'Made in China' Jerky Makes Pets Sick or Kills Them
It's scary, but true. Chicken treats from China have been making pets sick or killing them since 2007.
Don't believe it, or don't want to believe it? Watch the videos and read the articles below...
We didn't want to believe it.
Our dogs loved their Chicken Jerky, which was 'Made in China', and we loved giving it to them. That STOPPED when Autumn came across the FDA Warning of 2008 that 'Made in China' jerky was making dogs sick or, in some cases, killing them.
Fortunately, our kids never got sick, but we've stopped purchasing ANYTHING for our pets not 'Made in America'. Our dogs' love of their "chicky strips" is what prompted us to start making homemade Chicken Jerky for them, and eventually led to the idea to sell what we had created, a SAFE, truly 'American Made' Chicken Jerky we call TriPom Chews.
Below is what you need to know about the danger of 'Made in China' jerky.
We've taken bits and pieces from various well-respected websites like the American Veterinary Medical Association website (AVMA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, and, perhaps the most well-respected website of them all, Amazon.com (you'll see what we mean).
We've put these facts together to quickly paint a picture for you of the danger of 'Made in China' jerky.
We beg you to do your own research; we've done ours.
'Made In China' - The Facts... On July 26, 2007 Wal-Mart pulled a pulled a type of chicken jerky for pets off store shelves after receiving complaints about the product which was manufactured in China. A laboratory that tested the jerky product reported finding low concentrations of melamine, one of the contaminants that led to massive recalls of pet food earlier that year. (citation 1)
On September 26, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration cautioned consumers about an association between development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats. The FDA received more than 70 complaints involving more than 95 dogs that experienced illness that their owners associated with consumption of chicken jerky products. (citation 2)
Dogs that became ill typically showed the following signs: decreased food consumption, although some may continue to consume the treats to the exclusion of other foods; decreased activity or lethargy; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. Some or all of these signs may be present in any individual. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (which is typically an inherited disease). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died. (citation 2)
On December 24, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) again cautioned consumers about a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products. The products—also called chicken tenders, strips, or treats—are imported from China. The FDA continues to receive complaints of sick dogs that their owners or veterinarians associate with eating chicken jerky products. (citation 3)
On November 18, 2011, the FDA issued yet another warning, no recall. For the first time since the FDA warnings started in 2007, the news and internet journalists started reporting that dogs were getting sick or dying from Chinese chicken treats. Vitals on MSNBC.com was the first to report "Chicken jerky treats linked to mystery illnesses, deaths in dogs". This article started what become a nationwide effort by the media to expose the sad truth: dogs were getting sick or dying after being fed toxic chicken treats by their unknowing owners. Their report stated that 70 dogs had gotten sick or died for 2011.
On December 28, 2011, Vitals on MSNBC.com ran the article titled "Chicken jerky treats sicken 353 dogs, owners report". According to this report, 353 dogs had now been reported for 2011 as being sickened or perished from consuming Chinese chicken treats. This means, over the 40 days since their last article, they had learned that an additional 283 dogs had been reported. That's a 400% increase in 40 days; approximately 7 dogs per day are getting sick and dying according to these statistics...yet the FDA is doing nothing to protect your pet from these dangers.
Google "China jerky dangers". You will get back 11,400,000 web pages that are now trying to warn you about toxic Chinese treats. Years ago, while Googling to find out more information about Chinese jerky causing illness in pets, we came across disturbing reviews on Amazon.com for “Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders Dog Treats”. Out of 81 unbiased Amazon reviews (then, when we first did our research and wrote this article), 27 reviews or 33% of them were disastrous. Heartbreaking stories of family friends and fur babies sick or deceased from cheap Chinese treats. We'll let you read some of the for yourself below.
What's important to remember is that the FDA never recalled these treats when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of stories that they are making dogs ill, at the very least. Research EVERY treat you buy and be aware of the ones that come from China. What you think may be safe is probably not.
If you look at all the web pages discussing dogs sick, dying, or deceased from 'Made in China' chicken treats, you'll quickly learn that there is not a specific brand of treat that is making dogs sick. ALL brands of chicken jerky treats that are 'Made in China' are proving toxic to dogs. For legal reasons, we cannot list all of the brands that we have seen. We recommend you visit Susan Thixton's website TruthAboutPetFood.com Her site is a GREAT resource for all of us committed to keeping our dogs safe.
