FDA issues update on jerky pet treat investigation

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an update February 19 on its ongoing investigation into pet illnesses and deaths in animals that ate jerky pet treats.

As of September 30, 2014, FDA received approximately 5,000 complaints of illness associated with consumption of chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats, most of which involve products imported from China. The reports involve more than 5,800 dogs, 25 cats, three people, and include more than 1,000 canine deaths.
These numbers include approximately 270 complaints received since FDA’s last update in May 2014. This is a significant decrease from the previous period (October 2013 to May 2014), in which FDA had received 1,800 complaints.
Because of the sharp reduction in complaints, FDA is tentatively planning to shift from a biannual routine reporting cycle to issuing annual updates. This shift in reporting cycles does not mean that FDA is reducing its effort to investigate the cause of these illnesses; the agency continues to devote significant resources to its investigation, and will post non-routine updates if notable events occur.
Although it is impossible to determine in every case whether the events reported were in fact caused by eating jerky pet treats, FDA continues to believe that there is an association between some of the reports and consumption of jerky pet treats.
The agency continues to caution pet owners that jerky pet treats are not required for a balanced diet, and encourage them to consult with their veterinarians, both prior to feeding treats and if they notice symptoms in their pets.
FDA continues to devote significant resources to this investigation and to work with its Vet-LIRN partners to gather and analyze new information as it becomes available. If your pet has experienced signs of illness that you suspect is related to jerky pet treats, please report it to FDA. While FDA does not necessarily respond to every individual complaint submitted, each report is valuable and becomes part of the body of knowledge that helps to inform our investigation.

RECALL: Big Bark All Natural Beef Jerky Treats recalled for Salmonella

The company has recalled about 200 bags of the jerky treats. The recalled product was manufactured and distributed between September 20, 2014, and January 2, 2015, without any lot codes.

Big Bark All Natural Beef Jerky Treats for Dogs, made by Grill-Phoria L.L.C. of Loveland, Colorado, USA, has tested positive for Salmonella after routine testing by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.


The company has recalled about 200 bags of the jerky treats. The recalled product was manufactured and distributed between September 20, 2014, and January 2, 2015, without any lot codes.
No illnesses have been associated with the recalled treats.
Grill-Phoria said it has stopped production and distribution of the treats while it investigates what caused the positive test results.
Consumers who have purchased the recalled treats are urged to return the product to the store from which it was purchased and request a full refund.
Big Bark All Natural Beef Jerky Treats for Dogs were distributed in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Oklahoma through Nor-Sky Pet Supply L.L.C. through independent pet stores. The product is under the Big Bark label and is in a stand-up pouch that is 3.5 oz. in weight and labeled as All Natural Beef Jerky Treat.
Pets affected by Salmonella may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have decreased appetite and abdominal pain.

Petco to stop sales of China-made dog and cat treats

Petco will stop carrying China-made dog and cat treats at its more than 1,300 store locations nationwide, including Unleashed by Petco stores and online at Petco.com, by the end of 2014.

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"We know some pet parents are wary of dog and cat treats made in China, especially chicken jerky products, and we've heard their concerns," said Jim Myers, Petco CEO. "As a leader in the industry and the trusted partner for our pet parents, we're eager to make this transition and to expand our assortment of safe and healthy treats, the majority of which are made right here in the US. Very simply, we feel this decision is in the best interest of the pets we all love and, ultimately, for our business."
Since 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has periodically cautioned consumers about a potential link between reported illnesses in dogs and the consumption of jerky products made in China. However, the FDA has been unable to identify a direct link between the reported illnesses and the China-made treats, and has not recommended a recall of jerky products. 
"We've been following the FDA warnings and related customer concerns closely, and we've been actively reducing our China-made assortment and expanding our American-made offerings for several years now," said Myers. "We know the FDA hasn't yet identified a direct cause for the reported illnesses, but we decided the uncertainty of the situation outweighs the lack of actual proof. It has taken some time and careful thought to get to this point, but we're proud to make the change and we believe our customers will be pleased with it as well."
The final stage of the transition will begin in September and is expected to be complete by the end of 2014, marking the end of a multi-year process in which Petco has been working with vendors and suppliers to offer more safe and healthy alternatives to treats made in China. 
Pet parents looking for alternatives to China-made dog or cat treats will find a broad selection of USA-made products at Petco. The company also carries a number of safe and long lasting treats and chews from other regions of the world on its shelves, including New Zealand, Australia and South America.

China pet jerky treats now linked to three human illnesses

Pet jerky treats, mostly imported from China, are now linked to three human illnesses in addition to the more than 1,000 dog deaths and 4,800 dog illnesses reported, according to reports.

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Unfortunately, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it still can't identify a specific cause for the illnesses and deaths, in spite of seven years of testing and investigation. “The agency continues to caution pet owners that jerky treats are not required for a balanced diet and encourage them to consult with their veterinarians, both prior to feeding treats and if they notice symptoms in their pets,” said FDA.
The humans who consumed the treats included two toddlers who ingested them accidentally and an adult who may have been snacking on the questionable products, which include chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats, an FDA official said. One of the children was diagnosed with a Salmonella infection, and the other developed gastrointestinal illness and fever that mirrored the symptoms of dogs in the house that also ate the treats. The adult reported nausea and headache.
About 60% of the cases (which overall include 5,600 dogs and 24 cats) involve symptoms of gastrointestinal trouble and liver disease, 30% involve kidney disease and about 10% involve other complaints, including neurological and skin conditions, said the FDA. About 15% of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare disease that has been associated with the treats. The FDA plans to join with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a study similar to epidemiological traceback investigations used with people, comparing foods eaten by sick dogs with foods eaten by pets that did not get sick.

