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courtesy the Mawaka family
Toby, a 6-year-old Boston terrier, died in May after his owners say he was sickened by chicken jerky pet treats made by Nestle Purina. The Connecticut family is among several nationwide suing the maker of the treats and stores that sold them.
Dog owners in eight states who believe contaminated chicken jerky treats from China sickened or killed their pets are banding together in a class-action lawsuit against Nestle Purina, the maker of two popular brands of the canine snacks, and several mega-stores that sell them.
They are suing just as Food and Drug Administration officials have refused to release results of inspections of Chinese plants that make the jerky treats blamed for at least 1,000 illnesses and deaths in U.S. pets.
“I don’t have any new information,” FDA spokeswoman Tamara Ward said in an email to msnbc.com.
The inspections were expected to shed some light into what toxins may have caused pet problems ranging from nausea and vomiting to kidney failure. Despite repeated tests, the FDA has identified no problems with Chinese-made chicken jerky treats.
In a letter dated July 5, FDA officials denied entirely an msnbc.com public records request for results of the February inspections of treat plants, saying release would violate rules protecting trade secrets and confidential commercial information and that it could also interfere with enforcement proceedings. Msnbc.com is now NBCNews.com.
The lawsuit filed in federal court expands an April complaint by Dennis Adkins, 57, of Orland Park, Ill., who said his 9-year-old Pomeranian, Cleo, died in March after eating Waggin’ Train “Yam Good” dog treats produced by Nestle Purina Pet Care Co.
It adds six pet owners in states from coast to coast who are suing not only the treat maker, but also Wal-Mart, Target and Costco, three big retailers that sell the products.
And it seeks to join with a lawsuit filed in federal court last month by a Connecticut family who believe their two Boston terriers, Max and Toby, died after eating chicken jerky treats they didn’t realize were suspect.
“Toby was falling over and crying out in pain and we would give him another treat because we thought we were doing something nice for him because he was hurting,” said Philip Mawaka, 69, a Hartford, Conn., pastor whose wife, Elizabeth, is named as the plaintiff.
Lawyers for Nestle Purina and the three store chains said they couldn’t comment on the specifics of the suits because the litigation is pending.
“We believe the claims made in the suit to be without merit and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves,” said Keith Schopp, a spokesman for Nestle Purina and Waggin’ Train. “We can say that Waggin’ Train products continue to be safe to feed as directed.”
Three top brands of chicken jerky treats were among those most recently cited by pet owners and veterinarians in complaints of harm, FDA records obtained by msnbc.com showed. They included Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch, brands produced by Nestle Purina, and Milo’s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats, produced by the Del Monte Corp.
Import data compiled by the firm ImportGenius showed that Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch treats are produced and supplied by JOC Great Wall Corp. Ltd. of Nanjing, China.
The expanded lawsuit claims to represent nearly all pet owners in the U.S. who bought any dog treat product made or sold by Nestle Purina containing chicken imported from China in the past four years, court records show.
The dog owners say they’re frustrated that the makers and distributors of the treats have failed to recall the products voluntarily, despite three federal warnings since 2007 about possible safety issues and nearly 1,000 reports to the FDA of dogs sickened or killed by the products.
They also say the companies have violated implied warranties of safety and healthfulness of their products and commerce rules governing sale of sound merchandise.
"Just because they haven't found something doesn't mean it isn't there," said Barbara Pierpont, 47, of Stewartstown, Pa. Her 7-year-old rescue dog, Honey, died of kidney failure in April, three weeks after Pierpont started giving her Waggin' Train jerky tenders bought at Sam's Club, a subsidiary of Wal-Mart. The treats were the only change in Honey's diet, she said.
In addition to Pierpont, the suit includes other pet owners from California to New Jersey:
- Mary Ellis of Ontario, Calif., who claims that the Waggin’ Train treats she bought in February sickened two of her dogs, Buster and Boomer, both 9, and killed Maggie, 12.
- Maria Higginbotham, Gig Harbor, Wash., who contends that Chik n’ Biscuit dog treats sickened her two rat terriers, Bandit, 3, and Kali, 8.
- Dwayne and Kaiya Holley of Hempstead, Long Island, N.Y., who say that Waggin' Train Yam Good treats bought from Wal-Mart led to the death from kidney failure of their 5-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Bootsie, in March.
- Deborah Cowan, Perryton, Texas, who believes chicken jerky tenders caused kidney damage that sickened her 8-year-old dog, Rowdy.
- Cindi Farkas, of Howell, N.J., who says her dog Chanel, 6, was diagnosed with kidney disease after eating one half of a treat each day for three weeks this spring.
Those owners are among thousands calling for the recall of the chicken jerky treats and for more vigorous FDA efforts to identify the source of the problem.
“It has been way too quiet,” said Robin Pierre, 50, of Pine Bush, N.Y., who contends that Waggin’ Train jerky treats killed her previously healthy 2-year-old pub, Bella, last fall. “They [FDA officials] are not responding to anything at this point. No emails, no phone calls. Everyday there are more and more victims added to our list.”
More than 15,000 people have signed Pierre’s petition calling for the treats to be removed from the market.
Many pet owners say they're reminded of the 2007 scare in which melamine-tainted pet food from China sickened and killed thousands of dogs in the U.S., leading to mass recalls and criminal indictments of Chinese and American pet food executives. The problem was not detected immediately then, either, said Bruce Newman, the Connecticut lawyer representing Mawaka. He represented dozens of pet owners whose animals were sickened then.
The FDA has tested for melamine and melamine analogs, along with other chemical and microbiological toxins, but found no evidence of harmful levels, said Ward, the FDA spokeswoman. The treat makers could recall the products voluntarily, but in the absence of an identified toxin, FDA officials say the agency can't force a recall.
The FDA remains aware of and concerned about the problem, Ward said. Officials are developing new methods for testing for compounds in the jerky treats that could cause illness. It could take months to develop and validate the tests, she said.
The agency also has formed an internal task force to study jerky treats that includes players such as Costco’s Craig Wilson, vice president of quality assurance and safety.
“FDA is working and discussing with industry and retailers how we can mutually collaborate and share data, scientific exchanges, etc,” Ward wrote in an email. “We are committed to solving the problem and Costco is one of several parties interested in determining the root cause of the illnesses.”
Costco tests the jerky treats regularly at every step of production and distribution, Wilson told msnbc.com. So far, the retailer has detected nothing that could explain the reports of illness in dogs. He said FDA officials and Costco representatives will travel later this fall to the Chinese plants that make the Costco treats.
“Our testing program is very solid,” he told msnbc.com. “We actually test these at a higher level than some human food.”
Wilson declined to comment on the lawsuit, but he said he believes government animal health experts are working hard to find the source of the problem.
“The FDA is really on this,” he said. “I applaud their efforts.”
More coverage of tainted jerky treats:
- Nearly 1,000 dogs now sick from jerky treats, FDA reports say
- 3 big brands may be tied to chicken jerky illness in dogs, FDA records show
- FDA inspectors probe pet jerky treats in China
A grieving pet owner says his 9-year-old dog was in perfect health until he fed her Waggin' Train chicken treats; the Pomeranian died 13 days later of kidney failure. He is now calling on the FDA to take another look at the product. WMAQ-TV's Michelle Relerford reports.
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Would someone tell me what good it does to inspect just the plants where the product is made? Are they also inspecting the plants where the chickens are raised, the plants where they feed for the chickens is made, the plants where the gylcerin is made, etc etc etc?? I have absolutely NO doubts Waggin Train killed my otherwise healthy 2 year old dog, and it happened fast! 4 days after I fed 2 of my dogs from a new bag he was gone!! Thank heavens his Momma recovered and my 2 other dogs didn't get threats from that new bag. The arrogance of the FDA is totally unacceptable. Who do they think they work for anyway??OOPS sorry,I forgot big biz owns and runs this country doesn't it? Along with the Chinese it would seem. SO sick of this!! RIP Ballistic BJ 3/4/12 I need some justice so I can have closure!!
