Severe Health Threat to Dogs. 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 their knowledge, no deaths have been reported.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently testing these treats 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. They recommend that pet owners use their best judgment in this matter and continue to consult their veterinarian updates.
Diplomats in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), who specialize in kidney and urinary tract disorders, had become aware of an unusual number of dogs with very similar presenting complaints and test results associated with dogs eating jerky treats from a variety of brands. No cats have been reported to date.
They report that these are typically small dogs that present with a history of vomiting, lethargy and a lack of appetite. They have all eaten jerky treats (mostly chicken jerky) within a few weeks prior to becoming ill. Physical examination has been relatively unremarkable. Blood chemistry tests in many of the cases has revealed low potassium and mildly increased liver enzymes. Blood gas analysis indicated acidosis. Urine tests have consistently shown sugar in the urine and granular casts. These findings suggested an acquired Fanconi syndrome. Fanconi tests on urine, when submitted, have been positive. The Metabolic Genetic Disease Testing Laboratory at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania can run urine screens for generalized amino aciduria and lactic aciduria tests of Fanconi Syndrome and other causes of PRTA. The most common severe abnormalities appear to be acidosis and low potassium, which is called hypokalemia. Liberal potassium supplementation appears to be warranted during hospitalization and often needs to be continued once pets return home. Most of the dogs did not require long term bicarbonate supplementation, although this should be considered based on repeated blood gas analyses. Kidney failure does not appear to be a consistent finding and therefore cases may be missed in the absence of a urinalysis.
The vast majority of dogs have recovered from their acute disease. All clinical signs of disease including sugar in the urine, which is called glycosuria, have resolved in many of the patients within a few weeks.
The cause of this kidney and gastro-intestinal toxicity remains under investigation. Veterinarians should seek a thorough dietary history including treats when presented with a dog presenting with a sudden onset of vomiting and/or diarrhea or dogs with signs of increased drinking and/or urination. Diagnostics should include a general blood screen and urinalysis. Treatment consisting of supportive care, Electrolyte and blood gas monitoring should be used if this acquired Fanconi syndrome is identified.
For further recommendations and assistance on a case by case basis, veterinarians and owners may wish to consult a small animal internist in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in their community.
According to their press release on September 14, “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.”
This is terrible, but at the same time we want pet owners to know that Waggin’ Train is not one of those brands and is, in fact, working to assist in the understanding of why these pets are sick through detailed research on dietary history and all factors potentially affecting health. You should know that:
* Waggin’ Train Brand Chicken Jerky Tenders have been tested by FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) testing labs, which have shown our treats to be safe and free of harmful microbes and chemical contamination (most current testing as of September 12, 2007).
* Approximately five million dogs eat jerky treats safely each week
* Waggin’ Train Dog Treats are intended as a tasty, meaty snack for your dog and not as a meal replacement.
* Always provide a balanced diet for your pet and plenty of fresh water.
* We prepare all of the Waggin’ Train products in human food grade facilities to insure the highest quality for your pet.
* Products are tested in US laboratories for bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli as well as chemical contamination and test results have always proven our products to be safe.
*
Jonathan Bernstein
Thank you for your comments
Dr Carol
I don’t think that any brand of chicken strips has been officially recalled, yet. What I’d like to know, if a company would divulge, is “have you received reports from any veterinarians or dog owners of illness after ingesting your brand of chicken strips.” (That a strip has NOT been FDA recalled does not mean that no dog has become ill from the strips).
I will not mention the name of the company, but I make the above distinction because my dog has developed an “induced Fanconi’s syndrome” after ingesting chicken jerky strips.
My miniature schnauzer is 2.5years old. She weighed 12 pounds. She has eaten only Iams dry dog food for small breed dogs, and had been eating from the same bag for the last three months. The only other product she ingested was chicken jerky treats.
I live alone. My dog does not go outside to use the restroom. She goes on peepads in a custom-made relief station.
She absolutely loved the chicken treats. I let her eat six on a Sunday afternoon. Obviously I thought it was a little excessive, but it was just chicken.