Jerky treat pet deaths still under investigation

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still investigating the illnesses and deaths of several hundred dogs that began in 2007 and are suspected to be the result of contaminated chicken jerky pet treats manufactured in China.

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The FDA continues to seek leads from veterinarians and pet owners-roughly 1,500 reports have some in since an appeal for information in the fall of 2013. "We are frustrated," said Martine Hartogensis, who oversees the FDA's ongoing investigation. "It's been a long, winding, twisting road . . . [But] we haven't given up." 
The FDA says it has tested more than 1,200 jerky treats, looking for Salmonella, mold, pesticides, toxic metals, outlawed antibiotics, nephrotoxins and other contaminants. Federal officials have inspected factories in China that manufacture chicken jerky products for U.S. companies and sought input from academics, state and university research labs, foreign governments and the petfood industry. In spite of all that, the cause of the illnesses has not yet been found.
According to the FDA, the illnesses overwhelmingly affect dogs but some cats have also been made ill. The majority of complaints involve chicken jerky but also include treats in which chicken or duck jerky is wrapped around dried fruit, sweet potatoes or yams. Officials said there's no clear pattern based on breed or geography-pets have been sickened in every state, as well as in countries such as Australia-and the problems don't seem specific to any particular brand or manufacturer.
The FDA said it is determined to find answers. "They want to solve it more than anything," said Hartogensis. "I'm confident we'll get there. It's a really complicated issue, but we've got a lot of great people working on it. And I think we're getting closer."

Food & Water Watch delivers petition on China pet treats

Food & Water Watch has delivered a petition on behalf of "animal parents" to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) against pet treats and food made in China. It wants the agency to implement Section 211 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that would inform consumers about the dangers of these treats. Under that rule, grocery stores will have to post notices in conspicuous places telling consumers about contaminated food products, including petfood.

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Terry Safranek, a founding member of Animal Parents Against Pet Treats & Food Made in China (APAPTFMIC), said in a statement, "I lost my beloved dog Sampson in January 2012 to poisonous pet jerky treats made in China. 
Since 2007, FDA has reported that 600 dogs have died and over 4,600 have gotten sick and the common denominator is that all of these pets consumed imported jerky treats from China. While I appreciate the effort that the agency has made to look at this problem, China is still being permitted to export these products to the U.S. and we are no closer to finding out what is killing our pets. FDA should ban these products from coming into our country until we figure out what is going on. Short of that, FDA should implement this section of FSMA that would inform consumers of the dangers of these products."

Facebook group warning pet owners not to buy jerky treats from China

A Facebook group called Animal Parents Against Pet Treats and Food Made in China is warning pet owners about jerky treats from China that are under investigation by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The group is attaching warnings to packages of these treats in stores that read: "Beware! FDA investigates pet treats from CHINA. Thousands of complaints filed. Hundreds of deaths reported."
As of September 24, more than 3,600 dogs and 10 cats have reportedly become ill and 580 of these died from eating jerky treats, most of which came from China, said Linda Tollefson, associate commissioner for FDA's Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine. However, FDA has been unable to isolate a contaminant so a recall for the treats has not been issued. 

Pet jerky treats not necessarily cause for alarm, veterinary pathobiology professor says

On October 22, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an update on its investigation into pet illnesses associated with pet jerky treats from China, along with a request to veterinarians for their assistance in identifying pets that were potentially sickened as a result of consuming the tainted pet treats. Tim Evans, an associate professor of veterinary pathobiology at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine and a veterinary toxicologist, says that while pet owners should be aware of this issue and watchful for signs of illness in pets that have been consuming these treats on a regular basis, it is not a cause for alarm for the majority of dogs and cats.
According to Evans: "While the loss of any pet is tragic, only a very small percentage of pets has been affected by this strange illness during the past six years.
"If pet owners have been feeding their dogs or cats jerky treats containing chicken, duck, sweet potatoes and/or dried fruits, I would recommend they stop feeding the animals the treats immediately and monitor their pets' health. While there may not be a cause for immediate alarm, owners of small-breed dogs that have consumed these treats on a regular basis, especially those with pre-existing health conditions, might want to have their pet examined by their regular veterinarian and have some laboratory testing performed. If an owner's pet should begin to show signs of illness, such as decreased appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or increased water consumption and urination, owners should immediately bring their pets in for evaluation by a veterinarian, because the sooner this illness is detected, the better the chances that it can be treated effectively."
Evans says the primary illness stemming from these tainted treats involves kidney disease and failure if the illness progresses without treatment. Evans believes that while this issue has been occurring since 2007, it does not mean FDA has been negligent.
"The FDA and scientists around the country have been working on this problem tirelessly for many years, but it has been a very difficult process because no obvious ingredients in the jerky treats have been found to cause this illness," Evans said. "Hopefully with this latest call for help from veterinarians nationwide, the FDA will collect enough information soon to determine why this illness is occurring."
Because jerky treats are not a part of an essential diet for any pet, Evans recommends that pet owners refrain from feeding them to their pets if they are concerned about this illness. He also recommends regular annual checkups for pets, including baseline blood work as the animals get older. He says this will help veterinarians catch any potential health issues before they escalate into more serious problems.