I am sure that most of you have heard about the animals that have become sick and died because of contaminated dog and cat food from China. Since 2007, they have found MELAMINE in pet food and treats. Were you aware however, that since then the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported over 4,800 complaints and 1,000+ dogs, 24 cats, and at least 3 people have died?  Most of this has been linked to Chicken JERKY TREATS.

According to an article in The Capital newspaper (Tuesday, June 17, 2014) by Dr, Francine Rattner, a veterinarian at South Arundel Animal Hospital in Maryland, samples were taken by the FDA recently of chicken jerky treats from veterinarians across the United States who treated dogs that became ill after eating them.  It is shocking to find that the chemical analysis shows the treats contain two really bad things – the insect repellent DEET and the drug AMANTADINE.

DEET is a common insect repellent and pesticide.  Amantadine is a drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease, some types of flu viruses, and for pain management in dogs.  Dr Rattner supposes that maybe the poultry farmers were using it to prevent avian influenza in their chickens, though it is not legal to use that drug on poultry in the US.

There is no direct proof that the contaminants in the jerky treats are responsible for the problems, so the FDA has not recalled the Chinese-made treats and many stores still sell them.

I thought that I was being smart by avoiding treats labeled “Made in China,” but, what I learned was that packages can be labeled “Made in the USA,” even if they include ingredients sourced from other countries (since it is put together here).  The only way that you can actually know where the ingredients come from is to contact the maker of the product, and if you are lucky enough to get the right person, they can tell you where their source is.

Bottom line: If you want to feed your dog jerky treats, make them yourself or do without.

PLZ, DON”T CHANCE GETTING ME SICK!

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