Warning issued on dog treats.....

Warning issued on dog treats
FDA looks into reports of tainted jerky from China


FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Federal regulators said Friday they are investigating potential contaminants in dog treats made in China, as the nation's leading veterinarian association posted a warning to pet owners that the products might be making animals sick.

The American Veterinary Medical Association, which represents 75,000 vets, issued the statement prompted by members' reports of numerous unusual cases of dogs suffering from a rare kidney ailment after consuming the treats. Most were chicken flavored.

"We want people to know what we are hearing, to pay attention and to monitor their pet's health," said association spokesman Michael San Filippo. "We can't stay quiet, putting our fingers in our ears and ignoring the situation."

While the association stopped short of advising pet owners not to buy Chinese-made dog treats, San Filippo said: "I would be leery, especially if it was something I had not given my pet before."

Sept. 17th, 2007

Vets warn of China-made jerky treats

Veterinary organizations are warning dog owners that their pets could be at risk of illness from some jerky treats made in China.

Six months ago, tainted pet food made from Chinese ingredients sickened and killed dogs and cats and led to a massive recall.

In the last few weeks, dog owners and veterinarians have noticed cases of dogs becoming sick after eating Chinese-made jerky treats. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. No deaths have been reported.

The number of reported cases is low, but the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine are all tracking the problem.

The AVMA has posted an alert on its website. It hopes to gather information quickly from members on whether there is a problem, and if so, how large it is, spokeswoman Sharon Granskog said.

Affected dogs show maladies that a typical clinic might see just once or twice a year, said Richard Goldstein, a veterinary kidney specialist and professor at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. He described them as "Fanconi-like syndrome" symptoms. Fanconi's syndrome is an inherited disease that affects the kidney's ability to function.

But suddenly, veterinarians have seen "three in one week," Goldstein said. The contamination appears to be causing damage to a specific area of the animal's kidneys, based on tests of affected dogs, he said.

The AVMA is advising owners to "use their best judgment." Only non-brand-name jerky treats from China have been implicated.

The Food and Drug Administration is aware of consumer complaints related specifically to chicken jerky treats and is actively investigating the matter, spokesman Michael Herndon said. The agency is testing numerous samples of jerky treats for pets for chemical and microbiological contaminants, including melamine, the industrial chemical that led to the pet-food recall earlier this year. Thus far, it has not detected any contaminants.

No other types of pet treats have been implicated. No list of brand or product names of the affected treats is currently available. The Pet Food Institute, an industry organization, is not aware of any problems with pet treats, spokesman Kurt Gallagher said.



Food and Drug Administration spokesman Mike Herndon said the agency is trying to determine whether the jerky treats pose a threat but has not singled out individual brands or requested any recalls.

Veterinary investigators advised pet owners not to panic. Initial tests of the most likely toxic ingredients — including melamine, a component in plastics that was behind the massive Menu Foods recall earlier this year — have come back negative, "and we are continuing to investigate," Herndon said.

Dr. Richard Goldstein, associate professor of veterinary medicine at Cornell University and part of the team assisting the FDA in its investigation, said most of the affected dogs are small breeds that had developed renal problems. Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy and lack of appetite.

"If people have a dog that has exhibited these symptoms in the past few months and they were (being fed) treats, they should take the dog to their vet and make the vet aware of the treat history," he said.

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