According to the FDA, you might want to consider holding off on giving your pet any jerky-type pet treats — many jerky snacks imported from China are believed to be causing dogs all across the country to fall ill, and in some cases die. As of the beginning of this month, the FDA has gotten upwards of 5,000 reports of sick dogs, with around 20% of them dead.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
As of now, the FDA believes that around half of the reported deaths are, in fact, linked to ingesting these tainted treats. To prepare yourself, the symptoms of the food poisoning are:
-
Decreased appetite
-
Lack of energy
-
Vomiting (possibly w/ mucous)
-
Diarrhea (possibly w/ blood)
-
Increased thirst and urination
The symptoms usually occur close to the time in which the treat was ingested. However, to best protect yourself, stop feeding your pet any jerky-type treat immediately.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you have any jerky treats in your house and they made your pet sick, place the treats in a sealed bag and send them off immediately for analysis, since so much is still unknown about what it is about the jerky that is causing the problem.
You should also take your dog to the vet as soon as possible, as the condition moves quickly and has a high rate of fatality. Also, by taking your pet to the vet, you not only help ensure that they recover, but you also help the greater good, in that a vet will be able to take a look at the illness in progress. Without the vet, the toxins in the jerky will have fully metabolized in a day or two,with your dog either succumbing to the poison or not.
So, not only will the vet help save your dog, but getting to see the toxin first hand could help put researchers that much closer to figuring out the specifics of the condition.
Alternatives
One Earth Peanut Butter Treats
Natural Balance Pumpkin & Chicken Meal w/ Papaya Dental Chews
If you want more helpful pet news like this straight to your inbox, sign up for the Paw Prints Newsletter today!
Sources:FDA – Latest Information on Jerky Pet Treat Investigation
CBS – Thousands of dogs, and 3 people, sickened by jerky pet treats, FDA says
PLEASE share with other pet parents! Mysterious outbreak kills thousands of pets! http://t.co/739Q8jNNTS
Mysterious Outbreak Kills Thousands of Dogs, Makes People Sick: http://t.co/4aBw7WLtmO
I was giving my two girls treat sticks made by Pet Pride and they didn’t smell right so I just got rid of them. Meanwhile my older girl had developed diahrrea and it became bloody. I had to take her to the vets and got some meds for her. She has since recovered is is going very well now. I will be very careful of the treats I give both of them in the future.
Read it!
Why are we still buying this stuff from China!!!! How many animals have to die! Stop buying it!
I want to be informed right away if any dog food or treats are tainted and harmful to my dogs
I want to be informed right away if any dog food or treats are and harmful to my dogsl
All manufacturers – food, dog food, clothes, etc – should be required to state plainly where the item is produced. Then we just do not buy anything from China!
[…] Related Story: Mysterious Outbreak Kills Thousands of Dogs, Makes People Sick […]
[…] or animal (byproducts) or preservatives. We also do our best to make sure we do not carry any edible foods from China or products whose ingredients came from […]