs rawhides. They're the worst treat you can give your dog. They are NOT digestible and they can actually KILL your dog because once they're ingested they are like glue. They actually obstruct the stomach, intestines and bowel. Tendons and bullysticks are the only safe, 100% digestible alternatives.
To the girl who checked to see if the "Purina Pro Plan" was made in the US....PURINA PRODUCTS ARE GARBAGE. Don't you know that ALL of their products ( and Hills/SD, Eukanuba, Iams, Nutro, Beneful and all that other supermarket crap ) is all made in rendering plants from 4-D meats ? These include road kill, animals too sick to go to slaughter, animals that have died from a myriad of diseases or that have cancer, tumor, worms, parasites .... euthanized cats, dogs, zoo and service animals ( in their body bags w/collars and tags still on ).... rancid supermarket meats ( still in the styrofoam & plastic wrap ) all thrown into a HUGE vat along w/rancid used restaurant oil, moldy, rancid or diseased grains unfit for the human food chain.... teeth, hair, eyeballs, etc .... all "denatured" with creosote or carbolic acid to prevent it from getting back into the human food chain. YUMMMMMMMM.... THIS is the crap you feed your pets ? It amazes me how ignorant most pet owners really are when it comes to taking care of their pets. I suggest you all read the Ann Martin book FOOD PETS DIE FOR. Then try feeding your pets REAL FOOD and not grocery industry food waste in a bag.
FYI folks... you should NEVER feed your dogs rawhides. They're the worst treat you can give your dog. They are NOT digestible and they can actually KILL your dog because once they're ingested they are like glue. They actually obstruct the stomach, intestines and bowel. Tendons and bullysticks are the only safe, 100% digestible alternatives.
To the girl who checked to see if the "Purina Pro Plan" was made in the US....PURINA PRODUCTS ARE GARBAGE. They may as well be made in China. Don't you know that ALL of their products ( and also products made by Hills/SD, Eukanuba, Iams, Nutro, Beneful and all that other supermarket crap ) is all made in rendering plants from 4-D meats ? These include road kill, animals too sick to go to slaughter, animals that have died from a myriad of diseases or that have cancer, tumor, worms, parasites .... euthanized cats, dogs, zoo and service animals ( in their body bags w/collars and tags still on ).... rancid supermarket meats ( still in the styrofoam & plastic wrap ) all thrown into a HUGE vat along w/rancid used restaurant oil, moldy, rancid or diseased grains unfit for the human food chain.... teeth, hair, eyeballs, etc .... all "denatured" with creosote or carbolic acid to prevent it from getting back into the human food chain. YUMMMMMMMM.... THIS is the crap you feed your pets ? It amazes me how ignorant most pet owners really are when it comes to taking care of their pets. I suggest you all read the Ann Martin book FOOD PETS DIE FOR. Then try feeding your pets REAL FOOD and not grocery industry food waste in a bag.
To Beware the Religious Zealot, you are correct! It's unbelievable what comprises the nasty concoctions/ingredients that are in most commercial pet foods. Then the whole mess is high heat cooked & extruded leaving it devoid of ANY Nutrition. Even the so-called holistic foods are questionable. I see vegetables that are not really suitable listed in ingredients & in the case of the fish, it is the lowest grade (Menhaden) & can be preserved with exthoxiquin or BHT by the supplier. Those preservatives, by law, do not have to be listed IF the Pet Food Company did not add.
Raw hide treats are dangerous. I once had to do the Heimlich maneuver on one of my dogs to remove a piece. NEVER AGAIN!
Don't feed your companions anything that is not human-grade or that you would not eat. Saves a lot of $s on vet bills & heartache.
