Many of you are familiar with the recent problems with the two brands of China made Chicken Jerky Treats sold by Wal-mart, well it seems the problems may be more widespread but there doesn’t seem to be anything conclusive at this point nor have there been any official recalls. Wal-mart did block the sale of the two brands of treats under suspicion. Now the AVMA, American Veterinary Medical Association has officially issued a warning regarding a ‘potential new threat to pets.’

MEDIA ALERT

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Michael San Filippo
Phone: 847-285-6687
Cell: 847-732-6194
e-mail: msanfilippo@avma.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 14, 2007

Update: AVMA warns of potential new threat to pets

Schaumburg, Ill. — The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has recently been made aware of several complaints from pet owners and veterinarians that multiple brands of jerky treats manufactured in China have been making pets sick. Symptoms of illness have included vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. To our knowledge, no deaths have been reported.

The AVMA posted an alert on its Web site on September 13 to inform its members and the public about what was known. Today, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) issued a statement saying it also has become aware of an unusual number of dogs presenting similar symptoms and abnormal test results associated with consumption of some jerky treats. The ACVIM statement is available at www.acvim.org/uploadedFiles/Jerky_Treat_Info_September_14.doc.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently testing several products to see if a contaminant can be found. So far, they have ruled out melamine, one of the chemicals that led to the massive pet food recall this spring, but have yet to identify anything that might be making pets sick.

While a list of brand/product names of affected treats is not yet available, the AVMA has learned that all complaints have involved jerky treats from China. We recommend that pet owners use their best judgment in this matter.

Suspected cases should be reported to the FDA. To find the number for the FDA district office consumer complaint coordinator in your region, visit www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.

The AVMA is monitoring the situation and will provide updated information on our Web site (www.avma.org) as soon as it becomes available. Like all information on our Web site, we will only post information that is credible and has been confirmed.

For more information, contact Michael San Filippo, AVMA media relations assistant, at 847-285-6687 (office), 847-732-6194 (cell), or msanfilippo@avma.org.

And this is the latest from USA Today

Veterinary organizations are warning dog owners that their pets could be at risk of illness from some jerky treats made in China.

Six months ago, tainted pet food made from Chinese ingredients sickened and killed dogs and cats and led to a massive recall.

In the last few weeks, dog owners and veterinarians have noticed cases of dogs becoming sick after eating Chinese-made jerky treats. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.

Affected dogs show maladies that a typical clinic might see just once or twice a year, said Richard Goldstein, a veterinary kidney specialist and professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He described them as “Fanconi-like syndrome” symptoms. Fanconi’s syndrome is an inherited disease that affects the kidney’s ability to function.

But suddenly, veterinarians have seen “three in one week,” Goldstein said. The contamination appears to be causing damage to a specific area of the animal’s kidneys, based on tests of affected dogs, he said.

The AVMA is advising owners to “use their best judgment.” Only non-brand-name jerky treats from China have been implicated.

The Food and Drug Administration is aware of consumer complaints related specifically to chicken jerky treats and is actively investigating the matter, spokesman Michael Herndon said. The agency is testing numerous samples of jerky treats for pets for chemical and microbiological contaminants, including melamine, the industrial chemical that led to the pet-food recall earlier this year. Thus far, it has not detected any contaminants.

No other types of pet treats have been implicated. No list of brand or product names of the affected treats is currently available. The Pet Food Institute, an industry organization, is not aware of any problems with pet treats, spokesman Kurt Gallagher said.

Keep up with the latest information on pet food & treat recalls and problems at - Recalled Dog Food Products

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