The FDA cannnot even protect themselves from their own incompetence and recently were spying on their own. See that article, too. Our government is there for one -reason spending time to increase their GS Levels for big time retirement. Anything gov is a big scam.=--the entire education system, agriculture, on and on...we have been had by elites and their cronies bilking us the workers...may they die but suffer first from their own decisions...
I am sorry to hear about your loss. It hurts me to just imagine what you went through.
Why would you continue buying manufactured pet foods and treats anyway? Are you unaware of the endless recalls and pet deaths that have been happening the last few years? Nothing has changed in the pet food industry. They are still buying products from polluted, unregulated China. Once people stop buying that contaminated slop, pet food companies will have no choice but to clean up their act.
In light of all the recalls several years ago, my two dogs only get home made, human-grade food. I won't feed my pets anything that I won't eat with the exception of the bone meal that I make and add to their venison or turkey mixture. Home made pet food is a chore, but my "kids" are worth it! There are some excellent, nutritious recipes out there. Just make sure you are aware of canine dietary requirements.
Sick of China - pun intended.
Here's what we do. Refuse to buy any pet food or treats not made in the United States. We raise chicken and beef here, don't we? We have manufacturing plants here, don't we? We have workers who need jobs, don't we? Demand that your store carry these. If they don't, make your own until they do. It's worth the extra cost to keep our pets safe from overseas manufacturers who have little or no concern for the quality and safety of what they ship back to us.
people are also in danger of so called food...the USDA is not our friend---it is friend to big ag who wants to pass laws putting restrictions on those who raise a few food animals, horse owners, and others who are in small ag---ang big ag will get a free ride...see nonais dot org for more info and how to fight it.
The FDA will not do anything to protect the consumers. They are owned lock and key by big business and the government. Face it, the government has ties to China and will do nothing to rattle those ties. They did next to nothing when China sent us poisoned baby formula and they won't do anything buy lie about the safety of pet products. I check everything I buy for my dog and if it doesn't say made in the US or if I can't find where it's made I don't buy it.
I agree Gordy. I have stopped buying any pet products made in China. Does it cost more? You bet it does, but it's cheaper than vet bills for a sick dog. It really ticks me off when I see the Milo brand ads on TV too. You have to be careful to make sure it is MADE in the USA because many companies say "DISTRIBUTED BY" an American Company, you can bet those are made in China too. These companies ought to be ashamed of themselves. I bet the pet owners who work there don't buy those products either.
PET OWNERS UNITE!!! Boycott all products made outside of the US. The only thing they understand is the bottom line $$$.
That and the fact that you know these plants have a very early warning system for when someone's coming to inspect.
I guess one of my questions is, if the retailers are aware that there could be a problem with these, why haven't they discontinued selling them? Just the public relations alone would be worth the lost profit.
I read the list of tests the FDA carried out and only one microbiological test was conducted and this was for toxins. I was concerned they did not look for microbial contamination and growth.
Chickens naturally harbor several bacteria that could be still alive in jerky which has been improperly cured.
Nestle and Waggin Train have known about this for years. Look on WT's facebook page - it's filled with complaints from customers and all they have to say is "you gave your dog too many treats." I hope this suit is successful - anyone that puts profits over the safety of their "customers" even if they have 4 legs is asking for it. Of course, common sense should factor in with the owners too - if you wouldn't eat food manufactured in China, don't feed it to your pets either. There is a company that now makes these chicken jerky treats in the U.S. - ask your local pet store for it specifically and send a message.
My westie gets carrots and apples for treats. I don't buy her any treats at all. Her food is a prescription diet I get from my vet. After losing my cat to the China food fiasco in 2007, I am not taking any chances with my 8 yr. old dog.
Then Chinese are really confused as to what is happening to our pets over here after eating the "chicken Jerky" as it is the same product they serve to their citizens and none of them are getting sick.
First, China gave us lead in children's toys; second, they gave us poisoned dog food. Now, deadly dog treats.
I give my dogs, food and snacks made in the USA. Only.
This is horrible. We need protection from these Chinese killers. Sue, sue, sue! Who is watching out for us against the Chinese? Apparently, no one. Where's the USA in all of this?
It's a known fact that Sam Walton....inventor of Walmart.....fed his dog Old Roy dog food which is carried by Walmart. I couldn't find *made in u.s.a.* anywhere on a few packs of Old Roy's treat products, so I put them back on the shelf and called Old Roy. One of these days, they may answer the phone.
I buy FROMM brand dog food which is family owned and operated right here in the good ol' USA. I get off work at Walmart and drive across town to a private mom-n-pop pet store to buy dog food, AMERICAN made dog food. Duck and Sweet Potato w/ mixed vegetables is my Boton Terrier's favorite. He eats better than I do.
There are American made treats out there and YES, there are American made dog products at Walmart....I handle them everyday.
Beware of the prescription diet especially if its science diet. It's a scam. The main ingrediant is corn which most dogs are allergic to. My dog was on it for two years for weight loss and over that time she lost all energy, shedded hair like crazy, and actually gained weight. Put her on a raw diet (primal) and within two weeks all the symptoms were gone, a complete 180. Sure its expensive, but so is heathy human food. Ask your vet how many hours they studied canine nutrition. Chances are they didn't study it at all.
The FDA is corrupt. The big drug companies own them which is why the FDA is always coming down on natural remedies and giving their stamp of approval for drugs which are killing people. We should not be buying anything from China anyway, they do not have the same regulations and standards we have here in the U.S., and the FDA is not even allowed to inspect the Chinese plants where products are manufactured. We just have to take the Chinese 'word' that all is well in the manufacturing plants.
The FDA is not looking out for the American people otherwise they would not have given their stamp of approval on a popular additive in Tylenol, and many cough syrups, called Acetaminophen which causes liver failure in people.
"More than 15,000 people have signed Pierre’s petition calling for the treats to be removed from the market."
It may break the rules here as well as hurt the feeble-minded but you're really an idiot if, after umpteen examples of callous disregard of health, you put Chinese manufactured products in your or your pet's mouth.
Stand up straight and just don't buy it. Trade secrets my ass - last one was melamine in baby milk and you learned what?
The only safe and healthy treats for your dog are home made. There are plenty of recipes for dog treats and biscuits out on the web and they are as simple as making human cookies.
Lots of other treats contain artificial ingredients which are unnecessary.
Never, ever buy dog treats at dollar stores, either!
I'm with BDB, my dogs and cat eat nothing other than a FROMM or Van Pattens LID foods and treats. Both brands, as best I know, are made in the US and the ingredients are sourced in the US. It doesn't make them perfect, but it's better than wondering what China is sending us.
If you want to see more stuff made in the US, it is time to send a message to Washington because they, in large part, have made it more cost effective to build and ship things from overseas than to build them here. No, Washington isn't the only problem. But, you have to start somewhere.
Sorry for your loss. In late 2006, I had a an old dog that apparently died of natural causes. A few months later I discovered the suspicious coincidence with the melamine contamination problem. Knowing what I know about the Chinese supply chain, nothing can surprise me anymore.
I find it odd that nobody has managed to confirm a specific contaminant. With all of these angry pet owners and a supply of leftover treats, by now somebody should have done their own lab testing to prove the case. If anyone needs an independent lab, I recommend Silliker.
If this proves to be another proven case of contamination, it would pretty much kill the Chinese pet food industry. I'm OK with that, but only with proof.
