Pet jerky treat death toll: 360 dogs, 1 cat, FDA says

[StarryNite]

Source: NBC News

Pet jerky treat death toll: 360 dogs, 1 cat, FDA says

By JoNel Aleccia, NBC News

At least 360 dogs and one cat reportedly have died in the U.S. after eating chicken jerky pet treats made in China, even as claims of illnesses tied to the products have topped 2,200, federal veterinary health officials said.

Food and Drug Administration officials this week issued the first summary of reports of pet deaths linked to the jerky treats in the past 18 months, along with the strongest suggestion to date that owners might want to avoid the products all together.

“The FDA is reminding pet owners that jerky pet treats are not necessary for pets to have a fully balanced diet, so eliminating them will not harm pets,” agency officials said in an online report.

At the same time, the FDA said it will begin testing treats to see whether irradiation of the products may have contributed to reports of treat-related problems ranging from diarrhea and vomiting to kidney failure, Fanconi syndrome and death.

Read more: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/14/13865945-pet-jerky-treat-death-toll-360-dogs-1-cat-fda-says?lite

[dipsydoodle]

1. So sad.

.

[StarryNite]

2. It never ends....

[dipsydoodle]

4. I've got four cats here in the UK.

All house cats - they don't know what outdoors is. I'd be really pissed if anything happened to any of them. I've noticed that with wet food in sachets the composition visibly changes from time to time implying that manufacturers probably change suppliers to suit themselves occasionally so's you don't know whether still ok or not.

[Jim__]

3. I just threw out a package of jerky treats for my dog. Thanks for posting.

[Systematic Chaos]

5. Can we make a new reality show?

My idea would involve taking the motherfuckers responsible for shit like this and making them eat their own product until they slowly and painfully die from it. It would be televised on a special set of channels, globally, 24/7.

How long do you think it would take before shit like this stopped damn near altogether?

[tclambert]

6. Why does China hate our pets?

[PearliePoo2]

7. So much toxic junk from China

this just makes me sick and so sad. Poor animals are being poisoned.
ALWAYS check the country of origin. If it says "China", it may be deadly. DON'T buy it.

[NCarolinawoman]

44. My local pet supply store has a sign in their window saying:

NONE OF OUR PRODUCTS are made in CHINA.

Smart people there.

[MrsBrady]

8. I read the article...and the story in the story seems to be China is in charge more than the FDA.

and it seems to me the FDA is letting China
get away with a bunch of stuff.

If they won't let us test the food, we shouldn't allow it in....seems pretty simple to me.

I also realize the FDA is probably understaffed and underfunded...but this is
part of the problem.

[DWinNJ]

13. Vote republican

I’m sure they have a plan to make sure the FDA is properly funded.

[MrsBrady]

24. I'm assuming that you

forgot this:

Because I'm assuming you don't mean to insinuate I should vote republican.

[meti57b]

9. I don't give my cats anything like that ....

I will have to check my two local pet supply superstores to see if they carry it, and if so, I'll complain to them about it.

[formercia]

21. It may have been Nixon who opened the door to China

but it was the Bush Gang that really started the outsourcing craze.

[tabasco]

12. If that shit killed my dog

I'd fly to China and whack some fuckers.

[oliverrams1]

15. tabasco

This is a serious subject. I love my dog and give her treats, but I just read your post and can't stop laughing.

[tabasco]

19. Good!

[Auggie]

14. I have huge issues buying any kind of food from China

[Brickbat]

16. I buy no food made in China. Read the labels, people.

[KurtNYC]

17. Until I got 2 labs I had no idea that people carry treats in their pockets and

practically demand to give them to your dog. I have had people just reach in their pocket and give my dog something without asking. One time they tried to sneak it past me and I wound up fishing it out of the back of my dog's mouth.

I don't understand the fascination with feeding dogs treats for NOTHING. Every time you feed a dog it is training them, in this case training them to beg from and go after any food in the hands of strangers.

When I read about these recalls (and lack thereof) it makes me more vigilant in protecting my dogs from this crap even at the risk of seeming like a jerk to some well meaning people.

[kas125]

25. LOL, I forgot that the day before yesterday when the pit bull from across the street,

who is a big goofy seven month old puppy with a huge head & a big smile got loose. My next door neighbor was out working in his front yard and was terrified. I went and got one of my dog treats, petted the dog and got him to follow me to his house by holding the treat above his head. I gave it to him after I'd put him back in his yard and shut the gate. I had to take him back home seven more times that day, he kept finding a different way to get out each time to come back looking for more.

[Cooley Hurd]

18. My SO buys what are labeled "natural" chicken strips - brand is "Dogswell"

I checked the label this morning, and they're made in China. I tossed them immediately! My Schnoodle, Logan, has been eating them for the last 2 weeks, and had a bad bout of nausea on Wednesday.

Jesus...

[OnyxCollie]

20. Treats for my dogs include

green pepper, string cheese, and brussels sprouts.

Dogs don't need that processed crap.

[Cleita]

22. Be safe. Make your own.

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/pet-friendly-dog-recipes/turkey-jerky

[retrogal]

27. Thanks for the link...

I just got a 'rescue' dog about a month ago and he loves treats. I will be making his treats now.

I am sick to my stomach that this stuff continues to come here from China. I don't even know why the US and other countries are allowing anything to come from China.

