I ran this idea by Karen this morning and she thought it would be a good idea, so...
This discussion is for current recall information only. In the interest of staying informed without unnecessary panic please try to verify with a credible source that the information is fact. For posting recall info. please open your reply with the brand/manufacture name. Additionally it would be very helpful if you credit your source or any others you find pertaining to it and to include the date the information was released. Many thanks to all who will share here = )
Friday, December 19, 2008
Chicken Jerky Dog Treats: An FDA Update
December 19, 2008
Last week, we reported on a mysterious kidney ailment occurring in Australian dogs, which appeared to be linked to Kramar brand chicken jerky dog treats. Kramar announced a precautionary recall of the treats, even though no one has yet been able to determine the exact cause of the ailment.
The chicken jerky treats were manufactured in China.
In our report, we mentioned that a similar problem had arisen in the United States in 2007, and that FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine had issued a warning to pet owners. As in the Australian situation, the treats were imported from China, and the contaminant that triggered the kidney symptoms could not be found.
Today, the Center for Veterinary Medicine has issued a new Preliminary Animal Health Notification on this same problem. According to CVM, the agency has continued to receive complaints about pet illnesses linked to chicken jerky treats. Unfortunately, CVM appears to be no closer to solving the mystery.
CVM has issued this new warning to alert pet owners who choose to give these treats to their dogs to watch for the development of any of the following symptoms, which may appear hours or days after a dog has eaten these treats. Small dogs appear to be especially susceptible.
* decreased appetite (dog may continue to eat the treat but refuse usual food)
* decreased activity level
* vomiting
* diarrhea - sometimes with blood
* increased water consumption and/or increased urination
A dog that displays any of these symptoms after having eaten chicken jerky treats should be seen by a veterinarian if the symptoms are severe or if they persist longer than 24 hours.
FDA is continuing its investigation into possible chemical or microbiological contaminants in the chicken jerky treats. The agency urges dog owners and veterinarians to report any pet food- associated illnesses to the FDA Consumer Coordinator in their state.
OMG! At least now I know why I had to put down my Annie and my Haley. (Sisters from the same parents, less than 6 years old.) We couldn't figure out what was going on!! 2 of our three babies experienced all of the symptoms mentioned above. The vet was also baffled. They finally just pretty much faded on us and were so sick we had no alternative. I had just lost my mom so it was especially difficult to see my little ones go through being so very ill. One other thing we also experienced with Annie was convulsions. This was an avoidable error. Horrible! Just horrible!
It's pretty sad, Jerri and I am so sorry you had to go through it. Now you know...and when we know better, we do better. I said the same thing when my beautiful, Magic went through it. The vet also had no clue. We, here in The Food Group, are now armed and don't leave it to Big Dog Food to do the right thing. Good Luck with your education!
Thanks a bunch Lynne. It was devastating to loose my girls-what's worse is to find out That it's my fault. I have switched the basic food they eat to Blue Buffalo, which the other two are doing extremely well on. What I am having trouble with is the doggie treats. I want to keep the weight in check and at the same time give them something that they will be happy with.
This problem with poisoned food is so out of hand. Lynne, aren't there laws?
There are laws, but not strict enough or cover what any pet lover would want covered. Most of the crap in the foods is actually allowed by law.
The Dogswell Jerky treats are low in fat and as safe as we could ascertain. Dehydrated sweet potatoes are liked by many dogs. Not mine, sadly. There's a recipe in The DK Cookbook for liver treats that dogs go nuts for, that I think are pretty low in fat.
AND it is NOT your fault. We believed the garbage we were taught by Big DF Companies and maybe at one time they might have had a dogs best interests at heart but now it's PROFITS and cheap ingredients. DO NOT PLACE THE BLAME ON YOURSELF. If you knew, you wouldn't have fed it...Now you do know!
Another chicken jerky treat warning taken from the ILA website. This is not in the U.S. but for our Australian members as well as for those that follow such things regardless of geographical location I wanted to share:
KRAMAR PULLS DOGFOOD AFTER POISON REPORT
The importer of a Chinese-made chicken dog treat has today voluntarily recalled the product, after reports of kidney damaging illnesses in dogs around Australia. The company KraMar has withdrawn Supa Naturals Chicken breast strips, which it says is one of Australia's highest selling dog snacks. A statement issued by KraMar says the withdrawal is a precaution.
Video: Vets warned of possible pet food poisoning (ABC News)
Video: Dog treat pulled off shelves (ABC News)
PS I just a day ago saw chicken jerky treat made in china on the shelves of a local health food store. I did share of the warnings on the FDA site of which they had no idea and were grateful for the information.
This really shouldn't surprise anyone anymore. Their products are: Pedigree, Whole Meats, Cesar, The Good Life Recipie, Sheba and Whiskas. Don't use these items. It's as simple as that.
Also Wegman's, Ol' Roy, and a lot of other names I'm unfamiliar with, a lot of them store brands. Walmart's products, in particular, seem to be heavily involved.