Sorry Ron but your message is as hard to choke down as a dog treat. kids-----really? I guess i just don't see my dogs as my children. When i was in the Philippine's in the service. The raising and Dare i say farming of dogs as a food source in a sheltered isolated non-domestic environment like live stock is very common even today. I guess that's why i cannot call my dogs.... kids.
For me dogs are not and should not be treated like kids.
Mm'kay
imrightnotyou - you should not own pets. How unlucky it would be for them.
You have to be a total moron or a crook to import any kind of food product from China. Same goes for materials used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. They lie, cheat, and make up fake certificates of analysis to sell their toxic crap all over the world. And our crooked politicians gave China the most privileged country trade status... unbelievable stupidity and criminality, which cost our country tens of millions of jobs over the last decade alone.
American RETAILERS have an OBLIGATION to search out and DEMAND products made in the USA for their customers.
If all Dog treats were made in the USA...with USA ingredients, we wouldn't be asking for prpblems.
So, every day the list of stuff from China that harms us gets longer and longer. Hot Wheels made with lead paint, construction materials, they can't even make pet food right. But Boeing can buy airplane parts from China, and because they were vigorously inspected in China, they do not have to be REINSPECTED on this side of the pond and they are DIRECTLY INSTALLED ON AIRPLANES WITH NO INSPECTION AT ALL.
Only a matter of time before a plane falls out of the sky.
What I am concerned about in part of this article the dog owner stated ''they kept fedding their dog treats as he was moaning in pain" should have taken him to the vet. maybe then your dog would still be alive. You dont feed your pet treats over and over and over again repeatedly because they are in pain. Yes if it turns out that the treats were contaminated, the treats were part of the cause of the dog being ill, but i find it a form of abuse when you know your pet is in pain and all you do is let it eat eat eat treats treats treats, they should be taken to the vet not being forced to eat treat after treat. this dog owner is also to blame as each dog treat package i have seen has a label saying what or how many they should have at a time. very neglectful this owner was. uncaring and cruel to be honest.
I'm sorry for the loss of every pet owner who lost a pet to these treats. Please read the packaging carefully on anything you buy, and pay extra for products made in America. Too many people don't care about quality because it's "just an animal," and that certainly goes for the Chinese and most likely many of the inspectors and regulators. Speak with your wallet, and don't spend money on these brands.
Since, along with CHINA, the FDA and the Dept of Agriculture do not have our pets' best interests at heart, the only protection consumers can exercise is to vote with their wallets and DO NOT BUY.
Pet food and treats Made in China = DO NOT BUY. Might as well have a skull and crossbones on the package.
That being said, the harder task is knowing where the ingredients come from that go into the food and treats being made in the USA. Case in point is the horrible pet food poisoning of 2007. The pets were being harmed and killed by pet food that was manufactured in Canada and in the US but contained wheat gluten that had been imported from China by ChemNutra, an import company that was based in Las Vegas, NV. The wheat gluten was intentionally tainted by Chinese manufacturers with melamine so as to give it a higher protein value. Melamine is used to create products such as plastics, glue and fertilizer. It was purposefully mislabeled in China so as to avoid inspection. 0ver 800 metric tons were imported to the US and distributed to pet food manufacturers which ultimately killed and sickened 1000's of our beloved animals. Sally Qing Miller, a Chinese national and co-owner of the company along with her husband, was a Chinese food professional and knew about this lethal deception.
So what's important to the health and safety of our pets is not only where the end product is made, but also from where the ingredients come. At least a first step is to read the package. For any food products made in China, PUT THEM BACK. It is really distressing that over 5 years after the last pet food disaster, stores like PetSmart and Wal-mart continue to sell this poison. In fact they are trying to move their existing inventory with sales and prominent displays, knowing the potentially deadly quality of these products. Sadly, even though they purport to care about our pets, it's still all about the money.
For those who can and are so inclined, research ChemNutra on line. One can read the plea agreement and the disclosures therein will make you furious, particularly when you find out the sentences of the ChemNutra owners received.
As always, caveat emptor. Buyer beware.
@skor154
Don't forget all of that wonderful poisonous drywall and milk that they gave us. China does want to know why there are so many complaints, since not everyone who purchased these products actually died. They figure if only 10% die, well then that is a 90% success rate. Whoo hoo!
I don't think you can win either way - If the Republicans get elected they will remove all the regulations on safety and the same thing will happen here.
Look at the recent study of hormones in chicken.
I wouldn't trust the Chinese as far as I could throw them over the Great Wall
sneaky, untrustworthy bunch....I've noticed that lately they've taken to labelling their products "ROC",i.e.; "Republic of China" ...I guess in an attempt to put one by unsuspecting consumers in the US
Imrightnotyou, no you are not right. Humans intentionally domesticated cats and dogs and other animals and therefore it is our duty, and even the Bible implies this, to take care of them as best we can. We have removed their ability to thrive in the wild so now its on us. How does one determine how much less humane treatment an animal gets compared to a human anyway? By the way, I see through your attempt to incite the animal lovers on here with off topic BS.
Bigoted ignorant comments are as useful as the treats we are discussing. Newsflash, republicans are elected all the time, and yet here we are.
When you say it like that spellchecker it kinda makes sense.
ironically in china these same treats are SOLD AS HUMAN FOOD ,you can find this type of "chicken jerky" in the snack section that people buy to eat while drinking beer ,its in smaller bags next to dried squid and cuttlefish ,its eaten like beef jerky ,its even sold at 7-11 and other convience stores
hint- don't buy food from china yours or your pets - your life may depend on it
The FDA forget to mention the REAL REASON for NOT releasing the records: CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE FDA.
So true. Especially Ron Paul. He wants to end regulation of anything.
The free market is a myth put about by those attached to right-wing, authoritarian economic and social systems. The free market does not exist. Nor should it. Mainly because human beings are conscious of markets, they seek profits, they shut out competitors, and they corner markets. Consider any large industry, such as movie studios for example. In a “free market”, competitors would potentially appear to fill any niche, and the public would have access to a wide variety at a range of costs – the ideal of perfect competition. In reality, only six studios receive 90% of American film revenues. This means that you, as a consumer, are effectively not offered a choice. You get to see only the movies that big studios produce and distribute (newer markets, such as online viewing, replace this but their market share is minimal compared to the big six). How is this possible? These six studios work together, they corner the film market, and they control the distribution of their product to theatres. Just try as an independent film maker to get a film shown at a national theatre chain. In reality, due to corporations, most US markets are not “free markets”, they are oligopolies.
I am very picky what I feed my dogs. Their food has to be made in the USA and I don't buy anything from a grocery store or large chain store. I only buy at a local independent store that sells dog and cat food. You pay more for the food but you have a healthier animal. Better quality foods contain no grains just natural ingredients. Same as with their treats. I wouldn't feed my children substandard food why would I feed it to my pets.
I am a total dog lover BUT I do see imrightnotyou's point. All of us should see it - if you are a practicing Hindu, cows are sacred, how they must weep for the conditions of our US factory farms for veal and cattle meat. She/he was in a place were it is culturally acceptable to raise dogs for meat. How many dogs suffer in US shelters everyday because people will pay to get their dog groomed, but will not spay or neuter? Millions of dogs suffer in the US- those of us with dogs, our dogs lead a pampered life, I dare say the dogs in the Philippines, though "farmed" for food, live a better life than dogs left on our streets or in our kill-shelters.
Also, a dog is a dog, I don't have children, I have dogs, yet I recognize the difference and it is an important difference. A child learns a certain way, a dog is part of a pack...if your dog is walking 10 feet in front of you on a flexi-leash....the dog is the pack leader, not you. You do not need to be mean to your dog, but you need to understand pack behavior, if you are not the pack leader, you will come home to a destroyed house or a dog fight, or the dog you love so much will sit 8 hours in a kennel waiting for you to come home.
