Pet Care Tips and Information for Dog and Cat Owners

The same way you probably want to avoid children’s toys from China, you should avoid chicken jerky treats from China. There are just too many complaints about these products making children and our pets sick. There have been problems with chicken treats made from China since 2007, and the complaints are on the rise again.

You would think that feeding a natural chicken treat is good for your dog, and you would be right. This should be a healthy treat for your pets.

However, these treats are making dogs sick, even resulting in the deaths of some animals. While the FDA has tested these treats, they still are unsure of the cause, so it would be best just to avoid them altogether.

Read more about Chicken Jerky Treats from China.

What is the FDA finding?

The FDA has been receiving reports for many years, and in 2007 actually issued a warning about feeding your dogs chicken jerky treats made in China.

Complaints dropped off for a few years, but again in 2011, complaints about these treats making people’s dogs ill began to rise again, and continued to rise.

Signs of Illness

1. Diarrhea
2. Decreased appetite
3. Lethargy
4. Increased water consumption
5. Increased urine output

There have been some reported deaths related to feeding these jerky treats. The FDA has continued to caution owners about chicken jerky products.

The FDA has tested many different chicken jerky treats from China for heavy metals, Salmonella, pesticides, rodenticides, mycotoxins, and a host of other chemical and and poisonous compounds. They have not found any heavy metals in the products, and are still waiting for the final results of all the other tests.

There are no specific brands are indicated, and because there have been no definitive results, there have been no recalls either.

How Can I Protect My Dog?

1. The first thing you should do is to avoid feeding any chicken jerky treat to your dog that is made in China. Look at the packaging to see where the treats are made. If you are not sure where exactly the treats are made, I would avoid them.
2. Do not feed chicken jerky treats from an open bin, where it is impossible to see where they were made.
3. Keep an eye on your dog after feeding any chicken jerky treats. If they begin to display any of the signs described above, such as diarrhea, vomiting, etc., talk to your vet and stop feeding the treats.
4. If your vet can determine that the treat may have caused the illness, file a compliant with the FDA.

Make sure you protect your dog’s health. If your dog becomes ill, your vet may do kidney lab tests, and your dog may present Fanconi-like symptoms.

Be sure to tell your vet everything you have been feeding your dog, especially the chicken treats. Read more about the chicken jerky treats from China here.

{ 3 comments }