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Pet Owners Warned about Chicken Jerky Products

Small dogs at particular risk from jerky strips

By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com

December 20, 2008

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Pet owners continue to complain about illnesses their dogs have experienced after eating chicken jerky products imported from China, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned on Friday.

That's why FDA officials again cautioned consumers to be wary of feeding their dogs these products, which include chicken tenders, strips, or treats.

This warning comes less than two weeks after an Australian company recalled some of its Chinese-made chicken strips because the treats may cause illnesses in small dogs.

And those illnesses sound similar to the ones dogs and cats have experienced after eating Nutro food, according to a regular ConsumerAffairs.com reader.

15 cases

Earlier this month, The KraMar Pet Company of Australia said it had received 15 reported cases of illnesses since it launched its Supa Naturals chicken breast strips 15 months ago. Those cases triggered the company's recall.

KraMar acknowledged a possible linked between the treats and instances of Fanconi-Like Syndrome in small dogs. Symptoms of that illness include:

• 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
• Increased water consumption and/or increased urination

In severe cases, blood tests may indicate kidney failure and glucose in the urine may indicate Fanconi-Like Syndrome, the company said.

A veterinarian at the University of Sydney is now investigating the recent illnesses in the dogs that ate the chicken treats, Australian news organizations have reported. KraMar officials, however, say there is no scientific evidence linking its chicken strips to Fanconi-Like Syndrome.

The company's recall came a little more than a year after the FDA warned pet owners to be leery of feeding their dogs chicken jerky products.

"There is a potential association between illness in dogs and these products," the FDA warned last September. "(The) FDA has received over 70 complaints involving more than 95 dogs experiencing illness that their owners associated with eating chicken jerky products."

On Friday, the FDA echoed that warning and said it continues to receive complaints about chicken jerky products.

Limit consumption

"FDA believes the continued trend of consumer complaints, coupled with the information obtained from Australia, warrants an additional reminder and animal health notification," the agency said in a written statement. "Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be used occasionally and in small quantities. Owners of small dogs must be especially careful to limit the amount of these products."

The FDA said it is working with several veterinary diagnostic laboratories to see if there is a link between the products and illnesses in dogs.

"To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses," the FDA said. "FDA has conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing, but has not identified any contaminant."

The FDA said consumers who feed their dogs chicken jerky products should watch for such symptoms as decreased appetite — although some dogs may continue to eat the treats instead of other foods — lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, sometimes with blood, and increased water consumption and/ or urination.

Pet owners who notice any of these symptoms should immediately stop feeding their dogs the chicken jerky products. They should also contact their veterinarians if the problems are severe or persist for more than 24 hours, the FDA said.

"Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine)," the FDA said. "Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died."

The FDA said it would continue to "actively investigate" this problem.

The agency encouraged pet owners and veterinarians to report any illnesses possibly linked to these products — or any pet foods — to the the agency's Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state.

Sounds familiar

Meanwhile, a regular ConsumerAffairs.com reader noticed the illnesses among the dogs that have eaten the chicken jerky products sounded eerily familiar.

"I can't help but wonder if this is related to the dogs in the US with these types of symptoms (unrelated to the Menu Foods incident)," Carol V. of Rhode Island told us when KraMar recalled the chicken treats.

She was referring to the growing number of dogs and cats that have experienced similar digestive problems after eating Nutro pet food.

Some pet owners, like Ashley H. of Manteca, California, told us their dogs even died after eating that brand of food.

"Our chocolate lab, Lucy, has been eating Nutro food since she was a puppy," Ashley said. "About two months ago, we switched her to Nutro large breed Weight Management because she started getting too heavy. On December 14 she had loose stools and was throwing up. She was very lethargic and wouldn't eat. The next day she seemed to be getting better and started eating, so we canceled the appointment with the vet."

Three days later, Lucy's health took a turn for the worse.

"We took her to the vet to find that she had something wrong with her liver," Ashley said. "We had an appointment for December 18th to have the excess fluid removed and see what else needed to be done. She didn't make it through the night."

Nutro has repeatedly defended its products, saying its food is 100 percent safe and meets standards set by the FDA, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Association of American Feed Control Officials.

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