We dog owners can love the dog as much as we love a child, but dogs are not our children, they feel vulnerable if the pack leader (us) is weak - i.e. inconsistent with training, exercise, schedule. Dogs are not stupid - but they read us so well because that is what helps a pack survive, if you can't read your dog, you aren't his/leader companion. You would not ask a three year old child to be your caretaker, you shouldn't ask it of your dog - pack leaders provide stability, comfort, rules & regulations. If I gave my dogs a treat every time they looked cute, they would be obese and die early.
I also love horses.... look up how many Kentucky Derby Winners ended up as glue....quite a lot, look at how wild horses are rounded up by helicopter, etc... they too are smart animals. All I'm saying is imrightnotyou - has a right to her opinion and it doesn't mean that he/she wouldn't be a good/great dog companion - she/he maybe a great one because they understand that dogs are not children. To truly love a dog is to understand the dog, not use the dog to feel loved simply because it understands you.
Buy American folks! China is not a friend, but a competitor who wants to win at any cost!
The best way is to make your dog's food and treats. Jerky is rather easy to make. Find some recipes suitable for dogs and make up some treats. I never buy any of the treats sold in stores. They are way way too expensive. Even jerky for humans is less expensive than dog jerky. I may buy chew treats such as rawhide, but nothing from China and nothing with things added to it.
I guess we know what not to buy. I don't know why we buy any food from China, over the years they have sent us a lot of adulterated or contaminated s**t. Read the label !! If it says China don't buy it. The retailers will get the hint and start putting out more quality American stuff. It will help our unemployment problem as well.
Why perpetuate a myth? Horses are used for MEAT. Derby winners are used for BREEDING.
I live in Lexington Kentucky where more Derby winners were born than anywhere else, and have seen where they retire to first hand. 2000 square foot stalls and hundreds of acres of perfect grassland to graze is the norm. Google "Ashford Stud", none of those horses they stud won the Derby yet get up to 85K on just the prospects of a derby run. The current record stud fee around here is 500,000 bucks. So no, you win a derby you don't get turned into "glue".
Most horses are slaughtered for meat near the end of their healthy lives, but many derby winners are buried with a monument, many at the Kentucky Horse Park. If you love horses, this is the place to visit. Very few successful race horses are slaughtered until thier health or age requires it, and sometimes the financial condition of the owners has a say.
The outrage over using horse meat in dog food has led to some of the problems discussed here, because meat humans consume must be redirected to replace it.
Lets concentrate on what happens to unwanted nameless horses, because misstating facts because you think the shock value might help the animals (lying), no matter what the intentions, doesn't really help.
I have a lab (and yes "Iamrightnotyou" - he's my baby) that hasn't been allowed any treat not made in the US for a lot of years now. I have friends who feed their pets these items with no problems but I'm just not willing to take that chance. I would be lost without my friend.
Everyone seems to have a lot of misplaced anger here. Of course pets are near and dear to us, what is happening is awful. But FDA is performing a thorough investigation (as are several independent laboratories) and have yet to discover the toxin or a cause-effect link to the pet deaths. Therefore, all it can do is issue warnings, it does not have the authority to pull items off the shelf until that causal relationship is established. This is protocol and has been for decades, regardless of who was in power at the time. Once a link has been established, please place anger where it belongs: the manufacturer in China and the stores that continue to stock their shelves (who can voluntarily recall any time they'd like to).
Like justice, I only feed my dogs products Made in America. They are worth it.
When will we learn that China sends us poisonous crap??? Hello??? This has been going on for decades.
I live in the south and we bought a brand new house filled with toxic Chinese drywall, it made us all sick, ruined everything in our house and the Republican courts will not give the people here in the state I am in enough to fix their homes. The big corporations of course are protected by the Repubs.
We have great credit, we are under water by 50K, we didn't get enough money to do anything except move so we have to walk away from this house and get foreclosed on and ruin our credit. I will never again buy anything from that filthy country called China and I will never live in a red state again.
So after your dogs died, did you get the treats tested? Dogs can eat rotten meat in the wild but you think a dried piece of chicken is killing them? I would speculate that millions of bags are sold and millions of dogs eat them. So why is there only 1000 or so deaths and none of them with any positive test results. Then add the fact that those deaths are spread over a years time and I don't believe the story or how dumb this sounds. Dogs don't get proper autopsy so I think the vets are only speculating and It make a great hate China story that get the MSN sites a lot of traffic.
Terie, the problem is the FDA don't have power over China. Just read the labels before you purchase and make sure it is made in the US. I will not buy food made in China because of all the problems. I don't have a dog, but a cat and you better believe we make sure the food is made in the US.
nw native where do you live. I thought in Louisiana they had a lawsuit that helped people. I could be wrong on that, but it was a problem after the houses were rebuilt here and a lot of folks had problems with their sheet rock/dry wall and they sued.
So lots of posts complaining about the FDA. Gee, you remember how when we found other tainted toys and food from China the Bush administration response was to FURTHER cut the number of inspectors? Now there's something like 1850 inspectors (up since 2009, thanks to that evil "socialist" Obama) to cover 24 MILLION different shipments. FDA estimates they actually check less than 2% of imported goods. Gee, why in the world would they miss some things? The answer MUST be that they're all fat cats, on the dole, and government is evil and sucks. Yeah, that's it. Why not remove ALL regulation. I'm sure that will help the problem. More paint chips, Timmy? Mmm-mmm. Now they're regulation free!
Oh, and as anyone who's spent time in China can tell you, good luck suing those Chinese companies. You might drive today's US importer out of business, but you'll do nothing to the Chinese but make them change the sign out front, and find a new US corporate shill.
I only give my 3 dogs true ground beef, the same burger I eat as well as I even buy them a steak every now and then. I do not care what the costs are for that beef as my furkids are my best buddies period and they deserve it.
I haven't bought anything for them that's from China or anywhere else for that matter as I don't trust big business anymore as they don't even care about human beings anymore.
Another issue is that most of the store bought so called treats are bad for our pets and have way to much added "junk" ingredients in them that don't do our furry friends any good whatsoever.
I feel so bad for everyone who lost their pets, furkids etc and all because some company wanted to make more money off there products. Sad very sad indeed.
Hey folks very sad news for all the pet lovers out there, the f FDA doesn't realize pets are part of the family..
Very heartbreaking when many companies can cover up and falsify labeling without any harm coming to them, I am ecstatic that these people are coming together to fight..We never know what were getting even "our" food is tainted or contaminated its got to stop.
I've been feeding our two poodles the Wagon Brand treats for years with no problems. Every day about 10,000 dogs die in the U.S. That excludes the ones in shelters. Considering how popular the suspect treats are, the number of claims should be higher if the product was as toxic as people are claiming.
Plus there's a whole range of common household things that can make dogs sick. I dare say most people would have problems listing even a few of those. I know of one lady that continues to feed her dog grapes even though grapes are listed as toxic to dogs. And people claiming homemade foods are better for dogs need to know that a lot of pets fed homemade foods end up anemic because the foods lack enough nutrition.
On top of that, a lot of people claiming the products harmed their dogs didn't seem concerned enough to take their dog to the vet early on to find out what was wrong. One lady on a past story claimed it killed her 15 year old dog when the life expectancy of that type of dog was 12 years.
People can claim anything they want and there will always be lawyers willing to take peoples money and bring a suit just on the chance of a settlement. But if it goes to court they will need proof and they will need to show realistic cause/effect, not just what they believe. And how do you prove a product is toxic if no test can confirm it?
People need to remember the stories about witch hunts and blaming Jews for the bubonic plague and a whole host of other claims that we now know were just mass hysteria and false association. I know of a lot of U.S. products that have caused problems and been in the news for recalls. But people conveniently forget about those when they promote U.S. products.