Live by our Pet Health Philosophy: Feed Safe, Treat Safe, BE SAFE™
Amazon reviews of “Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders Dog Treats” (citation 4)
On September 26, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration cautioned consumers about an association between development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats. The FDA received more than 70 complaints involving more than 95 dogs that experienced illness that their owners associated with consumption of chicken jerky products. (citation 2)
Dogs that became ill typically showed the following signs: decreased food consumption, although some may continue to consume the treats to the exclusion of other foods; decreased activity or lethargy; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. Some or all of these signs may be present in any individual. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (which is typically an inherited disease). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died. (citation 2)
On December 24, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) again cautioned consumers about a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products. The products—also called chicken tenders, strips, or treats—are imported from China. The FDA continues to receive complaints of sick dogs that their owners or veterinarians associate with eating chicken jerky products. (citation 3)
On November 18, 2011, the FDA issued yet another warning, no recall. For the first time since the FDA warnings started in 2007, the news and internet journalists started reporting that dogs were getting sick or dying from Chinese chicken treats. Vitals on MSNBC.com was the first to report "Chicken jerky treats linked to mystery illnesses, deaths in dogs". This article started what become a nationwide effort by the media to expose the sad truth: dogs were getting sick or dying after being fed toxic chicken treats by their unknowing owners. Their report stated that 70 dogs had gotten sick or died for 2011.
On December 28, 2011, Vitals on MSNBC.com ran the article titled "Chicken jerky treats sicken 353 dogs, owners report". According to this report, 353 dogs had now been reported for 2011 as being sickened or perished from consuming Chinese chicken treats. This means, over the 40 days since their last article, they had learned that an additional 283 dogs had been reported. That's a 400% increase in 40 days; approximately 7 dogs per day are getting sick and dying according to these statistics...yet the FDA is doing nothing to protect your pet from these dangers.
Google "China jerky dangers". You will get back 11,400,000 web pages that are now trying to warn you about toxic Chinese treats. Years ago, while Googling to find out more information about Chinese jerky causing illness in pets, we came across disturbing reviews on Amazon.com for “Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders Dog Treats”. Out of 81 unbiased Amazon reviews (then, when we first did our research and wrote this article), 27 reviews or 33% of them were disastrous. Heartbreaking stories of family friends and fur babies sick or deceased from cheap Chinese treats. We'll let you read some of the for yourself below.
What's important to remember is that the FDA never recalled these treats when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of stories that they are making dogs ill, at the very least. Research EVERY treat you buy and be aware of the ones that come from China. What you think may be safe is probably not.
If you look at all the web pages discussing dogs sick, dying, or deceased from 'Made in China' chicken treats, you'll quickly learn that there is not a specific brand of treat that is making dogs sick. ALL brands of chicken jerky treats that are 'Made in China' are proving toxic to dogs. For legal reasons, we cannot list all of the brands that we have seen. We recommend you visit Susan Thixton's website TruthAboutPetFood.com Her site is a GREAT resource for all of us committed to keeping our dogs safe.
Live by our Pet Health Philosophy: Feed Safe, Treat Safe, BE SAFE™
Amazon reviews of “Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders Dog Treats” (citation 4)
June 18, 2010 - My mom bought these treats for my yorkie as a treat for him when he visits her. It looked like a shady treat to me when she gave it to him and by that night he began throwing up and had diarrhea all night. I immediately took him to the vet and he had to be put on IVs. He has no kidney damage but his illness was caused from this treat. Nothing had changed from my baby's diet except for the introduction to this treat. My mom had also given a piece to our other dog and he became ill but not as bad as mine. I think it definitely affects smaller breeds versus larger ones. I have to take my furbaby back to the vet tomorrow for more IV fluids and make sure he doesn't throw up. I will be writing to Waggin Trains.
If you love your pets, do research and DO NOT give them anything that comes from China. I am devastated they still sell these treats. I just hope my lil one recovers.
If you love your pets, do research and DO NOT give them anything that comes from China. I am devastated they still sell these treats. I just hope my lil one recovers.
May 24, 2010 - This post is in response to the death of my dog Chelsea. My dog was a healthy border collie mix. She had shown no signs of any illness until one night I come home to find her lethargic at the bottom of the stairs. She could not move or stand up. Thankfully we have a 24 hour vet nearby. She was taken immediately and given a check up and had blood work done. The blood work came back with high spikes in her liver enzymes which the vet said was due to something that she ingested. The only thing that that had been introduced to her diet recently was Waggin Train chicken jerky treats. I had been feeding them to my dog for a few months (she loved them). I immediately stopped feeding her the treats. After being off the treats for a week she had another round of blood work and her liver enzymes started to return to normal. We had 1 more round of blood scheduled in 2 weeks to make sure that her liver has returned to normal. But unfortunately Chelsea did not live that long. I woke up on the morning of May 30th to her having a Gran Mal Seizure due to high toxin levels and she died in my arms. After her death I started researching Waggin Train Jerky treats and was amazed to find the large number of people that had posted instances of illness or death of their pet and they felt very strongly that the treats contributed to the illness or death. The FDA has issued an advisory concerning the feeding of chicken jerky products from China. Based on the fact that my dog had high liver enzymes and the vet attributed it to her ingesting something toxic and the fact that her liver enzymes started to return to normal after I stopped feeding her the treats I believe that the Waggin Train chicken jerky treats that I had been feeding her contributed to her death. I am not saying that every treat or every bag is dangerous but with them coming from China you never know what was added to them in the Chinese facility. My suggestion, stay away from them and you will also stay away from a $1000.00 vet bill like I had as well as the loss of a pet. JUST BEWARE. If you have experienced similar problems pass the word around. You can also file a complaint with the FDA. My suggestion is to do your own research, just Google waggin train jerky illness. You can read comments from other pet owners and make you own decision as to whether you want to feed this brand of treat or any other that is imported from China to your pet. I am posting this in memory of my beloved Chelsea and hope that the post will help to save the life of other pets. As consumers we should be able to question the safety of a product if we feel that it has caused harm. After my first post a friend that Lives in Las Vegas said that they had given their dog these treats and their dog had bloody diarrhea so they stopped feeding their dog the treats and their dogs bowels returned to normal.