I read about this a few months ago and immediately stopped giving the chicken jerky strips to my dog and cat. They showed behavior changes very quickly, both becoming more energetic and physically stronger. I found treats to substitute. Evo (evopet dot com) makes "Wild Cravings" treats. I also buy a product from a little company under the "Stella & Chewy's" (stellaandchewys dot com) brand. Both kinds of treats are all natural and grain-free. And both are made in the USA. I get them at a boutique pet store that specializes in smaller brands. If you contact these manufacturers, they can probably tell you where to buy their products locally. Good luck.
I just bought a new oven that has a dehydrate feature so I'll be making my own jerky treats. I have tons of great recipes for baked treats as well. My dogs LOVE raw treats though, which are the healthiest ones to give... chicken or turkey necks, lamb ribs, marrow bones, chicken feet, ox tails, beef ribs, gizzards, livers ( raw or slow roasted ). They also love apples, carrots, dried banana chips, unsweetened coconut, yogurt w/peanutbutter & honey, dried sweet potatoes. There are loads of safe, nutritious treats you can give.
I think anything that is sold as food or feed for humans, livestock or pets should be marked with it's country of origin. We do it for seafood and vegetables why not everything else. It's unfortunate for these pet owners and pets to go through this.
I'm afraid food products coming from China do not have a very good track record. Dispite the efforts of their government, it only sounds like lip service when there is very little inspection or testing of these items before they leave the country. What are their safety standards? Obviously they're not the same as they are here and obviously an expense they'd rather have the importing country pay for.
I love shopping at Farmer's Markets because of the labeling of origin plus tagging on produce. I avoid even organics from other countries.
I carefully read all the labels of the food products I pay for my pet and for my family. Too much garbage in the food. Too many products made somewhere other than America. It's really hard. You have to be careful because it will say "packaged" in America but the products are from ????
It's worse. I have a dog that is allergic to both white potatoes and peas. All of the "premium" kibbles have one or both of these things. So I started buying a very expensive raw dehydrated food that you add water to and refrigerate called "Sojos" by Sojourner Farms. It's advertised as "all natural", blah blah, AND "Made in Minnesota." But I did some research on in and discovered that the ingredients are IMPORTED FROM CHINA !!!!! ARRGGHHH. How can they get away with labeling it as made in the U.S. when all the ingredients are from China. You mean to tell me this company can't find sweet potatoes, brocolli, etc. that is in it in the USA? Give me a break.
I'll bet that dead wale shark in Pakistan winds up in caned cat food, on American shelves. VIA China. and when they add calcium where do you think it comes from when it comes from a country that eats dogs and cats.
just type in home made pet food in your search engine, or pet food recipes, there are hundreds of recipes.
and they are cheap to make. if the pet stores cant fix the problem then fix it yourself, that's the American way.
Now about that chemical junk your kids are eating!
Wow... I didn't know that about SoJos. I feed that to my dogs on occasion. Hmmmm...you can't trust any of these companies anymore. I can't wait til I get my freezer so I can switch my crew over to a completely raw diet and not have to worry about all this crap. I feed them Timberwolf Organics. I know where all their ingredients are sourced. I also feed them Blue Buffalo, Orijen/Acana ( I know where all of their ingredients are sourced too ) and Nature's Variety Instinct.
@jac... find a food that uses tapioca starch instead of pea or potato starch.
Yes, the final product may have been made in USA but, ingredients can be imported & laced with all kinds of poisons. BY LAW, the manufacturer does not have to divulge that information. The manufacturer only has to list what they add.
The Waggin Tail chicken jerkey I was buying, said "An American Company". Hey, OK. One day I was checking the package and I found "Made in China" wayyyyyyyyyyyy down beneath the bar code. I need to start making my own. No ill effects in my pups so far. A dehydrator is great but, if your'e on a budget, and who isn't, fresh meat strips can be placed in the oven @ 180 degrees while you sleep, aproximately 12 hours. In the oven, that is.