I guess I am very old school, part of this debate seems a little misdirected to me. I think it is wise to look at Chinas track record and be leery of any pet foods made there, but I also think it is relative-- think about where pet food lies on the chain-- the best meats and such are sold at premium prices in the markets, the average meats in your common chains, all the acceptable scraps are ground into hamburger, sausage, etc., and some of the stuff you wouldn't want to think too much about goes into hot dogs and other very processed meats. You have to go a long way down the priorities to get to pet food level where the most profit can be made from using the protein for pet food. I think it is very well documented that China has a poor track record of getting dangerous contaminants in their products so is not very smart to feed your pets that stuff, but I also think that you are not a lot better off w/American products; I think we have been sold a bill of goods by the pet food industry, similar to being convinced it is better to buy plastic-bottled water rather than drink it from the tap(have you ever read the labels on bottled water for the owners of the companies, along with the makers of flavoring to make bottled water taste better?--- too many are owned by the companies that make our carbonated beverages and "sports drinks"--- add a little salt and sugar, call it electrolytes and carbs), when most bottled water COMES from the tap, and the plastic bleeds carcinogens into the water.
You can find sources online everywhere that will tell you that it is not healthy to feed a pet a people diet. I have also found sources that disagree. My thought is that our pets have been coexisting with us for many years, dogs are omnivores, we are omnivores, cats more carnivores. After growing up very rural, my belief is that a person should avoid some obvious potential dangers like feeding your dog potentially sharp chicken wings(even here, don't know how many times my pets accidentally got hold of these things, never have had anything negative happen) and drumsticks and should avoid giving them too much of the things that are not healthy for humans, like loads of saturated fat, but otherwise, if I am eating healthy and giving my pets the leftovers, they are eating healthy.
I keep dry pet food available for my pets as a staple, since I am not back on the farm where there were commonly so many leftovers that you almost didn't need dog or cat food, but have absolutely no trust in all the advertisements about the great quality of the processed products for pets. Given what the fast food restaurants and the chains are willing to sell for human consumption, I don't have a lot of faith that the stuff left over for my pets is going to be super healthy, particularly when a prime ingredient for my dogs food is grain. At best, I think the pet food companies have tried to find the best blend of cheap ingredients that will approximate nutritional requirements. I, my relatives and my friends have fed our pets this way for years, I have not noticed and negative results with lifespan or overall health.
When you get theses standardized, homogenized chunks or portions of "stuff" labled as great pet food, you have no way of verifying what is really in it, to include the original origins, other than trusting that oversight agencies are holding companies to truth in labeling. I think it is wise to insist on non-chinese products as a consumer and for our economy, and with sufficient consumer pushback we can get that to happen, but if at the end of the day we are concerned enough about the right food for our pets, we need an uber critical look at the whole picture, not just at the propaganda we are "fed" daily. There are lots of entities out there that want to convince us to buy, it is not just the chinese.
My dog, Emma, almost died from the Kingdom Pets chicken jerky treats that Costco sells. It was the first complaint my family has lodged with the company in the nearly 30 years we've shopped with them. Emma thankfully fully recovered (partly from being a big dog, I imagine), but I will never again get those treats and I have become a very conscientious label reader. There are a select few treats Emma gets now, but nothing made in China.
If I were the owner of one of the beloved pets I would hire a private lab to look for levels of something harmful and another of levels of something deadly and get it in writing and then contact a lawyer.
I have been giving my 3 dogs these treats for years, I still do, I have not ever had a problem, in fact my dogs love these treats! I'm thinking that maybe it's like a nut thing is to some adults, maybe some animals are allergic to what's in the treats. I also think coincidence is probably involved here also.
There is only ONE person who is going to stop this charade - the CONSUMER!
The FDA has been hiding behind political BS and dragging their feet on this case for years. The greedy, profit whoring manufacturers and retailers will never pull the product because it's 'only dogs' that are dying. Only dogs with permanent organ damage. If this were a human, all it would take for a VOLUNTARY RECALL is an off odor, an off color - not death.
Nestle Purina and Del Monte and all of the others - Dogswell, Beefeaters, Dingos etc etc need to be held to account! The FDA is useless.
I will not play Russian Roulette with my dog's life. I, the consumer, will choose to look for a domestic product that isn't poisoning dogs.
Homemade is your only safe bet
Just make sure those domestic products are not made with other products imported from other countries. IMO, if you want to give your pet a treat feed them a piece of turkey, beef or chicken (no bones) Also veggies like carrots and peas are good for them too and the water it is cook in is loaded with vitamins.
soooo sad - but it is not only dogs - I sprayed by dog with flea spray 8 months ago - within 4 hours my cat was suffering - he died 2 days later - researched it - it is happening all over the place - again no one cares - very pathetic as we, the consumer , don't know what to do anymore and our pets are very important - I contacted Walmart and Petsmart as they still sell the product - again big money - they really don't care about pets just the $$ - scarey that is for sure and I sure am checking to see where the food (and whatever I buy my pets) is coming from
Fpr Christmas we treated our dog to a bag of Canyon Creek Ranch chicken jerky. During the next week there was a report on our local news about tainted Dog treats made in China. No brand name was offered but it prompted me to look at the package and sure enough it was made in China. Fortunately for some reason the package went unopened...I called Pet Smart to further inquire about what brands were involved and they suggested I bring the package back for a refund. So I did that and found the Milo's Kitchen treats. They clearly state that they are Made in the USA. So she has been getting their sausage treats since that time and has had no problem. So I am confused to see the Milo's Kitchen treats on the list. Any information regarding this brand would be welcome.
I have been very fortunate dealing with our local Pet Smart. They even try to group items made in the USA together. I think that is a great step forward in a retailer who cares about pets.
So to end the confusion about Milo's kitchen....their chicken jerky is made in China. Shame on them.
Hey, Ron, stop the advertising. We got it the first time you posted. It is getting a bit annoying and therefore I won't be buying your product.
Even home made foods we have to be careful. Chicken is naturally colonized by bacteria that can cause food borne illness.
That's because you are spamming. It isn't appropriate or tolerated on this forum. Quit acting like you are being abused and just stop it.
I lost my Lab retriever Tracy last April 1, 2012. had to put her to sleep after she got sick the prior 4 weeks and ended up with "sudden" kidney failure, at the end of February this year I fed her her Wagging' Train Jerky tenders (chicken dog treats) that came inside her last Purina Food Bag bought at Walmart; I do sitill have the Jerky tenders rests in its original package and the rest of that one last bag of food which has about 20 percent left, then i came across this report. i fed her only 1 of these treats, maybe 2 at the end of February; she got sick with vomits and diarrhea's, stopped eating completely the next 2 weeks or so, we thought she ate some rocks from the patio and by the time i had money to get her check up, the diagnostic was sudden kidney failure; the vet "recognized" the issues with purina foods and all going on when we talked about put her to sleep but i never suspected the Jerky before and now i read this and it brought me down to tears again; she was like a kid to me and was healthy for the whole 10 years I had her until this one first and last episode. I am of course adding myself to that sue list; I got vet reports, the rest of the food bag with its lot number and the jerky samples left over; I hope this suit is successful and bring some sense of justice to all of us who has lost our companions to such a heartless corporations practices; of course they say there is nothing from their part; it never is and the cowards who do this always get protection from the laws but we are protected by God's laws which i believe are far superior and the truth will come in one second where the lies may run for years !
curleyjo, I did find a cookbook on kindle that was free. Here is the book: The Everything Cooking for
Dogs Book: 100 quick and easy healthy recipes your dog will bark for! Lisa Fortunato. I don't know if it is still free, but I got it. Maybe this will help.
