Right this minute, there are dogs getting deathly ill from eating chicken jerky treats made in China. This is a proven fact from multiple dogs showing signs of kidney failure from these products — although the exact cause of the illness is not yet known. At this point, the FDA has not called for an outright ban on these products. I am reminded of the melamine contamination in many dry pet foods that began to be noticed in 2007, long before our government stepped in. It appears that yet again we have contaminated pet foods from China (it seems like a repeat of the pet food disasters when many pets were sickened and some died before our authorities stepped in and took charge of the situation). Whatever warnings the FDA has issued about the danger of chicken jerky treats is not reaching all pet owners. And all the while, the possibly deadly treats remain available at stores and online.
I think we should have learned by now that our pets deserve nothing less than the safety measures for pet food that exist in the U.S.A. There have been dogs suffering terrible medical complications and dying from eating chicken jerky treats made in China going back as far as 2006. You remember the terrible scare of pet illnesses and deaths from melamine food contamination in 2006 in Canada — and 2007 in the U.S.A.? That turns out to be when the first reports of similar problems with chicken jerky were reported — much of it in Canada — but somehow the news did not reach the American public about these so-called treats until 2010, when as many as 50 pets developed a kidney disease from chicken jerky treats that can make a pet sick enough to require hospitalization and even to die.
It was not until November of last year that the Food and Drug Administration finally began warning pet owners that chicken jerky food products imported from China pose this danger — but they still did not ban or get these deadly treats off store shelves! Symptoms of the illness chicken jerky treats from China are: drinking a lot of water, urinating a lot or more frequently, decreased energy, diminished appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting. If left untreated — or misunderstood — the kidneys can fail and the pet can die, as has already happened.
The FDA has made recommendations about not feeding “too much” of the chicken jerky from China — or carefully watching your pet for signs of a medical emergency following eating this toxic stuff! I find it offensive that the FDA is somehow protecting Chinese trade and profit at the expense of protecting our pets. Our government seems to think it best to acknowledge that these products are a risk and danger rather than telling people outright to stop feeding any Chinese-made pet treats.
I am offended by what that implies about an assumption of a low value we put on our pets’ lives. Let us not forget that China is a country where lethally contaminated human infant formula was produced and distributed for quite some time — with a tragic and astounding death toll for their babies — before anything was done to warn people or contain the danger. If one can assume that in most cultures human life would be valued above animal life — and yet in China this heart-breaking man-made, profit-driven disaster still occurred fairly recently. To my mind, this should give a clear idea of what the Chinese attitude about the safety of products for “mere” pets might be. In America, if there was even a suggestion of a Chinese product that was a danger to our babies, you can certain our own government would never show the “wait and see” attitude it is taking towards these Chinese products for our canine family members. We have to rely on our own good sense and take precautions for ourselves. I appreciate that Halo respects how dearly we value our four-legged family members and has allowed me to express what are entirely my own opinions about whether we are better off looking out for our pets’ welfare that mistakenly assuming that the government has the time, resources or motivation to do that.
So I am going to do that: BUY AMERICAN folks! It’s for the health and welfare of our beloved pets. And it’s good for our economy, too!
The only way to protect your own pets is to feed only treats made in our own country. For example, Halo Liv-a-Littles are freeze-dried pure meat that are delectable rewards for kitties as well as for dogs who have weight issues and should lower their carbohydrate intake.
–Tracie Hotchner
