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Hello Friend,
A cheery Wednesday to you and your significant others...
Todays article is about the ongoing jerky treat poisonings. As of yet the cause is unknown.
This does want me to encourage you to have some basic pet health care skills.
A great way to start is with my video which you can get for free ( only pay for shipping)
http://www.theonlinevet.com
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Why can't FDA solve jerky treat mystery?
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Source: JoNel Aleccia, NBC News
When Zoe, a 3-year-old pit bull mix, showed up sick last week at a Coral Springs, Fla., animal hospital, veterinarian Sofia Morales said there was no mystery about what was wrong with the dog.
The first clue was that Zoe had all the signs of Fanconi syndrome, a rare and often fatal illness that arises from kidney problems. The second was that she’d been eating jerky pet treats made in China, which have been linked to the disorder.
“Fanconi is so rare, that when you see it, your mind goes, ‘boom,’ the treats,” said Morales, who has treated three dogs with the problem in the past year, far more than one vet should expect.
“I have never seen so much Fanconi in my life. The only common denominator among these dogs is jerky treats," she said.
Morales is among thousands of frustrated animal experts and pet owners nationwide who say that if problems with Chinese-made jerky treats are obvious to them, they should be obvious to the Food and Drug Administration, the agency that oversees pet treats, too.
“I tell every dog owner I meet: Do not feed these treats,” she said.
She and others are wondering why, after five years of testing, reports of nearly 600 animals dead and more than 3,600 sickened after eating the treats, according to a recent FDA update, the agency still hasn’t solved the puzzle that has spurred multiple warnings — but no industry-wide recall — since 2007.
Part of the problem is that millions of pets in the U.S. eat jerky treats every year, but only a fraction of those that consume the products actually get sick, Murphy said. That’s in contrast to melamine-tainted pet food in 2007, which sickened a high proportion of animals that ate it. When pets are affected by jerky treats, the symptoms — gastrointestinal problems, kidney issues — can be vague and explained by other ailments.
And part of the problem is the treats themselves, Hartogensis said. Whether they’re made of chicken, duck or sweet potatoes, the nuggets, jerky and tenders are hard and stiff and difficult to break down in solvents for chemical analysis.
Another issue is that there are few validated tests sensitive enough to detect some contaminants. In January, New York state agriculture officials used tests that found trace amounts of unapproved antibiotics in the treats, a discovery that forced the biggest makers of jerky treats, Nestle Purina Pet Care Corp. and Del Monte Corp., to issue voluntary recalls that pulled the bulk of the products off store shelves nationwide.
The FDA had the chance to ban jerky pet treats from the U.S. market last year, when officials at five Chinese plants that make jerky treats wouldn’t let American inspectors collect samples of the products. U.S. regulations allow the agency to refuse entry to products if they’re not allowed to inspect them.
“I think you could probably make the case that not allowing sampling was not allowing inspection,” Dan McChesney, director of the FDA’s surveillance arm of CVM, told NBC News in a recent interview. “At the time, we thought that was probably not the best way to continue to research and identify the issues.”
Wrong decision, said Corbo, who points to the sharp drop in reports of pet illnesses and deaths after the recalls got treats off the market.
“When it comes to poisoning, whether it’s an animal or a human, the FDA should use every tool in their arsenal,” Corbo said.
That’s an opinion shared by Zoe’s owner, Ron Barnhard, 65, of Parkland, Fla., who is semi-retired after heart surgery and relies on his dog for comfort and companionship.
He says that he’s outraged at the costs — both financial and emotional — of treating Zoe for a life-threatening condition that the FDA may have prevented if treats weren’t on the market.
“I had heard about it, but I didn’t consider what I was feeding her as jerky,” he said, referring to Zoe’s favorite chicken breast tenders. “I love this dog.”
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Dr Jones Comments
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Clearly there are big challenges identifying the cause.
But the FDA could have taken stronger action, and unfortunatley bent to some industries desire to not ban treats imported from China.
It does make you wonder who's interest they are protecting..
My BIG piece of advice: Don't feed ANY jerky type treat to your dog. Tell your friends.
Give your dogs 'real' treats- such freeze dried liver, treats you make at home, vegetables, frozen knuckle bones ( which my dogs love!)
And don't expect some Gov't body to ensure your pet's health.
Take this into your own hands.
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Veterinary Secrets Pet of the Day!
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This picture was sent to us by a reader in Poland!
Poslano iz tabličnega računalnika |
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| Dog and Cat Words of Wisdom...
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| Heal Your Pet At Home!
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DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. Dr Andrew Jones resigned from the College of Veterinarians of B.C. effective December 1 2010, meaning he cannot answer specific questions about your pet's medical issues or make specific medical recommendations for your pet.
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