CD: Hate to say it, but I think you might find if you carefully look at lables that some insectide stuff for dogs is known to be deadly to cats.
Something about an inability for cats livers or kidneys to filter and get rid of the stuff, it builds up in the system and causes organ failure, I think.
Do not buy any pet food or pet treats that are manufactured in China. Read the labels and keep your pets safe. What do the Chinese care about American pets? Probably don't give a damn. As consumers stop buying foreign made/manufactured pet food. PERIOD
Pets?? Newsflash...the Chinese are after all of us with everything from their lead-based products, poison drywall, to who knows what else. At least we don't let their melamine-tainted milk and infant formula products in...ironically, they use those against their own people.
I would expand on that to say purchase NOTHING made in China.
Only thing the Chinese care about a dog is how it's cooked.
This is Capitalism at its best. Quit whining. We should abolish FDA and let market works!
The opposing force of big business who are also persons, which creating job(???) vs. grieve pet owners plus lawyers will settle this 'fairly'
Fat chance(???)
This isn't capitalism, it is GREED! All the big companies sent manufacturing out of this country to make MORE of a profit! But too many regulations and insane taxes have forced many business to send our jobs oversees as well. I would rather pay more and give my friends and neighbors a job than some little China man!!
Almost everything that should be in doggie treats are grown or raised here and almost everything to make them is automated. If a country like China can make them and have to import both chicken and corn from here which they do then they are adding a lot of something else to make them cheap.
I won't buy human food or over the counter medication made in China. Right now companies that manufacture or import food and drugs from China, or any other foreign country are not bound by law to list place of origin of their product. For this we can thank congress for goverment officials and CEO's of corporations playing musical chairs, going from a CEO from a major corporation, to a job in the goverment, and back to their old position in a corporation. They cover for each other and nothing gets done, except fat paychecks from virtual graft and cover-ups.
I won't even buy dog toys or collars made in China. Many of them are but I am more than willing to pay more for US products for my pets. I agree with many of the posters. STOP buying ANYTHING made in China!
why is it made in china.since the 80"s i have been saying tarrifs high enough to make the products here.
Tariff's went away with the corporate take over of congress about 15 years ago. The purpose of tariffs was to protect our jobs and the middle class. This is all part of the corporate assault on American citizens so as to maximize their profits. You might have read about it.
There are no or very few tariffs nowadays. It is part of The New World Order to do away with that pesky working class that the ultra-rich don't want to see tainting their world. The ultra-rich prefer to tuck the working class out of the way in areas like China and India where workers have few to no labor laws and wages can be stifled to maximize profits. Pretty soon there will be no more middle-class in this country thanks to our House and Congress can-do attitude when it comes to the people they work for -and it's not us, the average taxpayer, either.
Funny thing about tarrifs when you are buying more than you are selling overseas, they hurt us whay more than they hurt them! You do realise they can enact even bigger tarrifs on our stuff right? And they dont have to debate it or vote on it either. The Chinese do not care how many Chinese starve as demand shifts, because the ones in power will always be just fine, the other Billion are expendable and have no say in anything whatsoever.
I don't understand why the US is importing any food products from China-& why anyone would knowingly purchase any food product from China. China has shown no regard for the welfare of it's own citizens, why would we expect them to have any regard for ours, nevermind our pets.
You don't understand why the US imports food from China? It's because the average US consumer votes for it with their pocketbook. Despite what so many are saying on this forum, the overwhelming majority will always pick the cheaper alternative. Why do you think Walmart got so big? You can all deny it all you like, but the profits don't lie.
This is exactly why I will not feed my dogs any treats I do not make myself. Not willing to sacrifice my best companions. I make all natural dog biscuits at home along with frozen yogurt ice creams pops and they go wild for them. I know they are all natural and won't kill them! I share them with every dog I can and make a number of them for neighbors and friends. RAWHIDE bones are another source of choking. After pulling slimy rawhide pieces out of my dogs throats they were choking on.NO MORE!! Please please find someone to make them for you!! Email me, I will make homemade and ship them to you for small price.LOVE YOUR PETS!!
buy a dehydrator or use your oven's broil function. it's easy and you know it won't kill your dog. for the price of a bag of waggin train (14.98 at sam's) you can make twice the amount at home. make 10 batches and you've already saved enough money to cover the dehydrator.
in an oven set to broil at 180 degrees. cut chicen into 1/4 or smaller slices and lay flat on a cookie sheet. broil for 4-5 hours then flip and broil for 4-5 hours more till no moisture is left in them. you can tell if they need more time by squeezing them, if there is any give in them without cracking they need more time.
for dehydrators time varies. usually around 9 hours total, flipping them halfway through.
after they cool store them in the fridge or, if they are for a later date, the freezer. they stay good for up to a month in the freezer.
Great idea. Your puppies are very lucky to have an owner that takes the time to insure they are healthy and happy.
if i ever had any part in causing my dogs' death i would never be able to forgive myself. the one problem i do have is one of them eats constantly and is overweight. she was in the pound as a puppy and never has gotten over the idea that she doesn't know where her next meal is coming from and has to get a mouthful of food even if she's just going outside to pee. she even has learned to trick the other dogs into leaving their treats. she'll go scratch at the back door after eating her treat, which makes the others want to go outside and as soon as i open the door and the other dogs go, she goes and picks up their treat. so far she's lost 3 pounds through her diet though which is almost half of what she needed to lose.
these chicken jerky treats and their similar products are sold not only in WalMart but in Costco and Sam's Club. We dropped our membership to Sam's Club since the folks there would not remove these poison products from their shelves... we have tossed every single bag of these 'treats' in the trash and substituted other products (dog biscuits) for our pets.
Do not buy any of these items !!! We are in debt to China for loans and payback is a ***** - with toxic everything!
for those interested, this is the dehydrator i use.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FFVIWY/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00
the heating unit is on the top so juices don't cause the motor to stop working. you can stack up to 20 trays(have to buy them seperate) on it and with 6 trays i can do around 6 pounds at a time.
curley jo, sorry, I didn't read your last email right, but enjoy the cookbook I have send the title too if you can get it for free.
It's so sad, suffering pets always break my heart.
Please people, stop giving them that stuff! Mine gets bits of cheese and mostly, homemade rice and chicken (boneless of course). Dogs never tire of that.
How often do you let your dog lick peanut butter off you? Come on... admit it!
@Selmers
We can all spot a troll, we are adults with adult minds, we do not take the NV CoH lightly. Apparently you like to think of yourself as a "cool" bully, since this is what you posted after a 15 year old committed suicide after being bullied:
Dear Selmers, you are only important in your mind it seems as you have added nothing to this post that is constructive or kind and that seems to be your MO since you started posting on NV. Look forward to your suspension!
I wonder if it was chicken jerky that made my dog die of pancreatitis in 2009.
This is exactly why I feed only dog treats and ice cream pops I make myself and my buddies go wild for them.I could not bear to know I unknowingly killed or hurt my dogs.I make them for friends&neighbors and pass them out every chance I get. Another really bad treat are RAWHIDES! They get slimy and have almost choked my little dog twice. NEVER NEVER NEVER give your dogs rawhides. Go to the market and get a real bone or learn to make them treats or EMAIL me and I will make them for you for at a small cost. They are low calorie, fresh and healthy! I can guarantee if you'll make them yourself or have someone make them for you, your dogs will be healthy and happy! I've never met a dog that didn't LOVE them. Peanut butter & fresh bananas! Sorry for the double post on this one guys!
People. Use Common Sense, Don't buy these products. Period.