'
One of the things left out of the article are the hundreds of dogs who have died in recent months from eating this poison, leaving their families devastated and wracked with guilt for having fed these "healthy treats" to their dogs. Read your labels, people. "An American Company" and "Made in America" are two totally different things. The FDA knows there is a huge problem with pet products from China, as noted by previous pet deaths and recalls. Why no recall yet for these "treats"? Err on the side of caution, and China's horrible track record, and save the lives of much loved pets and spare their families the pain and guilt of losing them!!
I lost my beautiful 5 month old German Shepherd Puppy to kidney failure. It was so heart breaking. I am making my own dog treats now. It may take extra time but it is so worth it not to have to worry about this happening again. I am still eaten up with guilt. I gave him the treat that ultimately killed him. I have to live with that forever. Corporations have no such feelings and only care when it affects their bottom line.
Don't blame yourself. Or did you know that the treats were contaminated? Don't feel guilty, feel angry.
Well, angry might not be a good way to feel either but maybe you will be inspired to help in the effort to stop the importation of pet food/treats from China. Just don't feel guilty if you didn't know.
Outraged!
Angry!
Pissed Off!
Ready to kill!
Mad!
Oh, did I mention that getting another puppy is a good way to relieve the pain of losing your original pup.
You will still remember and miss the first one but the new one will keep you busy.
It makes me so angry when I go to the grocery store to find something for myself and my dog to eat that isn't toxic. I can't even feed her human food because of all the antibiotics and hormones pumped into our beef, pork and chicken, and the animal feed that they feed our livestock is GMO garbage corn and soy anyway so the meat is garbage from the start.
Time to befriend a Hobby farmer and start raising your own meat and things, its well worth it. people do this on a share basis.
@ Shepherd
It is not your fault you trusted that you could buy a safe product in America and feed it to your puppy. Unfortunately due to our trade agreements no longer can we do that. Our government has sold us out. I am sorry for your loss but remember it was not your doing that did this.
My heart goes out to you. Just learn from this experience & realize that the only safe food is what you prepare yourself. This is not only true of pet food but, your own food.
ANY PROCESSED FOOD IS GARBAGE!
Enough is enough. Someone should tell the idiots that run our government programs to just ban the import of products like this from China. That will end the dogs getting sick and someone spending my tax money for no results at all.
Honey, don't you understand that the government, FDA in particular, is a JOKE! They are not interested in our welfare or that of our pets.
What doesn't our government people understand. Ban the imports of the Chinese products and that will stop all the waste of our tax money to check on something they can not figure out.
The Red Chinese have been poisoning cats and dogs in the US for a long time, and they will continue to do this until there is a complete and total ban on all food products from Red China!
There needs to be new legislation in the Congress to make the importers, distributors, and retailers who sell poisoned Red Chinese pet food, pet treats, and other pet care products personally liable for failing to understand the fact that everything from Red China is highly likely to be contaminated, poisoned, or toxic in one way or another . . .
It is virtually impossible to punish the Red Chinese manufacturers and suppliers, but it should be possible to punish the US importers, distributors, and retail stores that sell it . . .
The first time there was poisoned pet food, one might have argued reasonably that mistakes happen, but when it occurs consistently year after year like clockwork, everything changes, and this is the reason I suggest a new set of federal laws that make the US importers, distributors, and retailers of poisoned pet food directly liable not only for all veterinary medical costs but also for pain and suffering, both of the pets and of their human caregivers, as well as loss of companionship . . .
The best advice for the folks who care for pet is that you must check the labels, country of origin, and all the other information about pet food, pet treats, and so forth, because the Red Chinese will continue poisoning our pets forever, and there is no way to stop them other than prohibiting Red Chinese pet products . . .
And for reference, when you read "distributed by", "packaged by", and other phrases on the label, this is a sneaky weasel way of providing the information that the pet food or pet treat was "made from poisoned material manufactured by the Red Chinese" . . .
These code phrases also are a sneaky weasel way of telling you that "we do not want you to know what is in this package, jar, or container, since if you knew you probably would vomit", really . . .
