Why It's a Good Idea To Not Give Your Pet Treats From China

Sammy coming home from shelter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an update on its ongoing investigation into pet illnesses and deaths in animals that ate jerky pet treats. This update includes the latest information about complaints of illnesses, FDA’s collaboration with the CDC on a new case control study, and new findings revealed through the agency’s testing. Unfortunately, FDA has still not been able to identify a specific cause for the reported illnesses or deaths.

Case numbers: Since FDA’s last update on October 22, 2013, we have received approximately 1,800 additional case reports. As of May 1, 2014, we have received in total more than 4,800 complaints of illness in pets that ate chicken, duck, or sweet potato jerky treats, nearly all of which are imported from China. The reports involve more than 5,600 dogs, 24 cats, three people, and include more than 1,000 canine deaths. The breakdown of symptoms associated with the cases is similar to that of earlier reports: approximately 60 percent of the cases report gastrointestinal/liver disease, 30 percent kidney or urinary disease, with the remaining 10 percent of complaints including various other signs such as neurologic, dermatologic, and immunologic symptoms. About 15 percent of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney disease that has been associated with this investigation. FDA Report

Sammy getting to know Max

I check labels and buy products made in the USA, or I make my own. Most dogs love sweet potatoes.  It is simple to slice sweet potatoes in a food processor, which slices nice and thin, lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet, pop them in a 200 degree oven for an hour-1 1/2 hours, then I leave them in the oven with the light on for 24 hours. They are nice and crunchy, and the dogs love them. One of our little dogs especially loves veggies, so I give her a baby carrots cut in strips so she won't choke on them.  She sometimes gobbles treats instead of chewing.

My Writing Partners.

The little gobbler isn't possessed, she actually has pretty brown eyes.  We got these little sweeties when our old dog started having more problems and we worried he wouldn't be around much longer. That was on Mother's day five years ago.  The old timer turns at least 20 June 1st.

Trick or Deadly Treat, the tenth in the Fresh Baked Mystery series, is coning out October 7th, and has both dog and people treats.