MSNBC first had the story of at least 70 dogs getting "sick" on 11/21/11. "That is up from 54 cases in 2010." I had recently gone to my local Whole Foods and while I actually cook 3 different types of dog foods for my 5 dogs, I picked up a bag of Dogswell "Chicken Jerky Strips." The bag was REPETITIVE to say the least, each of these claims were made on the front and back, or twice on front and once on the back - "100% organic, No Steroids, No Antibiotics, No Growth Hormone, FREE Range, No Hormones, !00% Vegetarian Feed, etc...." I have 5 large dogs, the bag had about 6 strips in it for $7.49...while I thought the price a bit outrageous, my dogs only get the treats I make, so I thought they may enjoy a little change....I read the article, but I thought to myself that there is NO WAY that the treats I bought (I even read the ingredients (Chicken Breast)), would be from China, but I grabbed the bag anyway...Guess what - Made in China. I took the bag and two copies of the article to Whole Foods. I got a refund, left a copy for the store manager and posted a copy under the Dogswell treats (that was taken down before I left the store).
I called Dogswell (furious - even though my dogs never had the treats), this is the garbage I was told by the company representative:
Me (after explaining the problem with chicken jerky from China): So you mean to tell me that you have a laboratory in China that examines the water, feed and the ground that the chickens are Free-range on?
Dogswell: Yes, we have people on site and we check our products with the FDA
Me: Are you sure these chickens are not "Free-Range" on and old grassed over land-fill?
Dogswell: The chicken are free-range in a safe environment
Me: Why would it be cheaper to make treats in China if all the claims on the bag are true?
Dogswell: Chinese people DON'T LIKE TO EAT WHITE CHICKEN MEAT, so we saw "an opportunity" in China were we could use this meat for the treats and IT WOULDN'T GO TO WASTE
(I was so taken aback by that last statement - it is SO Ludicrous.... I just said to send me more info in the mail, which they did, but it didn't say a thing about the meat or where they got it)
I'll stick to making my own dog treats, if you like I can post an easy recipe here.
The reason I cook 3 different types of dog food, is that it depends on the breed (I have a mixture of breeds, either from a kill-shelter or found and no claimed by any owner)...
Happy to give recipes but need to know predominant breed, ideal weight, activity level....
My Chow lab mix lived to 17, I started cooking for him at the 10 year mark, his coat looked horrible, etc, I had two girls who kept getting pancreatitis, even though I was shipping in the best food I could find, it became easier to cook for everyone (after much research on nutrition, etc) and amazingly, the older dogs became like puppies again, beautiful coats, needing less water, no farts, no hot-spots, more energy....while it is a pain to do for so many large dogs when I have the flu, they are always so excited for breakfast and dinner, it's all worth it....and they are very healthy according to my vet, no one is overweight, etc.
So like Dayofwine said, this is up to the consumer, don't buy from those companies that get any of their product that goes into dog treats, or food from China. Unfortunately, it's not just China (although that is the case for "chicken jerky." I'm old enough to remember that in the late 1970's - Duncan Hines had to recall ALL their cake mixes, the grocery shelves were empty. They had put an insecticide on the grain (that was stored in a lot of the grain bins of the "grain belt" of the US) that was found to be dangerous to humans. What did "Big Grain" do? They sold most of it to Purina and other dog food companies. My dog died at 7 of bone cancer, so did several of my friend's dogs...all the dogs ate Gravy Train (which was later recognized as one of the foods that got the bad flour/grain).
Lucky dogs! Bless you. I would like to start making dog food for mine and would love to know your recipe. I have a two year old Doberman and a 7 year old Fox Terrier. Would you be willing to post it? Thanks
Wow. Black Kettle - great post. Now I am so worried about my rescue. I completely avoid anything made in China, but I think they are getting tricky on this one. Distributed out of X instead of made in China.
@curleyjo
I'd be happy to provide you recipes. I just sent you an email (through NV) with a couple questions about the dogs (sex - male or female, activity level)...write me back to my regular email acct (which you will now have) and I'll get a few different recipes out hopefully today & tailored to your dogs...I have a Dobi mix the same age, she's a trip!
@sandra.brooks - yes, I think they are making it tricky...distributed does not mean made in the US...and the profit on dog food, medicine, etc is unbelievable to me...sad that anyone would want to jeopardize "Man's best friend" for billions in profits.
ron-1189743 , you are being just as greedy as the corporations. stop spamming tha article with your personal adverstisements.
While it is sad that a thousand dogs died, I notice that many of them were old-aged and their deaths could be a coincidence and not necessarily connected to the commercial dog treats. Keep in mind that there are 76 million cases of human food poisioning each year resulting in 325,000 hospitializations and 3,200 deaths. It is more likely we are doing more damage to our pets by feeding them human food! I would also be cautious of buy "home-made" treats on the internet. If you don't trust the USDA to inspect commerical plants, why should you trust unregulated "moonshine" treats from a stranger?
jh, the only way you know exactly what is in it is if you make it yourself. get a dehydrator or use your oven's broil setting. i descibed how to do it in post 6.1
Ron, ok you have posted. Numerous times. Your are turning people off rather then on for your business. Knock it off. I wish your business success but you are annoying.
I would love your recipes for dog food. I have 2 small chihuahua mix breeds. Both rescued. I use my dehydrator to make their chicken jerkey of chicken I get at my grocery store.....that I would eat. But I have to rely on dry dog food for their kibble. Please post/send me the recipes for dog food.
Thanks
I am absolutely amazed how no one listens. 5 years ago I lost my German Shepherd from chicken jerky strips from Costco. When we got involved we got a hold of the FDA and got onto their mailing. There were thousands of warnings about the strips. We told Costco, our vet was surprised,. He looked at the FDA warnings and stopped feeding them to his dogs. And pet owners are still oblivious to history and warnings. Stop feeding these strips to your dog if you don't want to kill them. Stay on the FDA listings and you will be informed. Buy a freshly cooked American chicken it's cheaper (vet bills, illness, death) and better tasting for the dog.
"Toby was falling over and crying out in pain and we would give him another treat because we thought we were doing something nice for him because he was hurting,”
And you are suing someone else for this? Very sad that you would be so ignorant as to what your dog needs. I used to give my dogs these kinds of treats and I felt very squeemish about it because they didnt seem like they would be good for them. I am so glad I stopped.
One thing about feeding rice & chicken - you will starve a German Shepard of nutrients that way, they have a straight bowel, so you need to slow their digestive process down. You can do that by giving them pasta & meat, or potatoes & meat...but rice does not have enough time in a German Shep. bowel to give all it's nutrients.
When in doubt, remember where the dog was originally bred.... a Chow was bred in China, they do great on rice and fish (sardines are great for coat problems), chicken is OK but beef is a question mark unless they are a mutt and the other breed will happily eat beef (but poultry is still better). Germans eat meat and potatoes and special pastas (rich in eggs) - (speaking off, eggs & any dog are wonderful in moderation), so the German Shep. does well on that diet. If you feed a Chow potatoes, corn and cattle meat - that dog will bloat, have coat problems, etc...it is not what the dog adapted to over thousands of years ...remember the DOG FOOD INDUSTRY has not been around that long. Farm dogs & city dogs ate scraps, talk to someone who is 80 and had a dog, they will tell you the dog got scraps (of human food), etc and even though it was a large dog (100lbs)- it lived to be 18 years old - because it wasn't eating processed food.
Dogs cant digest potato, idiot.
Dogs can digest cooked potatoes, it is a starch - you would be an idiot to give a dog a RAW potato or one (cooked or not) where the skin had turned green. The skin will pass through the dog (fiber)....I normally peel my potatoes, except for sweet potatoes which my Mastiff loves (and they need more fiber than other breeds) - (still cooked of course).
Selmers, peel & cube a russet potato and boil it in water for an hour (or less) you will not have not see anything resembling a "cube" or a potato, it will look like watery grits - something that water soluble, is very digestible.