I’m going to get to the point because otherwise I’ll be posting a novel. She became lethargic by next day. The next day she vomitted after eating. She was still hungry and at a little later. She vomited again. Three hours later she ate again, and vomited.
Clearly I was concerned, but when I noticed she wouldn’t eat anything—she wouldn’t touch any chicken jerky and wouldn’t eat any dog food….not even if I played with her and some of the dry pieces. I decided to boil chicken breast because I knew she’d eat. I shredded the boiled breast and offered to her. She gritted her teeth and turned her head. I knew there was a problem.
I took her to the ER. They put her on fluids. She was dishcarged from the ER and transferred to her regular vet. She was at the reg. vet for four days. Her potassium was low IN SPITE of more than customary supplementation. Her renal lab values were high, but the vets figured it was a consequence of the dehydration. They’d run all sorts of tests, but were growing more concerned as test after test only indicated what she DIDN’t have.
She was anorexic and had not eaten anything whatsoever since I’d brought her in. We transferred her to a specialty clinic. They continued the testing.
Ultimately the veterinarians diagnosed “toxin induced fanconi syndrome”. Her principle symptoms were: anorexia, significantly elevated BUN, hypokalemia in spite of tripling the potassium supplementation in her fluids, glucose in the urine with normal blood glucose.
After obtaining her venous blood gases we placed her on the fanconi syndrome protocol, and she has responded quite well.
This entire experience has been the most emotionally catastrophic ordeal of my life. Her starting weight was 11 pounds 8 ounces. She lost down to 6 pounds one ounce. She spent 13 days at the veterinarian’s facilities, and was treated by 7 different vets, each of whom, I’ll add, has written a letter stating in their opinion her condition resulted from the ingestion of these chicken jerky strips.
My veterinary bill is over $12,000 and will only increase with passing time. Because of gluose in the urine, we’ll need to check regularly for urinary tract infections. Currently I’m giving her 12 mEq of potassium, and her potassium is still low. (3.2 with 3.4-5.4 normal) She’s on a fanconi syndrome regimen, which has been extremely effective. Bicarbonate tablets are cheap.
The most difficult aspect of her managment is the protein resctriction. She is on a very low protein diet, which is unfortunate because she LOVES protein. She does not like the canned foods that are specially constituted for dogs with renal conditions.
I have attempted to be brief while supplying enough of her history to make a few points.
I have NO DOUBT her condition resulted from the chicken jerky treats. Before I read anything about a problem with chicken jerky, the first statement I made to the vets was, “this condition developed just after she’d ingested six jerky strips” (I initially feared her response was from too much protein).
I called the manufacturer to ask if they’d had any reports from dog owners of any problems. They told me their product had not been recalled….then I learned more as I searched on the internet.
I have learned a few important points that I think are important for other dog owners to know. Many of the dog treats appear to be manufactured in US, yet if you read carefully and look over the entire packaging you’ll discover the product was manufactured in China.
I do not know if there is a chicken jerky strip made in US. I thought these were.
I have a question, and I might be completely ignorant. I’ve noticed some companies report that their products have been analyzed by FDA labs and their products do not contain melamine, cyanuric acid, and a whole slew of other possible contaminants.
My question…these strips are dehydrated chicken meat…how can they perform a laboratory test that is able to analyze each bag? Unless they analyze a strip from each chicken, how can they analyze a sample and apply it to all the bags from a batch or a lot? Could there be a possible problem with a small number of chickens, so that it only effects the jerky strips from those chickens? Wouldn’t be detectable unless a lab analyzed the strips from that chicken?
I do not want anyone else to have to go through this same experience. I do not want another dog to become sick, especially if it can be prevented. Personally, my dog LOVES the chicken jerky. She’s enjoyed them for a long while, and we’d never had a problem. I’ve always used the same brand.
My dog is on a protein restricted diet, so she couldn’t eat them anymore, but if she was not on a restricted diet, I guarantee you that I would not ever feel comfortable giving her another chicken jerky treat. That’s me, personally, though.