March 5, 2010 - I just came back from my vet and left them checks for nearly $600 in treating my dogs, one requiring an IV to replenish her fluids. These "treats" are laced with toxins. One of my dogs nearly bleed to death with the diarrhea. I'll be giving them meds for the next 10 days. I'm about 100% certain this bag contained salmonela (from the chicken parts) and keep in mind, this toxin road over from China on a slow boat, having lot's of time in a humid environment to grow the bacteria.
January 30, 2010 - After about 5 months of feeding my dog these treats...he has become lethargic, not eating his regular food (but will continue to eat the fillets), and has diarrhea.
If you feed these to your pet...you are essentially killing him.
Be a good pet owner and write to the companies who sell this poison...ask them to take it off the shelves. These are made in China.
Your dog is counting on YOU to keep it safe and in good health. I thought I was giving him something he really loved...however...I hope the damage can be undone.
If you feed these to your pet...you are essentially killing him.
Be a good pet owner and write to the companies who sell this poison...ask them to take it off the shelves. These are made in China.
Your dog is counting on YOU to keep it safe and in good health. I thought I was giving him something he really loved...however...I hope the damage can be undone.
December 17, 2009 - I just had to put my very loved friend to sleep because of this product. I only fed him 3 pieces. PLEASE DO NOT GIVE THIS GARBAGE TO YOUR DOG! He had severe kidney and liver damage and vomited, urinated and defecated blood for 2 days. There are MANY owners who have lost their pets, or saved them only to live life with damaged organs. I plan to make it a crusade to rid the market of this poison. The product I purchased was from Costco, and the lot number is NJ 45. You may think you are buying a fantastic luxury treat for your friend (as I did), but you are actually buying a possible death sentence for your beloved pet. I kept the remainder of the bag and plan to test the heck out of it. The makers of Waggin Train better beware, if I find something that caused my dog's death you will never sell anything again.
DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!!!!
DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!!!!
September 13, 2009 - As with many that have posted, our 3 year old Chihuahua became very ill and we have determined it is due to eating these jerky treats. [...]
September 1, 2009 - My dog loved these treats. I gave him one a night. But eventually he got a bad one and threw up for two days. Do not buy any dog food made in China.
July 9, 2009 - Within 5 minutes of eating the chicken jerky my dog got ill. She is only 7 lbs. Vomiting, vomiting blood, lethargy, dehydration. Vet bills, nights at the emergency vet hospital, you name it. She ate nothing else in the 4 hours before of eating this. PLEASE DO NOT GIVE THIS TO YOUR DOGS. It is not worth it.
July 5, 2009 - Our dog just got out of the hospital after getting sick from these treats. 4 days on IV fluids to combat the kidney damage from the melanine toxicity caused by these treats. The American Veterinary Medical Association has a warning about chicken jerky, and to watch your dog closely if you are feeding them these, and the FDA is aware as well. PLEASE DO NOT BUY THESE.
June 13, 2009 - another sick dog, I should've known this.
To be honest, you can't live without China these days. USA and China got to be working together to "save" the world. But seriously, Chinese companies need to emphasize on their quality and safety issues.
Very disappointed.
Edit: You know what. I love my dogs, they love chicken jerky..but there is nowhere I can find MADE IN USA jerky!!! I am sick and tired of this. I am gonna start my own pet food company, and make my own Jerky from local farms right here in the USA.
To be honest, you can't live without China these days. USA and China got to be working together to "save" the world. But seriously, Chinese companies need to emphasize on their quality and safety issues.
Very disappointed.
Edit: You know what. I love my dogs, they love chicken jerky..but there is nowhere I can find MADE IN USA jerky!!! I am sick and tired of this. I am gonna start my own pet food company, and make my own Jerky from local farms right here in the USA.
Citation 1: American Veterinary Medical Association website
Citation 2: US Food and Drug Administration website
Citation 3: US Food and Drug Administration website
Citation 4: Amazon.com reviews of “Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders Dog Treats”