Really! :-o
P. S. If you want to give a real pet treat to a cat or dog, give them an Oscar Mayer® wiener, which probably costs less and is a lot safer . . .
My dog gets elk jerky, vennison jerky, or goose jerky. or no jerky at all. she knows she is special.
Are you NUTS ? An Oscar Meyer weiner is so full of crap it's virtually TOXIC. Get a grip.
The only way to STOP this nonsense is to NOT BUY the CRAP.! The government doesn't care & as long as these companies profit they will grease the government palms to continue.
This is a deep issue with alot of different sources of meats. We know that hot dogs are unhealthy food for humans with fatty cuts and high sodium but we continue to eat them so the USDA must inspect the safety of American hot dogs. And they are cheaper than real meat cuts. Having said that, a nice grilled hot dog a couple of times a week is an inexpensive treat for your dog or cat. It certainly is healthier than dog and cat food made with old trimmings and rotted chicken from supermarkets. I've seen this firsthand, the giant garbage buckets with rotted meat slated for pet food and womens makeup. Read the labels is the best advice but you know that even good ol' Oscar Meyer has his hidden secrets.
When will people realize that buying NOT made in America, especially Chinese food and hygiene products leaves them vulnerable to sickness and death? And Americans have no legal recourse when this happens because who do you sue? Certainly the Chinese do not care about our health and welfare or they would NEVER allow such product to leave China. Pet Owners, Buy American and more American businesses will appear or expand to provide us quality products because they know they will be accountable to us for their errors. Please stop supporting China and this concept of cheap goods. Maybe Made in America is more expensive but it is money that remains in America and products made by Americans....
Every officer of every company that imports poisoned food should be forcefed their products until they die a slow painful death. I know this would be too fitting but done one time & we would haven't any more imported poisoned food from China.
shakes - read my post 4.1. The dog food I've been buying says "Made in Minnesota", but I did research and found that the ingredients are IMPORTED from China. So saying only buy "Made in the USA" doesn't mean you aren't essentially buying Chinese crap.
FDA is not going to enforce anything. They dont even visit firms under their jurisdiction but every 3 to 5 years. Spineless backbone....
Under USDA product import requirements - Absolutely no meat and poultry products intended for human consumption from China are allowed in the US. But FDA allows meat and poultry products intended for pet food to enter the US. Just plain crazy...
Not "spineless backbone" but terrifically underfunded and understaffed. The last administration took the word of manufacturers and importers that they could police themselves.
Right.
Import some more CRAP from China. Who care's in our government?? In my opinion, Nobody.
I believe one of my dogs died because of the contaminated food in the last incident. She was a seven-year-old mutt, one of the sweetest dogs ever. She had undergone some dental surgery, and I was feeding her the Chunks in Gravy canned food because her mouth was sore. She was recovering from the surgery quite well. About three weeks after the surgery, she developed some really disturbing symptoms. Three weeks after that, she died from kidney failure. I had her cremated, so when the news hit the fan about the poisoned pet food, I couldn't prove that it was the food that killed her- but I do believe that it was the food. It still bothers me that (although I was only trying to take care of her) I'm the one who gave her the food that killed her.
Don't blame yourself. You didn't know.
It is no fun at all to lose them before their time. It leaves a big empty space in you.
Look at the silver lining, you can now adopt another mutt from a dog shelter and give it a good home. Having another dog, especially a puppy, is about the best way to get thru the loss of your old dog. You will still miss her but the new dog will help keep you distracted and soon the newbie will be inside your heart just like your old dog. Just take the time to determine what kind of dog (big, small, old, young, long hair, short hair, exercise requirements, temperment, etc)
I have another dog now. I waited about a year, and I still wasn't sure I wanted another dog- but a friend's niece found him on the side of the interstate. He had either jumped from the back of a truck, or been clipped by a car. He was pretty banged up, and his two front legs were broken (he was still in a cast on one leg when I got him). He was about six months old at the time. The lady who found him got him patched up, but she couldn't keep him. He wasn't microchipped, and he wasn't wearing a collar. My friend told me this dog was perfect for me, and she was right! He's a German Shepherd mix, sweet-tempered, loves everyone (especially children), doesn't mind cats (I have seven), and was incredibly easy to train. I've seen him act wary of only one person- a salesman who came up on the porch. Charlie (the dog) stayed between me and the salesman the entire time, just staring at him. He never growled or snapped- just stared. It was so out of character for him; needless to say, that salesman didn't stick around.
