Monday, November 28, 2011

Chicken jerky treats from China may sicken dogs, FDA warns

The US Food and Drug Administration is warning pet owners to be award of chicken jerky products from China that may be associated with reports of Fanconi-like syndrome in dogs.
In its alert to dog owners, FDA says chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are only intended to be fed occasionally, in small quantities.
FDA advises consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to monitor them closely for any or all of the following Fanconi-like symptoms that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, pet owners should stop feeding the chicken jerky product and consult a veterinarian if signs are severe or last for more than 24 hours. Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports have involved dogs that have died, according to FDA.
FDA and several US animal health diagnostic laboratories are working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Response Network is available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not yet identified a contaminant. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with petfoods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state or go to www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints

1 comment:

  1. I just worked a craft show over Thanksgiving weekend. I had flyers about the recent 2011 FDA warning about Chinese chicken treats and was giving them out and educating anyone I could stop who answered "yes" to the question, "do you have a dog or cat?"

    A groomer I spoke with that weekend told me that she had a client whose dog just passed away from Chinese chicken. I can only imagine how devastated that family must be...

    If you’re looking for a REAL 'American Made' chicken treat, we started making our own Chicken Jerky after we ran across the FDA warning of 2008 about Chinese chicken treats making dogs sick or killing them. It turned into a cottage business and we now sell our TriPom Chews online and in 20 stores in the New England area. Our products are the only 'Maine Made', 'American Made', chicken jerky produced from whole, restaurant-quality chicken breasts containing NO Additives and NO Preservatives. We had to make them super wholesome as our 3 Pomeranians (our babies) taste test every batch for quality.

    We offer a healthy, SAFE alternative treat to ones that are making dogs sick or killing them. There are so many brands implicated in making pets ill that Pet Parents are looking for an 'American Made' treat they can trust. We're just trying to get the word out...

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