Dear JW,
I appreciate you sharing your story and as a veterinarian, I can tell you that your dog is one of many suffering from the chicken strips. The signs in dogs are manifested in a variety of ways from a mild stomach upset with diarrhea to acute liver failure, Pancreatitis and Fanconi Syndrome. I recommend avoiding all foods and other ingestibles from China. Be cautious with pet toys as well due to their potential lead threat.
My best wishes for your dog
Dr. Carol
DO NOT GIVE YOUR PETS, CHILDREN,OR YOURSELF anything that come from china. I was giving my dogs chicken jerky for the brand Waggin Train and one of my dogs got severe gastoentitis the other dogs were also affected but not as bad. I had to keep my dog in the hospital for a week with intovenious fluids and thought she would die. AFFORTUNATELY SHE SURVIVED. DEMAND PRODUCTS MADE IN THE U.S.A. for you, your child, and your pets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Open comment to Jonathan Bernstein (Bernstein Crisis Management):
Just curious. After reading your comments on numerous websites and forums (regarding the Waggin’ Train Chicken Jerky Tenders debacle), do you EVER advise your clients that they should perhaps take the high road?
A decent company would not try to defend themselves in such manner as they have hired you to do – if their product came up in so many places as being a culprit to ill or dead pets, they would pull the product and cooperate fully with the FDA and AVMA.
This would lead to a much better situation regarding their reputation. As it is, my bet is that Waggin Train will fold in the next year due to their evasive tactics – and you, my friends, may very well go with them. Sometimes, you simply cannot defend the indefensible.
For those who don’t know, Jonathan Bernstein is in the employ of Waggin Train in his capacity as a “Crisis Management” expert – http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/
Hi Kaycee,
I appreciate your comments and agree that owners should not give their pets chicken strips or any other foods or toys from China. This blog is open to everyones comments and I certainly do not think anyone should purchase chicken strips from Waggin Tails or anywhere else. I also do NOT endorse their products.
Thank you
Dr. Carol
My dog is a chihuahua. She has been eating Pup E. Love dehydrated chicken jerky which the package says is made in the USA. She eats at least one a day- sometimes I let her start on a second one. I also called the number on the package and the recorded message say all of their products are made in the USA. My dog has Fanconi’s syndrome. After weeks of testing they have finally come to this conclusion due to all the symptoms and glucose in the urine. They have advised me to stop the treats immediately which of course I did. I will take her to be hospitalized tomorrow for iv therapy and then they want to show me how to do subcutaneous fluid treatment myself. I just hope my dog lives through this. All because of a treat I gave her which made her happy, which made me happy- and all the while I was poisoning her.
My six-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was sickened by Smokehouse treats made in China. Emma’s initial symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea, followed by anorexia. Her blood and urine tests indicated Fanconi Syndrome, an unusual genetic condition usually only found in Basenjis. Her veterinarian consulted with a local internal medicine specialist, who had seen three other cases in the same week in our area. The common link was dog treats from China. After weeks of anxiety and treatments, Emma did survive. Not all dogs are as lucky.
Our newspaper, the Longmont Times Call, ran the story on its front page, and since then I have been contacted by pet owners across the country who have had similar experiences. We hope to gather information about the extent of this problem, and to influence the FDA to take action to identify the responsible toxin and to safeguard our pets.
Johanna
Hi Johanna
Fanconi Syndrome is linked to the treats from China and stopping all ckicken other than fresh organic chicken you buy at your human market fresh for people-not in a pet store is a very good idea. In China they do not eat turkey so thats an idea for you. I carry organic dried turkey breasts made by Prairie that are safe, wholesome and make good lo-cal treats. They are available at chagrinfallspetclinic.com under dog treats. I am always glad to talk to you and offer my help if you like.
