Thursday, May 24, 2012

Chinese Pet Treats Linked to 900 Dog Deaths, Illnesses

PHOTO: Sampson, a 9-year-old fox terrier, died of kidney failure in January. His owners blame his death on Chinese jerky treats.

A recent ABC News article by Cindy Galli details the latest outbreak of pet food-related illnesses and deaths. Pictured is Sampson, a "9-year-old fox terrier" who "died of kidney failure in January." According to his owners, he died of contaminated Chinese jerky treats: 
Just six months after issuing its latest warning about chicken jerky dog treats made in China, the Food and Drug Administration confirms it has logged more than 900 complaints from pet owners who say their dogs either were sickened or died after eating the treats. 
The number of complaints has nearly doubled since the story was first reported by ABC News in March. The FDA says its investigation is ongoing and that it continues to test samples of the popular treats, which dog owners across the country say have caused kidney failure in their pets, resulting in severe illness or death.
The two brands that consumers have complained about are Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch, which are "both produced by Nestle Purina and made in China."

Luckily, Sampson's Terry Safranek,along with other dog owners, are doing their part in spreading awareness of this issue:
Safranek is a member of a Facebook group called "Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made In China," which has grown to 4,500 members and includes hundreds of photos of dogs whose owners claim were sickened or died from chicken jerky treats. 
"We're just the ones who are online. There literally could be tens of thousands of people whose dogs were affected," said Safranek.
The group also keeps its own spreadsheet of victims, ranging from a 1-year old, five-pound Chihuahua named Kiarra to a 111-pound German Shepherd named Floyd.
For more information, and for the latest updates, head to www.fda.gov or join the above-mentioned Facebook group. In the meantime, check the labels on any pet treats you buy in the future.

1 comment:

  1. This is very informative and anyone with pets need to take notice. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete