Wednesday, September 26, 2007

FDA Warns Dog Owners on Chicken Treats

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/26/AR2007092601983.html

WASHINGTON -- Chicken jerky treats may have sickened dozens of dogs, federal health officials warned Wednesday despite failing to find any trace of contamination.

The Food and Drug Administration said it's fielded more than 70 complaints, involving more than 95 dogs, from owners who believe their animals fell sick after eating the products, sold variously as chicken tenders, strips or treats. While most dogs appear to have recovered, an unspecified number died.

I have personally read and much more than 70 complaints - if your dog ate these treats and got sick and you believe it is related, you MUST call the FDA.

The FDA said it's conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing on the treats but has not identified any contaminant. The agency continues to investigate.

Separately, the FDA reported it's received preliminary information from Banfield, The Pet Hospital that suggests a link between dogs that ate chicken jerky products and signs of gastrointestinal illness, including vomiting and diarrhea. Banfield is a large veterinary hospital chain that's able to collect and analyze data about the large number of pets it treats.

The FDA cautions pet owners who feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch the animals for signs of decreased appetite or activity, increased water consumption and urination, and vomiting and/or diarrhea. Owners should consult a veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours.

Earlier this year, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. pulled some chicken jerky dog treats from its shelves after company testing revealed the presence of the industrial chemical melamine. Subsequent FDA testing failed to find that or other contaminants.

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Volunteers Needed! Get food off shelves...

howl911.com, itchmo.com, thepetfoodlist.com, petconnection.com, petfoodtracker.com and spockosbrain.com have joined together to ask for your help.
Update 6-10: Recalled food was purchased from a California store on 5-29th – this stuff is still out there!
We need Volunteers to help get recalled food off store shelves. Read this post at Spocko’s Brain for instructions. Print a list (or two) on this site. Visit stores, then report safe stores here at Itchmo.com.

Printing Information:
1. Print the main FDA Pet Food Recall page http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html – this will be handy to show retailers who haven’t heard anything about the recall. (3 pages)

2. Print the list of 14 Major National Brands - it includes flavors and date information where applicable so you can tell if specific products for these brands have been recalled. The brands are: Alpo Prime Cuts, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, Doctors Foster and Smith, Eukanuba, Gravy Train, Hill’s Science Diet, Iams, Jerky Treats, Lick Your Chops, Mighty Dog Pouches, Natural Balance, Nutro, Pounce, Royal Canin. (It’s 7 pages and includes FDA contact information.)

3. Print the List of All Brands – it will remind you what products have been recalled - but it does not give you date and flavor information, there is just too much to put in one document. (7 pages, but the 7th page is links to more detailed information so you don’t need to print it)

If you want, and are going to a store that you know has store brands that have been recalled (such as Walmart), go to that recall information at the links on the summary or at the FDA site and print it out. Some of the information is formatted in ways that make it difficult to read (one of the main reasons for this site), but it’s better than nothing.

Note: The FDA is the official source for all recall information and recalled products. This is an unofficial volunteer effort to help get the word out and get recalled foods off of shelves. We’re doing the best we can but can’t guarantee these lists are completely accurate. Again, here is the official recall site: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html