Thank you
Dr Carol
Hi Debora
Yes Fanconi Syndrome has been associated with the China Chicken treats and stopping all treats is what I would recommend as well. In China they do not eat turkey. Turkey is safe. I carry turkey breast treats;organic and dried made by Prairie, available at chagrinfallspetclinic.com. I am glad to talk with you and offer my suggestions as well. PAAWS vitamin supplement will help her to recover, and boost her internal immunity. It is available at chagrinfallspetclinic.com.
Thank you
Dr Carol
We researched the tiny, little green “flower” on the back label of the Waggin Train Chicken Treats. If you use a MAGNIFYING GLASS, you can “clearly” see that it says …
“Irradiated for sanitation”.
They use “spent” plutonium rods to “sanitize” the chicken pieces.
If you feed these to your pets, you are feeding them toxic waste product.
We stopped after the first bag, and returned the unopened bag to Wal-Mart. We have since not only stopped buying products made in China, we have STOPPED SHOPPING AT WAL-MART.
We purchased an “Excalibur” dehydrator and we make our own jerky treats for our dog and ourselves.
BTW – Iams is a substandard food for pets made by Purina. Research the ingredients yourself. We use Innova and California Naturals for both our dog and cat.
Hi V olivo,
I appreciate your comment and agree with you as far as being very careful about what foods and treats are safe for pets.
Thank you
Dr Carol
We are yet another family affected by what appears to be jerky treat induced fanconi syndrome. Everything I read only discusses treats made in China and specifically chicken; however, our little Westie acquired all of the symptoms within 1 week of ingesting lamb jerky treats from a very well-known boutique-sold brand, SOLID GOLD. She has never ingested any other type of jerky treat. I’m not sure where these treats are manufactured, but their website FAQ states, “All Solid Gold products, with the exception of our Blended Tuna canned cat food, are made in the U.S.A.” This makes me think outside of China and outside of Chicken. It has got to be something related to the process of making “jerky”. I am thankful the FDA and AVMA understand the magnitude of these issues.
Our vet visits began on May 24th after 2 evenings of frequent drinking and urination. We then progressed to vomiting, lethargy and no desire to eat/drink. One week in and multiple tests later, glucose sky rocketed in her urine in the presence of normal blood glucose. This is when signs starting pointing towards Fanconi. She was hospitalized for one week. She was discharged on June 6th. She did great for a couple of days and this week she has had a few issues (vomiting and nighttime urination). We take her back in for blood work tomorrow and hope that some adjusting of her current medications will help. We will continue on this path in hopes that our family will once again have our little Westie attitude back.
Solid Gold has requested Gracie’s medical records which I am working to obtain from the multiple vets she has seen in the last couple of weeks.
I certainly won’t buy another “jerky” treat in my lifetime and I will strongly encourage my friends not to buy any until this issue is identified. You know that saying, “it won’t happen to me,” well guess what, it happened to one of my best friends.
Hi A Harper,
There are several pet products still sitting on commercial store shelves and available from “reputable” brands like Solid Gold and Delmonte that are tainted. To protect yourself and your pets I recommend buying organic. In China, they do not eat turkey so to my knowledge no issues have occured relative to turkey products including strips such as those made by prairie.
Consider home cooking for your dog. Meals made 1/3 lean meat like chicken breast, turkey, salmon, beef, eggs, 1/3 long acting carbohydrates such as like rice, potatoes, pasta, macaroni, oatmeal and 1/3 veggies including broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, peas, etc. Cook them up with a little extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, it smells good and enhances the flavor of the food. Then season the food so it smells good. Many dogs like barbecue sauce, pasta sauce and tamari sauce. Use distilled water for drinking. Consider a good natural supplement like PAAWS, available at chagrinfallspetclinic.com, to make your pets nutrition complete and balanced. It takes a little extra time but is well worth the extra effort. I assure you that no matter how good the label looks on a bag or a can of pet food it will never compare to the quality of food that you would prepare yourself. I carry Prairie made by Natures Variety and Neumans Organic lines and have not had any reports of problems with either brand.
I am glad to talk to you and offer my suggestions for Gracie. I am available toll free at 1-866-372-2765.
Thank you
Dr Carol