@Selmers, I think the point was that different breeds have different digestive needs. So yes, some dogs can't digest potatoes. But some dogs can. And at any rate, since the purpose of the potatoes in the OP was to slow down the passage of the 'nutritious' food through the dogs system, I doubt it matters whether the dog can digest it or not. You can't digest plant fiber either, but that doesn't mean it doesn't belong in your diet. And you could be a little nicer, calling someone an idiot just because you didn't understand the point they were making just makes you look like a jerk.
Why the incivility? After all, this is a conversation about animals, not the president. Reserve your name calling until November the 6th.
One common thread to remember, is that dog's are carnivores..... simply stated, they ALL eat meat. Veggies, rice, etc. are just "fillers" that the suppliers throw in to make a greater profit. Those same suppliers will attempt to tell you how nourishing their foods are, but don't be fooled. After all, this is a profit making operation, and they'll tell you want ever it takes, to get your business.
I've had five dogs in my life... a Weimaraner, Samoyed, Grey Hound, Whippet, and an English Bull, and I've learned to stay away from commercial dog food. Admittedly, when I was a young kid, I did use kibble from one of the major suppliers years ago. Today, though..... what with all the out-sourcing, it's become a problem.
So what do I feed them? Fresh meat, chicken, and fish [without the bones]. All grilled/baked without any seasoning, salt, etc. For dairy, a grrrrreat calcium source is cottage cheese......the dogs LOVE it!! It's also high in protein, as are eggs.
Yes, it's a littler extra work, but aren't they worth it?? :)
selmers, once again nothing to add but ignorance. my alpo canned wet food has potatoes in it and my dogs digest it just fine.
A great calcium source might also be those bones that you aren't giving them. Since you are cooking everything anyway, a trip through a food processor should render the bones benign.
What? yes they can eat cooked potatoes. Plus they are in many canned dog foods.
Ever since I read a story about a woman getting Mad Cow Disease from bone meal (which is something that I put in the dog food that I make for MY dogs), I make my own, very cheaply. I was getting it at the Health food store but then I had to special order it and it was expensive. So, whenever I use an egg (which is close to 4 dozen a week (yes, I have chickens too but not that many, yet), I save the egg, rinse it out, crack it a bit more and put a bunch of shells in the oven at 250 for 2 hours and let them dry in there. I then use a coffee grinder, less than a dozen eggs will give you several tablespoons of fine bone powder, it's great for some plants too and keeps well (as long as the shells have been boiled or rinsed and dried in heat). I have read that they do use downed cattle and other animals as bonemeal - and bonemeal is very easy to inhale. The chicken egg is reliable calcium - yet it must be balanced with potassium, esp. in dogs.
Dogs, while predominately carnivores, can and do eat a variety of different food groups. Wild and domestic dogs (when left to their own devices) eat food of all kinds: meat, fish, fowl, frogs, snakes, grasses, vegetables, fruits and bugs.
I recall a story from a number of years ago regarding dogs that lived in a farming area of CA. They were getting really fat and no one could figure out why. That is until someone decided to follow the dogs around and investigate. It seems that they were raiding the nearby advocado groves.
BTW, I had an episode of illness with my own dogs related to these jerky products. I will not buy them now and if I am in the store and see other people with them I tell them about the poinsonings. (Most have no idea.) I also make my own dog food when I can: chicken breast, brown rice, green beans and/or carrots. And I make my own dog treats. If I do not have the time to do this then I bite the bullet and buy the expensive stuff that has the FEWEST ingredients, and hopefully made in the US. Of course it is getting really hard to know where many things are actually manufactured as it has become a game to the companies to see how many ways they can hide that infromation.
Personally I think the problem with these chicken jerky treats have to do with the chickens not the manufacturing.
I echo the advice offered by several in this thread. People, stop buying this CRAP from countries outside your own. Our "government" won't do anything to antagonize China; it's nothing but political intrigue and disgusting pandering to the Chinese who care nothing about anything or anybody outside of China. Get that through your heads!!! Read the labels, do some research on your own. Anf if your dog is writhing and yelping in pain - take it to the vet!!!
Ron, this isn't a shopping forum. Quit hawking your 'product'.
And the community really has no control, we can report a post as advertising but if the moderator doesn't agree it stays up. If they do agree, it is deleted. Obviously, concerning yours, they agree.
Everything you pick up in our U.S.A stores says MADE IN CHINA. I live in remote Northern Michigan and when I go to the off the road tourists shop....and pick up a statue of a bear or owl and look on the bottom MOST times it says MADE IN CHINA. This is our own fault for dealing with a people who constantly have issues with KILLING OUR ANIMALS. Remember the dog bowls/cat bowls that were tainted with some toxic crap a few years ago????? We need to make products ourselves, make them SAFE and make them in the U.S.A. ..........I mean some of these people still eat dogs in our modern age....do you think they even care????
ok word of advice do not buy dog food, treats, children's toys, or drugs from China. They do not have any quality control in that country. I bet these treats were purchased because they were the cheapest on the shelf.
BAN china made PRODUCTS !!
Let's get back to AMERICA.
R.I.P. Litlle Sweeties, and my CONDOLENCES to the owners and families.
GOOD LUCK with your Lawsuits !
Im betting $100 you're that fat woman who walks around the grocery store with your little rat dog...
YOU lost your BET SELMERS !!!
I don' have a dog.............that would be you looking in the MIRROR !
Before we put China's head on a stake, we need to remember that the US uses China as a dumping ground for the toxic stuff we don't want here NIMBY - we ship them computers, batteries, etc...they get money for taking it...they see a mountain of plastic and make it into an unsafe toy WHICH makes it through US inspection UNTIL a child or children are hurt. You have to blame the US "enforcement" as well as the Chinese (to be fair).
TROLL ALERT: yes, I'm talking to you Selmers
"Made In China" = "Use at your own risk"
Selmers, you're suspended for a month for violating #1 of the Code of Honor repeatedly.
...
Eliza-1080780, don't bother responding next time:
We should not import ANY food from China for pets or humans, or even livestock.
They have repeatedly shown that they can't be trusted...they will put PLASTIC into foodstuffs because it looks like PROTEIN when they test the protein level of the food...and they don't care that it KILLS.
China sells poison in their food. Period.
There is an easy solution to this alleged problem: boycott any product "Made in China!" Any product!!
Ahh, good ole' Chinese poison food. Nothing like it. I make sure I don't buy their poison products. They take our money and try to kill us.
Exactly.....China must see America as a bullseye......i try not to buy anything from there....keep boycotting Chinese made ANYTHING!!!!
As soon as I read that they are suing the stores that sold the treat, I realized these people are just money-hungry scumbags. The stores simply sell the packaged product. They have no responsibility to test the products they believe are safe.
You know, we ALL wish your mother had checked the safety of her condoms before she had you.
Selmers, with all due respect, you don't know what you're talking about here. Look up the term privity, if you wish to learn something about liability.
So the FDA is really saying this......If every dog in America died after eating this Death Treat and they could find nothing wrong with it......they would just let it stay on the shelf for further death? That makes sense.....Someone with a brain needs to take charge in this and ban the damn so called treat. What the Hell is wrong with people....Idiots!
The way to stop any and all of this is: stop buying any thing, ANY thing made by Purina, and stop complelty buying from the listed stores. I realize this won't bring back any of the fur babies but it WILL send a clear message to Nestles and Purina( one in the same in my eyes). The increased tempo in the FDA's ears will be heard. If this is the way they want to do things, then we have the power AND the means with which tobring them down to street level. NO MORE!
My condolences to the pet owners who have lost a loved one to these dangerous products...I am not a pet owner but i know plenty of them and i will be warning them of these products.....I know a pet can be like one of the family....Shame on the fda for not moving on this......