I noticed this alert and realized consumers are not paying attention to this one due to the focus on peanut butter recalls. The FDA continues to receive complaints from veterinarians about dogs becoming ill after eating chicken jerky, chicken tenders, chicken strip – type dog treats. These chicken products are sourced from China and the reports have been coming in since 2007. No recalls have been issued because the products and source haven’t been pinned down. Just wanted to keep this in front of you. Any time someone tells me their dog has has vomiting or diarrhea, I always ask what they are feeding. If you’re feeding chicken strips and your dog becomes ill, take him to the vet along with this FDA alert.
Preliminary Animal Health Notification
December 19, 2008
FDA Continues To Receive Complaints about Chicken Jerky Products for Dogs and Cautions Consumers
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to caution consumers of a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats. FDA continues to receive complaints of dogs experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products. The chicken jerky products are imported to the U.S. from China. FDA issued a cautionary warning to consumers in September 2007.
Australian news organizations report the University of Sydney is also investigating an association between illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky in Australia. At least one firm in Australia has recalled their chicken jerky product and the recall notification stated the chicken jerky product was manufactured in China.
FDA believes the continued trend of consumer complaints coupled with the information obtained from Australia warrants an additional reminder and animal health notification.
Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be
used occasionally and in small quantities. Owners of small dogs must be especially careful to limit the amount of these products.
FDA, in addition to several veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the U.S, is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA has conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified any contaminant.
FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs which may occur within hours to days of feeding the product: decreased appetite, although some may continue to consume the treats to the exclusion of other foods; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.
The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html in their state.
Filed under: Holistic Pet Food | Tagged: dog food, dog treats, Dogs, fda, linkedin, Pet Food, recall
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I have been feeding my 11 year old dog chicken jerky from Costco, the brand is Kingdom Pets. My dog became weak and began drinking a lot of water and started urinating in the house, which was totally out of character for him as he is well trained. We thought it was a bladder infection, which it was, but bloodwork revealed he had a severe increase in his blood nitrogen and creatinine. Our Vet warned us about dog food from China and upon our investigation sure enough the Jerky treats were from China. I read a lot of information , on the net, and then calledthe FDA, Camile Bennett-Hoffman who did a very in depth questionaire regarding my complaint, she was extremely detailed and caring, explained what the FDA is doing and treated me with respect. I then called Jim Senagal, the CEO of COSTCO, to let him know that he should look into this product, I was very positive and not reactionary as I only wanted to let him know this product could be hurting dogs. Mr. Senegal had Craig Wilson, VP of food safety call me to investigate. He outlined all the tests for microbials and organics ( ie; melamine and phosphates) that both Kingdom Pets and COSTCO does on the products, which by the way are made from a #1 grade chicken breast. He explained that older dogs cannot metabolize so much protein and as a result develop kidney disease. We had been feeding DEANO 4 – 6 Jerky treats a day, way to much for him to handle. COSTCO had the President of Kingdom Pets call me and explain their production process. I feel confident that all three parties truely cared about the health of my dog and this situation. I believe the problem was that we were feeding an older dog too much protein and that the Kingdom Pets brand of Chicken Jerky treats are fine when given in small volumes as a treat, not a food supplement. Please consider how old and How much before giving your four legged family member any kind of a treat.