Warnings about chicken jerky...

[Beth Fozzie and Ember]

I just thought I would write a quick note on here to possibly save other doodle lovers some time.  I am always looking for healthy chews or treats for my dogs and I am a frequent shopper at Sams Club.  I never buy anything pet related there because I'm not that fond of their selection of healthy foods (more like a grocery store variety). 

Well, on my last visit I saw something that caught my eye...chicken jerky.  I read the ingredients and it looked great...no artificial fillers, etc...just chicken breast, vegetable glycerin and natural flavor.  I thought it would be a good treat for my 3 dogs and the big bag (40 oz) was only about $15.  I was excited.

BUT...what I failed to see is that this product is made in China!  Shame on me for not seeing that when looking at the product at the store.  I only looked after hearing about the problems recently regarding the possibility of chicken jerky originating in China making dogs sick with kidney problems.  It has not been confimred but as you can see in the article online at www.animalhealthfoundation.net/news (or other places I'm sure) it is not something that I would feed my dogs.

So, I am going to take back the rest of the bag to Sam's for a refund.  I guess I have learned a lesson in that even though the company  says "American company" their products (at least this one) are coming from overseas.  I don't know about anyone else but I do not want to feed my four legged kids anything from China.

I hope this helps other warehouse shoppers as this was a new product for Sam's Club and I'm sure there are other stores that are beginning to carry it as well.  This product is the Waggin' Train Wholesome Chicken Jerky Tenders.  I will be contacting the company as well just to let them know that I am displeased...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks Beth, this is very old news for most of us here in The Food Group. We have tons of discussions and warnings about  jerky and any other food that contains ingedients from China. Our FG co-administrator's little guy Taquito has permanent kidney damage from Waggin Train jerky.

You can buy safe chicken jerky at Trader Joe's, and there is a brand called True Chews made by Tyson in Iowa that is safe.

Many FG members make their own.

Plato brand dog treats also makes a jerky type product that is safe. Jones Naturals makes a "taffy" type soft jerky that's fine, and Zuke's has Z-filets that are jerky-like.

There is nothing that's fit to feed your dog that can be purchased at Sam's Club, Wal-mart, K-mart, Costco, Target, and other huge discount retailers, or at most grocery stores. Period. Don't even bother looking at the labels, just don't buy edible dog products there.

And yes, just because a company is based here in America, that doesn't mean their ingredients are American.

[Beth Fozzie and Ember]

Thanks Karen.  I will look to the other products.  I lover Trader Joe's but alas...none near us.  I have thought about making my own in the past week after hearing the reports about the chicken jerky.  I'm just not sure about that yet but may give it a try.  I guess I am glad I realized about the jerky now since they only had about 1/8 of the package.  I've learned my lesson!

I'm new to DK, so I didn't know about the previous discussions.  Just thought I should share my experience.  Thanks!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's always good to have the info just in case.

There is a lot of info about chicken jerky floating around the dog forums in the past week, because the FDA is finally going to investigate the issues that have been going on since 2007 involving chicken jerky from China that contains melamine and has killed approximately 70 dogs over the past 4 years.

But it's also important for all FG members to be aware that there has not been a new occurence or recall. This is only being passed around the internet because it's been in the news recently. So if you get an email or a friend posts a warning on your FB page, this is why..

There is also no new Blue Buffalo recall, this is another old issue being dredged up on-line. As always, we will notify all members immediately if there should be any recalls on any dog products.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Result of a search here in our FG discussions about Waggin' Train jerky:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topic/search?g...

Result of a search of our FG discussions on the topic of "jerky":

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topic/search?g...

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Just found another source for safe, made- in- the- U.S. dog treats including chicken and duck jerky:

Healthy Partner Pet Snacks

[Barbie]

Thanks for posting this, Beth. As I was reading, I thought, "I'm good. I bought Hartz (New Jersey based) 97% Fat Free All Natural Chicken Chews." Well, I still had the empty bag, so I snatched it out of the trash just to make sure I didn't miss anything. Sure enough, in fine print, it says "Made in China"! I am sooo not happy with myself! I need to get started making chicken chews with my new dehydrator. That'll save me a lot of hassle reading treat bags from one end to the other.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Or you could just check the FG, lol. I listed the brands that are made in the U.S. above, and linked to the discussions with brands that are safe, too.

Hartz is sold in grocery stores, so that's just about all the info you need. In general, the only safe treats are sold in specialty stores and are not the common popular brand names you've heard for years.

But making your own is a good idea, too.  

[Trudy Harlow]

Here's another source for US-made chicken and turkey jerky: http://www.TriPomChews.com