Toxic Treat Warning For Dog Owners - CBS Miami

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MIAMI (CBS4) – Chancy, a 10-year old Pug… dead from kidney failure. Teri, dead from kidney failure. 9-year old Sampson, a Fox Terrier exactly the same. And Roja also died from kidney failure.

Keith Graves was Roja’s owner. “The vet said she was suffering from kidney failure and that she had a toxin in her kidney.”

What do all these dogs have in common? They all ate Waggin Train Chicken Jerkey treats.

Waggin Train is made in China by Nestle Purina. The company insists its products are safe. But according to the owners of the dogs that ate the Waggin Train Chicken Jerkey Treats, they all displayed similar symptoms: lack of appetite, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea.

Candace Thaxton was Chancey’s owner.  “Chancey was one of the friendliest dogs.”

After Candace lost her beloved Pug, she got a new puppy, a mixed breed named Penny. Candace soon began feeding Penny Waggin Train Jerky Treats and suddenly Penny was vomiting just like Chancey had before dying.

“We took the puppy into the vet the next morning and the results came back that the puppy was in kidney failure,” said Candace.

Penny recovered, as did Sophie, who first got sick on a Saturday. Her owner stopped giving her the chicken jerky treats for two days… then started doling them out again.

“On Monday she started the lethargy and vomiting and the diarrhea all over again.”

Since 2007, the Food and Drug Administration has been actively investigating illnesses associated with chicken jerky treats made in China. The latest warning came in November of 2011. At that time, only 70 complaints had been filed. Today, the FDA reports nearly 1,000 such reports.

That spike prompted the FDA to send inspectors to China. So far, their report has not been made public. The FDA can only say that “no specific products have been recalled because a definitive cause has not been determined.”

Although dogs have fallen ill and even died all across the country…

“I’m devastated because I know it came from my hand. I fed him the treat that killed him,” said Sampson’s owner, Terry Safranek.

… we discovered that the product remains on local store shelves.

“I hope people get rid of them,” said Bonnie Rohn, Teri’s owner.

“I say shame on the pet stores and the companies that are having them made in China,” exclaimed Sophie’s owner, Sandi Stephens.

Dr.  Shannon Jordan, a veterinarian, says don’t wait for an official recall. “If you have a bag in your cupboard… throw it out.”

And don’t wait to get your dog help. “You may start off with simple signs of not eating and vomiting and it may progress to the point where we can’t… those kidneys can’t repair themselves,” said Jordan.

There are chicken jerky treats that are made in the USA, so read the packaging carefully if the “MADE IN CHINA” label is one you want to avoid.

Also, an online campaign is collecting signatures on a petition to demand the Chinese products be recalled.

Jerky Dog Treat Causing Illness In Pets - CBS Minnesota

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — After nearly six years, the FDA hasn’t found the reason why certain dog treats are making pets sick.

More than 1,000 complaints have been filed with the FDA about chicken jerky dog treats made in China.  The government agency hasn’t recalled them and there are still a lot of stores selling them in Minnesota and across the country.

At least one Minneapolis dog owner is shocked that these treats are still on store shelves.

Nancy Hawkinson says they fed their dog Milo’s Kitchen Chicken Jerky Dog Treats.

“She was violently ill, both times, we’d given her the treats,” Hawkinson said.

In November 2011, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about all chicken jerky treats made in China. People reported their dogs were throwing up, not eating, and were less active, yet the FDA couldn’t pinpoint why. As a result, a recall hasn’t been issued.

According to the FDA, “Scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses.”

Milo’s Kitchen, owned by Del Monte, claims the treats are made with “nutritious and quality ingredients” and are “safe for dogs to enjoy.”

Experts say it wouldn’t take much to make these dogs sick.

“Even low levels of contamination can represent significant problems,” said professor Shaun Kennedy, Director of the National Center for Food Protection and Defense.

So far, the answers aren’t good enough for Hawkinson. She wants stores to pull these treats from the shelves until the issue is resolved.

“If they’re making dogs sick, what other proof do you need?” Hawkinson said.

Veterinarians say it can be difficult to treat these dogs until a cause is found. Still, the FDA wants people to take their dog to the vet if the symptoms last for 24 hours.

A spokesperson for one of the chains that carries Milo’s Kitchen Chicken Jerky Dog Treats says not one single formal complaint has been filed with their stores about these treats.

Hawkinson said every time they go into the store, they tell an employee what happened to their dog.

Full statement from Del Monte:

Milo’s Kitchen™ considers the safety of pets our highest priority.  Pets are family and we are committed to providing safe, healthy and nutritious treats for dogs.  Here at Milo’s Kitchen™, we are pet parents too and we understand that the information that has been released regarding the FDA warning about chicken jerky made in China is confusing and concerning.  To clarify, all of our treats, including our Chicken Jerky variety, are made with nutritious and quality ingredients that meet the standards and specifications of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).  The health and wellness of all animals is very important to us so we have been closely monitoring external testing by the American FDA, the American Veterinarian Medical Association (AVMA) and several animal health diagnostic laboratories, none of which has identified any connection between illness and chicken jerky treats. Additionally, we at Milo’s Kitchen have conducted our own extensive internal testing, all of which has shown our Chicken Jerky to be safe for dogs to enjoy. As is the case with all foods and snacks for dogs, we encourage pet parents to read feeding instructions and to feed with confidence as directed.