Posted on 09/16/2007 7:40:07 AM PDT by JACKRUSSELL
(FORT LAUDERDALE) -- The nation's leading veterinarian association has posted a warning to pet owners that Chinese-made jerky treats might be making animals sick.
The American Veterinary Medical Association, which represents 75,000 vets,issued the statement last week after a member reported numerous unusual cases of dogs suffering from a rare kidney ailment, after consuming the treats. Most of the products were chicken-flavored.......
......Dr. Richard Goldstein, associate professor of veterinary medicine at Cornell University and part of the team assisting the FDA in its investigation, said most of the affected dogs are small breeds that had developed renal problems. Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy and lack of appetite.
"If people have a dog that has exhibited these symptoms in the past few months and they were [being fed] treats, they should take the dog to their vet and make the vet aware of the treat history," he said.
Herndon did not say how many jerky-treat complaints the FDA has logged. But San Filippo said the FDA told the association it had received about 100 calls. None of the cases have been fatal, and Goldstein said dogs usually can recover if the condition is caught early.
China is a primary source of chicken-jerky-style treats, as dark meat is more popular there than white for human consumption.
Unlike the Menu Foods recall, where the products were made in U.S. and Canadian factories using tainted wheat gluten from Chinese suppliers, most jerky treats are made in China and carry that designation on their product labels.
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
I get fresh ground beef, the cheapest grade, and make little balls and freeze them for treats. Good chewing, and good flavor, and human grade food.
That’s an excellent idea. I can’t have a pet at this time, but family members do, and I’ll be sure to pass this on, and bookmark for later.
Another treat I give them is a cracker with peanut butter. I have a minpin and a mastiff (click my screen name to see) and they LOVE peanut butter.
Anyway, I’m scared to give them anything from China.
LOL! Isn’t that something?! If that rolled up blanket was beige you wouldn’t be able to tell where the blanket ends and the puppy begins. Toooooo cute.
Maybe to make them safer you could use a vegetable peeler to shave off thin strips of carrot. Would that help or could they still choke easily? I’ve never tried it. I give my dogs freeze dried 100% beef liver treats. They’re kind of expensive but they sure love ‘em.
My Jack Russell loves baby carrots if she hears me open the fridge she is right at my feet. She also loves green peppers.
Received this in an email. Please note date. I called the phone number to confirm that this in not a joke. Dr. Roberts IS seeking information from vets who have treated pets sicken by the jerky treats. Here’s the email:
“Please forward:
We received the following fax from Dr. Brian K. Roberts of Veterinary Specialist of South Florida:
9/8/07
Please forward this message all BCVMA (Broward County Veterinary Medical Association) members. Alert all pet owners to not feed their dogs and/or cats any “chicken jerky” treats. The treats in question were produced in China. We have treated a number of patients with tubular renal disease causing Fanconi-like syndrome in dogs who have eaten such treats. These patients present with symptoms of polyurina/polydypsia, vomiting, anorexia and abdominal pain. They are also isosthenuric or hyposthenuric. All patients have classic biochemical markers of Fanconi: normoglycemia, metabolic acidosis, hypokalemia, glucosuria +/- ketonuria.
It appears that this Fanconi-like syndrome is permanent and patients require change in diet and life-long therapy with Dr. Gonto’s protocol which can be found on the internet: http://basenjihealth.org/FanconiProtocol.pdf.
Please contact Dr. Brian Roberts if you suspect a case. Minimum database labwork, venous acid-base and urinalysis should be performed. Acidemic patients with normoglycemia and glucosuria should be considered affected. Product information including the actual treat and packaging should be acquired. Dr. Roberts is collecting data to forward to Drs. Gonto and Goldstein in order to build a case for the FDA.
Brian K. Roberts, DVM, DACVECC
954-437-9630”
No, it's dog.
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