I’m so saddened by the recent report that the death toll among dogs that consumed jerky treats made in China is up to 360. In addition to this staggering number, the FDA has reported receiving 2,200 reports of pet illnesses that may be linked to these same types of treats.
Click here for the NBC News article: Pet Jerky Treat Death Toll: 360 Dogs, 1 Cat, FDA Says
And here for the FDA report: FDA Investigates Animal Illnesses Linked to Jerky Pet Treats
In our home, we never buy treats for Teton that are made in China. It’s just not worth the risk with the number of incredibly healthy, unique, and affordable treats that are made in the U.S.
However, I think it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with some of the most potentially dangerous treats on the market so you can avoid them when shopping for your dog.
Here are three of the brands and products that NBC News and the FDA have identified as being linked to jerky treat illness and death:
Waggin’ Train jerky tenders
Canyon Creek Ranch jerky treats and tenders
and Milo’s Kitchen jerky and treats
I avoid these and any other treat made in China at all costs.
The more I hear about these tragic pet deaths, the more I lean in the direction of giving Teton only fruit and vegetable-based treats that I’ve made myself. Of course, that wouldn’t be good for the blog, but it reminds me to be very selective with the treats and chews that I buy for him.
This weekend I dehydrated some yams and apples…
…which T will enjoy for 3-4 weeks.
You can follow my dehydrating instructions here or, if you don’t have a dehydrator, check out this post from Old Town Home on baking sweet potato treats for your pooch.
Need suggestions on affordable treats for your dog that aren’t made in China? Leave a comment below or on Her Dog Blog’s Facebook page or shoot me an e-mail at herdogblog@gmail.com.
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I lost a dog to Rx food my vet. prescribed for his pancreatic disease. I asked if they were worried that the chinese protein problem might affect this Rx dog food. “Nope, we check the web site for problem dog & cat food every morning!” Well, only one thing could have given my dog renal failure that fast and that was the vet’s Rx food! The vet said so. There was nothing to be done but put my dog down. He was in for a horrible, painful death in 24 hours!
I have only taken one old sick cat to be put down to them since. And I do not trust any product from China, period. Definitely not food, toys or dishes that touch mouths or food.
Thank you so much for the heads-up. Gretchen just polished off her last bag of Milo’s Kitchen sausage slices, and we will NOT be getting any more. I’m usually pretty careful about checking the country of origin for dog treats – I wouldn’t eat meat from China, and I don’t want my dog to do so, either. For some reason it never occurred to me that Milo’s Kitchen was foreign-produced, and I never thought to look. We got lucky this time.
Why not make your own jerky treats in the dehydrator? Those yams look like BBQ flavored ruffles btw =)
Great idea! I haven’t toyed with jerky in the dehydrator yet but I definitely need to!