Waggin' Train Chicken Tenders

[Toni Petersen]

Does anyone have any knowledge on these chicken dog treats.  My dog loves them but I'm concerned where the chickens are raised and what they are fed.  The package says "Made in China, Waggin'Train is an American owned company and operates US-managed facilities".  Is that good enough?  Before I call Waggin'Train I was wondering if anyone has any comments. 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

DO NOT FEED. They import ingredients from China. My chihuahua suffers from kidney damage because of those (he almost died, trust me). They had melamine in them during the recalls in 2007. Run away...do not walk.

Glad you asked.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

I have to agree with Allyson, its just not worth it to take the chance. There are many treats out there. I always error on the side of caution ;-)

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Never chance it - we know Dogswell is good. Try to find some of those, Toni!
http://www.dogswell.com/stores

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There have been numerous consumer complaints and recalls on this product. Walmart even pulled them from the shelves in 2008. There are reports of dogs developing kidney problems from them on-line.
There's really a problem with any dog food or treat that does not make the ingredients available on-line. I would avoid this product, and anything made by Waggin' Train LLC or it's affiliate ADI Pet, like the plague.
We have lots of treat recommendations in the Food Group. There are many safe brands of chicken jerky available from other companies.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

I just want to verify that the complaints that I am seeing on the internet about Waggin Train are from 2007 and that the treats and the company were investigated after the food recalls (I am looking for backup and will post it if and when I find it...If Karen doesn't find it first...lol...).....I have a bag of the treats here myself purchased at Costco and the ingredients listed on the bag are human grade chicken filet and vegetable glycerin derived from palm and coconut oil. I do recall that both Walmart and Costco pulled them from their shelves during the investigation and that both are now carrying the treats again.

Waggin’ Train/ADI Assures Customers Chicken Jerky Treats For Dogs Are Safe
ADI, the manufacturer of Waggin’ Train brand of treats, sent Itchmo this statement this morning in regards to their pet treats:

Is chicken jerky the issue or feeding too much the problem?

ADI Pet Anderson, SC – September 26, 2007 —

In response to a statement issued by the FDA regarding the potential association between over feeding chicken jerky in general and the reported 70 complaints of dogs having illnesses like diarrhea and vomiting, Jerry Peters, President of ADI Pet, Inc. issued the following statement:

“As Dog lovers ourselves, ADI Pet understands how this summer’s pet food recalls have created a greater sense of concern about pet foods in general. This concern for safety, in some cases, may be a contributing factor to overfeeding treats and more specifically healthy treats like chicken jerky that is high in protein and low in fat rather than maintaining a balanced diet with a dog food that would provide a dog the total daily nutritional needs.

“Most of the complaints that have been reported to ADI are from dog owners who have far exceeded the acceptable norm of treat feeding, generally considered only 5% of the dogs’ daily intake. If Dog owners have reviewed chicken jerky ingredients they may feel that a diet of predominately of chicken jerky is a suitable substitute for Dog Food and of course that is not appropriate.


“ADI Pet manufactures the Waggin’ Train Brand of treats using facilities and safety protocols for human food preparation so that the highest quality can be maintained for our pets. In addition, our treats have been tested extensively by FDA as well as third party laboratories and Waggin’ Train has not had a single incident of any contamination including; E coli, salmonella, heavy metals, melamine, and numerous other chemical contaminants. Waggin’ Train Brand was founded on delivering natural, meat-based treats that dogs love and has a history of providing safe treats without EVER having a single recall or contamination over its five year history of selling millions of pounds of Waggin’ Train Brand Chicken Jerky Treats providing healthy snacks to over 7 million dogs daily.

“Here are the facts about Waggin’ Train Brand Treats:

• Waggin’ Train brand is manufactured using human-grade food standards.
• Waggin Train Chicken Jerky is continuously tested by independent laboratories that are highly reputable and conducting the food safety testing for KFC, McDonalds, Red Bull, Coca-Cola, and P&G, to name a few.
• In the five year history of the company, Waggin’ Train has never experienced a single incident of chemical or bacterial contamination.
• The FDA has informed ADI/Waggin Train that it conducted stringent tests (heavy metals, antibiotics, Aflotoxin, melamine, e.coli, etc) on Waggin’ Train chicken jerky and found zero contaminants.
• An all natural, high protein, low fat treat like Waggin’ Train Brand chicken jerky is a healthy way to add treats to a dog’s daily diet, but should not be substituted as a meal and especially should not be given as a primary food to sick dogs because it is simply more palatable.

“The concern caused by premature reporting has alarmed the many dog owners who have come to trust our product safety and who feed their dogs appropriately. We are the market leader for this type of product, so of course we are pained by the fact that many pet owners are concerned about their dogs’ favorite treats. Since we are also the company who has, we believe, been the market leader in pet treat safety particularly in China, this is painfully ironic.

“We stand by the fact that Waggin’ Train Chicken Jerky Treats are completely safe for the millions of dogs in the United States that eat them daily.”

The company has a news and information blog at www.waggintrainblog.com at which it will continue to inform the public.

ADI Pet, Inc.
[phone]

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

FDA Investigates Jerky Treats from China

http://www.carolonpets.com/blog/avoiding-disease/fda-investigates-j...

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has recently been made aware of several complaints from pet owners and veterinarians that multiple brands of jerky treats manufactured in China have been making pets sick. Symptoms of illness have included vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. To their knowledge, no deaths have been reported.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently testing these treats to see if a contaminant can be found. So far they have ruled out melamine, one of the chemicals that led to the massive pet food recall this spring, but have yet to identify anything that might be making pets sick.

While a list of brand/product names of affected treats is not yet available, the AVMA has learned that all complaints have involved jerky treats from China. They recommend that pet owners use their best judgment in this matter and continue to consult their veterinarian updates.

Diplomats in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), who specialize in kidney and urinary tract disorders, had become aware of an unusual number of dogs with very similar presenting complaints and test results associated with dogs eating jerky treats from a variety of brands. No cats have been reported to date.

They report that these are typically small dogs that present with a history of vomiting, lethargy and a lack of appetite. They have all eaten jerky treats (mostly chicken jerky) within a few weeks prior to becoming ill. Physical examination has been relatively unremarkable. Blood chemistry tests in many of the cases has revealed low potassium and mildly increased liver enzymes. Blood gas analysis indicated acidosis. Urine tests have consistently shown sugar in the urine and granular casts. These findings suggested an acquired Fanconi syndrome. Fanconi tests on urine, when submitted, have been positive. The Metabolic Genetic Disease Testing Laboratory at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania can run urine screens for generalized amino aciduria and lactic aciduria tests of Fanconi Syndrome and other causes of PRTA. The most common severe abnormalities appear to be acidosis and low potassium, which is called hypokalemia. Liberal potassium supplementation appears to be warranted during hospitalization and often needs to be continued once pets return home. Most of the dogs did not require long term bicarbonate supplementation, although this should be considered based on repeated blood gas analyses. Kidney failure does not appear to be a consistent finding and therefore cases may be missed in the absence of a urinalysis.

The vast majority of dogs have recovered from their acute disease. All clinical signs of disease including sugar in the urine, which is called glycosuria, have resolved in many of the patients within a few weeks.

The cause of this kidney and gastro-intestinal toxicity remains under investigation. Veterinarians should seek a thorough dietary history including treats when presented with a dog presenting with a sudden onset of vomiting and/or diarrhea or dogs with signs of increased drinking and/or urination. Diagnostics should include a general blood screen and urinalysis. Treatment consisting of supportive care, Electrolyte and blood gas monitoring should be used if this acquired Fanconi syndrome is identified.

For further recommendations and assistance on a case by case basis, veterinarians and owners may wish to consult a small animal internist in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in their community.

[laurie lehr]

I agree, made in china is really bad !

[Kyoko]

I would not give anything that were "Made in China"!!!

[Toni Petersen]

Thank you Kyoko and everyone else that responded to my inquiry. We just got back from out of town and I was anxious to hear your comments. I don't think I need to call Waggin'Train, I got all the information I needed from DK to stop giving Morgan these chicken treats. Thanks again for all the info.