Thread: China Poisons more US Dogs: US Citizens are next

Just imagine when China decides to do this to American citizens as an act of war like Pearl Harbor.

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Chicken jerky treats linked to mystery illnesses, deaths in dogs

By JoNel Aleccia

Chicken jerky treats may be to blame for dozens of new reports of mysterious illnesses and some deaths in dogs, prompting a renewed warning for pet owners by the Food and Drug Administration.

At least 70 dogs have been sickened so far this year after reportedly eating chicken jerky products imported from China, FDA officials said. That’s up from 54 reports of illness in 2010. Some of the dogs have died, according to the anecdotal reports from pet owners and veterinarians.

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FDA officials say they have not been able to find a cause for the illnesses. Extensive chemical and microbiological testing has failed to turn up a specific contaminant and officials did not identify a specific brand of treats. They note that the reports of illness have not conclusively been tied to chicken jerky products, also sold as chicken tenders, chicken strips or chicken treats.

The new warning follows previous FDA cautions about chicken jerky treats in 2007 and 2008. But after a high of 156 reports of illness in 2007, the number of complaints dropped. Now, it's rising again.

Dog owners and vets are reporting that animals may be stricken with a range of illnesses within days or hours of eating chicken jerky, including kidney failure and Fanconi syndrome, a condition characterized by low glucose.

Symptoms may include decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea, increased water consumption and increased urination. If dogs show any of these signs, stop feeding the animal the chicken jerky products, FDA officials said. If signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours, seek veterinary help.

Most dogs have recovered, officials said.

Illnesses can be reported to the FDA’s Pet Food Complaint site.

http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/ ... wGng.gmail

Chicken jerky treats may be to blame for dozens of new reports of mysterious illnesses and some deaths in dogs, prompting a renewed warning for pet owners by the Food and Drug Administration. At least 70 dogs have been sickened so far this year after reportedly eating chicken jerky products imported from China, FDA officials said. That's up from 54 reports of illness in 2010. [1] 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 in their state or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints. [2]

FDA has received a total of 70 reports of Fanconi-like syndrome associated with chicken jerky treats from pet owners and veterinarians so far this year - up from 54 reports in all of 2010. [2] The CVMA also notified the American Veterinary Medicine Association opnbrktAVMAclsbrkt, which transmitted the advisory to U.S. veterinarians. At the time of the notification (June 17, 2011), AVMA had not received any reports from its members of similar incidents of Fanconi-like syndrome associated with chicken jerky treats. [2] In June 2011, the Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association opnbrktCVMAclsbrkt notified CVMA members by email that several veterinarians in Canada had reported dogs with Fanconi-like symptoms that could be associated with the consumption of chicken jerky treats manufactured in China. [2] FDA first reported 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 - in September 2007. [2] 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 that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; 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. [2]

It's not clear why chicken jerky products seem to be causing illnesses and even deaths in dogs, federal Food and Drug Administration officials say. [1] Extensive chemical and microbiological testing has failed to turn up a specific contaminant and officials did not identify a specific brand of treats. They note that the reports of illness have not conclusively been tied to chicken jerky products, also sold as chicken tenders, chicken strips or chicken treats. [1] The complaints received have been on various chicken jerky products but to date we have not detected any contaminants and therefore have not issued a recall or implicated any products. [2] We have tested numerous samples of chicken jerky products for possible contaminants including melamine. [2]

"At least 70 dogs have been sickened so far this year after reportedly eating chicken jerky products imported from China [1] Dog owners and vets are reporting that animals may be stricken with a range of illnesses within days or hours of eating chicken jerky, including kidney failure and Fanconi syndrome, a condition characterized by low glucose. [1]

All dogs in the reported cases had been fed chicken jerky treats that were manufactured in China. [2] The quantity of chicken jerky consumed could not be determined; however, based on the histories obtained, the chicken jerky treats were a significant part of the diet and were consumed daily by all dogs. Extensive diagnostic testing eliminated other causes of the observed clinical signs, such as urinary tract infection and rickettsial disease. [2]