I am sorry for your loss. I believe Waggin' Train and some other Chinese chicken jerky treats are being investigated. I saw them being sold in the closeout shelf at sam's this week. Big lots still sells them though, and you know they were sent to Big Lots as closeouts from other stores.
A lot of times you don't where this stuff is coming from. The package will say Distributed by so and so but it doesn't say where it was made. Thank you for watching out for us Government.
FDA does nothing anymore, not with dog food and not with human food or human medicine. They are on the side of lobbyists and big business, not the public welfare. How long did it take them to deal with the listeria tainted cantaloupes? Our dogs love canned green beans and carrots as treats...and it keeps them trim too. I would like the origin of foods to be marked. The consumer should have the choice to buy American products and support American labor and businesses.
Please click on the following link and sign the petition to get the FDA to pull this poison from the shelves before more pets die:
Your link didn't appear because you can't put live links here. Instead do this: wwwDOTblablablaDOTcom or www dot blablabla dot com. It works.
http://dogpacksnacks.net/ Made by a great lady in Florida named, Deb. She uses organic human grade food for ALL of her snacks.
The only caution I would advise is, older dogs cannot take a lot of high protein in their diets. It can cause total renal failure. With that said, some of the meat treats are as high as 62% protein, so dole out judiciously.
She also offers recipes for dogs. Enjoy.
(Molly, you can post working links, it takes a while to get out of the probationary period of your membership here.)
Kai... your information is 100% FALSE. I suggest you do some research. Older dogs in fact NEED higher protein. The high protein/kidney failure connection is a MYTH that's been thoroughly debunked.
Dr Russell Swift DVM
"Conventional veterinarians are under the misunderstanding that low protein diets are the best way to feed an animal with chronic renal failure. My experience is that such an approach will lead to the death of the animal in a few months (thus bringing their prognosis to fruition). I have found that just the opposite approach is the most effective for most animals. I suggest feeding a high protein, raw-meat-based diet. I have seen dramatic reductions in elevated kidney blood tests within two weeks in some patients. Why does conventional medicine do the opposite? Because all of the conventional nutrition research is done with processed foods. I haven't seen any done with raw foods. I believe this is the reason for the research data. Heat-treated animal protein, as found in commercial foods, is more difficult to digest. This results in more protein (nitrogen) waste, which the kidneys must remove from the bloodstream. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is a protein waste that is measured in a blood test. Therefore, a diet that has high levels of cooked protein is more stressful to the kidneys and results in higher toxicity (BUN) in the blood if the kidneys are not functioning well. Raw protein, in comparison, digests more completely with less waste. This results in more protein for healing and rebuilding tissue without the renal stress. Remember, by nature carnivores eat a very high protein diet. They should have the ability to handle it. Another benefit of the raw foods is that they contain much more water than dry foods. This helps the kidneys discharge waste material. I would not be writing this information if I had not seen many animals improve on such a regimen. Other holistic vets are having the same results."