[Cleita]

28. I'm not surprised about the pet food, because our policies seem to consider

animals inferior and not subject to the same protections as humans. But I have found so much in the store made in China, not Chinese or ethnic stuff which you would expect, but food we normally eat like Jello cups, that are made in China. I started reading labels a long time ago.

btw. Welcome to DU!

[StarryNite]

29. It infuriates me when people say

"It's just a dog". Or "It's just an animal". I guess people that say that are too stupid to realize that humans are animals too. We've all found ourselves sharing this same planet and it might be a whole different and brighter existence for all of us if humans learned to respect other creatures.

[Cleita]

30. I couldn't agree more.

Things are better for animals than they were in the forties when I was a kid, but we still have a long way to go.

[StarryNite]

31. The phenomenon of grieving dogs

Did you see this...

The phenomenon of grieving dogs: The ultimate loyalty [Updated]
By The Week's Editorial Staff | The Week – Fri, Sep 14, 2012

Living up to the title of man's best friend, these dogs face danger and death to stay near the ones they love

In the face of disaster, danger, and death, some dogs live up to their reputations as man's best friend with heart-wrenching acts of loyalty. Capitan, a German shepherd, proves how faithful he is on a daily basis. The dog has slept on the grave of his late master in a cemetery in Argentina every night for six years. "Dogs go through grief, just as we do," said Sarah Wilson, an animal behavior expert, in People. "It's all a part of being attached and loved." Here, 11 dogs whose courageous and loyal actions say more than words:

1) Capitan: Faithful forever
Miguel Guzman bought Capitan for his son, Damian, in 2005. After Guzman died the next year, Capitan disappeared. A week after the funeral, the family returned to the cemetery in central Argentina and found Capitan there, howling. The heartbroken dog had found the cemetery and tomb on his own, and has lived there ever since, sleeping on Guzman's grave "I've tried to bring Capitan home several times," Damian, 13, says, "but he always comes straight back... He's looking after my dad."

SEE MORE: America's first pet-obesity clinic: A guide

2) Hawkeye: Loyal to the end
Hawkeye the chocolate Lab's owner — 35-year-old Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson — died in the August 6, 2011, helicopter crash that killed 38 American servicemen. Roughly 1,500 mourners came out to a local high school gym in Iowa to pay their respects, and all eyes were on the heartbreaking display of devotion as Hawkeye, unwilling to leave the side of Tumilson's casket, seemed to grieve for his fallen friend. (Watch the video here.)

3) Kirby: Going the distance
In early August 2011, Kirby, a small black dog whose owner recently died, went missing from his new home. The little pup was found soon after, sitting by his owner's grave, having walked miles to find it.

More at;
http://news.yahoo.com/phenomenon-grieving-dogs-ultimate-loyalty-070000244.html

[dipsydoodle]

33. No I hadn't seen it but thank you for posting.

[Cleita]

36. I have seen that in person, a dog grieving for its dead human companion.

It's heartbreaking. Animals need to see the dead body whether human or another animal companion, to sniff it and know it's dead. As weird as it sounds, it gives them closure and they will grieve but not as much as they will, if the person or other animal just disappears and is never seen again.

[retrogal]

41. Thanks!

Thanks for the welcome to DU I have been around forever but lost my original log in info. Mostly just lurk because by the time I finish reading a thread someone else has already posted my thoughts.

[Indpndnt]

32. Fantastic! Thank you so much for the link!

[Cleita]

34. You are welcome!

[kas125]

23. I read over a year ago that there were at least 600 dogs that had died. And many more

who were sick. I've been making my own dog treats ever since.

[StarryNite]

26. 361 deaths, 2,200 injuries and this is what they do?

"Food and Drug Administration officials this week issued the first summary of reports of pet deaths linked to the jerky treats in the past 18 months, along with the strongest suggestion to date that owners might want to avoid the products all together."

"owners might want to avoid the products all together" Ya think??! Why are they still allowed on the shelves?

Another thing...

They don't know if the problem could be tied to irradiation. Yet they keep trying to tell us that irradiating our food is good for us...makes it safe!

[truthisfreedom]

37. I personally don't believe that it's possible for irradiation alone to be responsible for these

deaths. Irradiating food does not make it radioactive and I can't imagine a mechanism by which irradiation could leave the treats dangerous. My guess is that there is some other contaminant that has not yet been discovered.

If irradiation is somehow indicated in the final analysis, I fear for all of us.

[awoke_in_2003]

38. And people keep buying food products...

made in China. That country has no problems poisoning its own population, why would they care more about us or our pets?

[StarryNite]

39. One of the problems

is that you can't always tell where the food came from. And even if made in the USA you don't know where the ingredients came from. I used to be concerned about buying food from Mexico. Now I think, hmmm Mexico, that's not so bad...at least not compared to China. And it's not just the food we have to be concerned with, it's any Chinese product.

[awoke_in_2003]

40. We get lots of Mexican produce here...

I have never had an issue with it.

[StarryNite]

42. Lots of it here in Arizona too.

I have never had a problem with it either.

This part of the article is really chilling though...

"The treats are part of an estimated nearly 86 million pounds of pet food imported to the U.S. from China each year."

[awoke_in_2003]

43. Wow, that is a lot. nt

[mitchtv]

45. Nor here, which is an argriculture zone near the border

my sense is that it's basically the same operation on both sides of the border.we are closer to the Mex. fields than Nor Cal. No problema so far