The new warning follows previous FDA cautions about chicken jerky treats in 2007 and 2008. [1] No one has yet been able to find any component in the chicken jerky treats that could account for the illnesses. At least one recent report offers epidemiological evidence that regular consumption of chicken jerky treats may be behind the illnesses. [2] Alvey emphasizes that "no causal link" has been established between the illnesses and the consumption of chicken jerky products. [2] Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be fed occasionally in small quantities. [2]

Giant food corporations have taken over FDA control, it seems. They have repeatedly overruled regulations that would actually have improved food safety in recent years, by lobbying FDA and Congressional members that oversee FDA. I would stick to US-made food products (and that means avoiding almost all processed-cheese products, because ingredients in those frequently come from China. There have been problems with some of those ingredients, but it was mostly kept quiet. Just like the threat from Mad Cow disease was minimized, by the Bush administration by cutting the number of inspections of cattle going into the food chain. (If I hadn't already been vegetarian, THAT alone would have made me one! And it KEEPS me one!) My carnivorous pets (cats and dogs) are NOT fed veg diets, however, and it's a battle to try to make sure they are on the safest diet there is. [1] I think it is the American Veterinary Association which controls those standards, but I believe that an agency like the FDA (can't remember if it IS the FDA) is capable of testing these food products for contaminants. The big problem is that the attitude in this country is so anti-government that agencies like the FDA (among many) are severely under-funded, and don't have the rescources to do it. [1]

FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. [2] In the last 12 months, FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine has logged an increase in the number of complaints filed by dog owners and veterinarians. [2] There does not appear to be any rhyme or reason to the source or timing of the reports - there is no indication that the problem is clustered in a particular state or region - or to the monthly number of complaints, Alvey reported in response to my questions. She suggests that part of the upsurge may be due to increased awareness on the part of U.S. veterinarians and pet owners as a result of the Canadian advisory. [2]

The FDA doesn't protect anyone other than manufacturers. They use their Generally Regarded As Safe system for food ingredient safety. If a manufacturer says that their ingredients are safe, the FDA says ok, if you say so. [1]

The number of illness reports peaked in 2007 (156 reports), according to FDA Spokeswoman Laura Alvey, dipped to 41 incidents in 2008, and have fluctuated ever since. [2] Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died. [2]

Some of the dogs have died, according to the anecdotal reports from pet owners and veterinarians. [1] Veterinarians Hooper and Roberts, writing in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, described four illnesses in small-breed dogs. [2]



Dogswell products are made in China. You have to look for the tiny print on the back of the package, but it's there. If you care aboput your dog, you'll never feed them anything that comes from China. [1]

http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/arti ... html#hdng0

I had just finished reading this! It's happening in Canada too. I don't dare show this to my brother who recently had to put his beloved dog down due to a mysterious illness. This was his dog's favorite treat...

I have gotten to the point where I will not use any dishes that have the words made in china on them. For instance I use old Anchor Hocking milk glass mugs for my hot drinks that were bought at the thrift store instead of the made in china mugs that are everywhere! I also look for vintage towels, bedding etc when I need it that has a made in the USA label on it. Anything made in china belongs in hell!

Originally Posted by nomas

I had just finished reading this! It's happening in Canada too. I don't dare show this to my brother who recently had to put his beloved dog down due to a mysterious illness. This was his dog's favorite treat...

I can certainly understand your hesitancy, but if it were me I would want you to tell me. You should tell your brother. Ive put this out on Facebook. We need to warn Americans.

W

I took your advice and sent him the link to both articles. Putting it on facebook was genius! I'm going to tweet it too...

FDA Continues to Caution Dog Owners About Chicken Jerky Products

November 18, 2011

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is again cautioning consumers that chicken jerky products for dogs (also sold as chicken tenders, strips or treats) may be associated with illness in dogs. In the last 12 months, FDA has seen an increase in the number of complaints it received of dog illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China. These complaints have been reported to FDA by dog owners and veterinarians.

FDA issued a cautionary warning regarding chicken jerky products to consumers in September 2007 and a Preliminary Animal Health Notification in December of 2008. After seeing the number of complaints received drop off during the latter part of 2009 and most of 2010, the FDA is once again seeing the number of complaints rise to the levels of concern that prompted release of our earlier warnings.

Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be fed occasionally in small quantities.

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 that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; 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.

FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified a contaminant.

The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem and its origin. 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 in their state or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints1.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/New ... 280586.htm