"In the past, it was believed that a low protein diet was essential in controlling Chronic Renal Failure (CRF). The idea behind this is to cut down on the kidneys' load. However, studies done on dogs in renal failure, show that a low protein diet did not help the GFR or BUN of said dogs. Since cats have an even higher protein requirement than dogs, it seems unlikely that they could thrive on low protein diets. As an obligate carnivore, they need the nutrients only available from meat. So one has to walk a fine line between making sure all the kitty's nutritional needs are met, and keeping the stress on the kidneys as low as possible"
Dr. Derek Duval, VMD - "Do high protein diets causes renal failure? No. In dogs they have removed 7/8 of the renal mass and then placed them on diets of various protein level and quality. Dietary protein had no effect on the development of renal failure. In cats similar studies suggest that dietary protein level is not associated with renal failure."
Dr.Hamilton DVM - "Diets that are low in potassium can cause renal failure.' In general Commercial diets are of poor quality protein and poorly formulated and may have led to the development of renal disease.
Dr. Paula Terifaj DMV - "Research conducted at the University of Georgia in the 1990’s found that feeding protein levels of 34% (higher than the recommended average of 22-26%) to older dogs with kidney failure caused no ill effects at all... The truth of the matter is this; Inferior sources of proteins, meat by-products and grains (cheap sources of incomplete proteins that pet food companies are allowed to factor in and measure as crude protein) can make more work for the organs that are involved in digesting food and eliminating waste, namely the kidney, liver and pancreas."
And there's PLENTY more where that came from.
Please join our crusade to get these off of our shelves!
#!/groups/342467355771185/360755573942363/
Hey Robin! Good to see you here! The link didn't take. Try this workaround: wwwDOTfacebookDOTcom/whatever or www dot facebook dot com/whatever. Take care!
Check out our FB group Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China for info about a wonderful grass roots effort to get these treats recalled by the FDA. Lots of pet parents who have lost much loved pets and concerned pet parents! #!/groups/342467355771185/
Here is the Facebook group Robin and Webster are referencing Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China: www dot facebook dot com/groups/342467355771185/360876890596898/
And why are they not reporting which stores are selling the treats? I don't buy anything from China, period. It helps to read the fine print on the label. The country of origin must be listed, but you have to be careful, because the distributor's location is often in larger print than country of origin.
Sparrow - I will refer you also to my post #4.1. I've been buying a very expensive premium "all-natural" dehydrated food called Sojos. The label clearly says "Made in Minnesota." Upon further research, I found out that the ingredients are IMPORTED from CHINA !!!!!! Apparently they don't have to disclose this fact !???!!
Wow Jac, I don't believe that's legal. I was under the impression that all ingredients must show country of origin. I'd look into it if I were you.
That's not the case for pet foods...ingredients do not have to show the country of origin. Pet food labeling is barely regulated...a dog food maker can change ingredients and not list that change on packaging for up to six months.
If we don't turn things around one day you'll be saying the same thing about a lot of human food!
At least the FDA is doing more about the "human" food (refer to the tainted orange juice) than they are about what is imported and sold to our pets !!!!!!!!
There was one snack from China that my dogs loved, Target sells it, a rawhide twist, about the size of a pencil, but with a bit of chicken wrapped around that. At first, no problem, but then - sometimes the package would smell odd. My more picky dog actually refused the treat at one point, that was kind of scary - they may have been sickened, but not enough to alert me. Just won't buy them any more.
oh, i hope it's not true, I give those snacks to my children. Cheaper than people food, and they don't know the difference. For those of you who are going to throw a fit, don't worry, the dog is gone, we ate him last month.
Nice Sarcasm !
how can it be that much cheaper to make these things in china and ship them over here. We grow millions of tons of chicken every year. this country is totally screwed up.
There is no one to blame but the Corperate Pigs that bring this s()t in country.
I started making our own jerky and treats. Buying boneless, skinless chicken breast at 1.99/lb makes it not only cheaper but tastier, according to the dogs. Friends and I go in on the ingredients and their and my dogs are as happy as errrm.....dogs!
I found boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.49/pound last week and bought 10+ pounds!! Probably should have got some for us to eat too! LOL Also try sweet potatoe chips... mine love them!
You've got the right idea!!