Are chicken jerky treats from china causing illness in pets?

Claim: Chicken jerky treats from China are causing illness in pets. This warning blasted across the internet in 2011: > WARNING!!!!! It was on Fox news earlier that 70 dogs have died as a

> result of eating chicken jerky treats made from chicken that has > come from China. Kingdom Pets brand from Costco is one of them. Also > certain Blue Buffalo brand pet foods 

have a recall for the same > thing. Please re post and make sure all your dog friends are aware. In response to reports of illnesses in pets associated with the consumption of jerky pet

treats (primarily manufactured in China), over the past several years the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued several advisories to consumers: one in September 2007, one in

December 2008, one in November 2011, one in September 2012, and another in May 2014. For example, an FDA advisory released on 14 September 2012 chronicled 2,200 reports of pet illnesses

associated with jerky treats: > Since 2007, the FDA has become aware of increasing numbers of > illnesses in pets associated with the consumption of jerky pet > treats. The majority

 of complaints involve chicken jerky (treats, > tenders, and strips), but others include duck, sweet potato, and > treats where chicken or duck jerky is wrapped around dried fruits,

> sweet potatoes, or yams. >  > The FDA has received approximately 2,200 reports of pet illnesses > which may be related to consumption of the jerky treats. The > majority of 

the complaints involve dogs, but cats also have been > affected. Over the past 18 months the reports have contained > information on 360 canine deaths and one feline death. There does

> not appear to be a geographic pattern to the case reports. Cases > have been reported from all 50 states and 6 Canadian provinces in > the past 18 months. By May 2014, those

numbers had swelled to encompass 4,800 complaints: > As of May 1, 2014, we have received in total more than 4,800 > complaints of illness in pets that ate chicken, duck, or sweet > 

potato jerky treats, nearly all of which are imported from China. > The reports involve more than 5,600 dogs, 24 cats, three people, and > include more than 1,000 canine deaths. The 

breakdown of symptoms > associated with the cases is similar to that of earlier reports: > approximately 60 percent of the cases report gastrointestinal/liver > disease, 30 percent 

kidney or urinary disease, with the remaining 10 > percent of complaints including various other signs such as > neurologic, dermatologic, and immunologic symptoms. About 15 percent

> of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi > syndrome, a rare kidney disease that has been associated with this > investigation. In response to this

information, in May 2014 the national chain of Petco retail pet stores announced it would stop selling Chinese-made jerky treats in all of its stores by the end of 2014: > Petco became 

the first national pet retail chain to remove all > China-made dog and cat treats when it announced that it would stop > selling the products in its more than 1,300 locations by the 

end of > [2014]. >  > "We know some pet parents are wary of dog and cat treats made in > China, especially Chicken Jerky products, and we've heard their > 

concerns," said Petco CEO Jim Myers in a statement. "As a leader in > the industry and the trusted partner for our pet parents, we're > eager to make this transition and

 to expand our assortment of safe > and healthy treats, the majority of which are made right here in the > U.S. Very simply, we feel this decision is in the best interest of > the 

pets we all love and, ultimately, for our business." >  > Petco said that it doesn't want its customers to take any chances. > "We know the FDA hasn't yet 

identified a direct cause for the > reported illnesses, but we decided the uncertainty of the situation > outweighs the lack of actual proof," said Myers. "It has taken some

> time and careful thought to get to this point, but we're proud to > make the change and we believe our customers will be pleased with it > as well." However, the FDA

still has not definitively established a causative link between pet illness and the consumption of jerky treats, stating that although they "continue to receive complaints of dogs

experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products ... to date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for

the reported illnesses": > Although the FDA has been actively investigating the reports of > illnesses, no definitive cause has been determined. The ongoing > global 

investigation is complex, multifaceted and includes a wide > variety of experts at the FDA including toxicologists, > epidemiologists, veterinary researchers, forensic chemists, > 

microbiologists, field investigators and senior agency officials. At best, the FDA has so far been able to perform necropsies on a few dozen dogs whose deaths were attributed to jerky

treats. That agency found half that those deaths did not appear to be related to jerky pet treats, and the causes of death in the other half may or may not have been linked to the

consumption of jerky treats: > FDA has had the opportunity to perform necropsies (post-mortem > examinations) on 26 dogs, 13 of which appeared to have causes of > death not related 

to consumption of jerky pet treats. Of the > remaining 13 cases, an association with consumption of jerky pet > treats could not be ruled out. Eleven of these dogs had indications >

 of kidney disease and two involved gastrointestinal disease. On 22 October 2013, the FDA released a Progress Report noting that the "rate of complaints associated with jerky pet treats

dropped sharply after several well-known brands were removed from the market in January 2013," but reiterating that the "FDA has not yet identified a cause for the reported

illnesses": > As of September 24, 2013, FDA has received approximately 3000 > complaints of illness related to consumption of chicken, duck, or > sweet potato jerky treats, 

most of which involve products imported > from China. The reports involve more than 3600 dogs, 10 cats and > include more than 580 deaths. FDA continues to investigate the cause > 

of these illnesses in conjunction with our partners in the > Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), > a network of animal health laboratories affiliated 

with FDA. >  > The complaints FDA has received include adverse events involving > different sizes, ages and breeds of dogs. About 60 percent of the > reports are for 

gastrointestinal illness (with or without elevated > liver enzymes) and about 30 percent relate to kidney or urinary > signs. The remaining 10 percent of cases involve a variety of 

other > signs, including convulsions, tremors, hives, and skin irritation. >  > It is important to note that the reported illnesses are not limited > to jerky treats made from 

chicken. We have received complaints about > duck and sweet potato jerky treats and related products, such as > jerky-wrapped rawhide treats. We know that the illnesses and deaths >

 reported are mostly linked to jerky pet treats sourced from China. > Pet owners should be aware, however, that manufacturers do not need > to list the country of origin for each 

ingredient used in their > products. >  > FDA has noticed a sharp drop in the number of complaints since > several treat products were removed from the market in January 2013

> following a study by the New York State Department of Agriculture > and Marketing (NYSDAM) that revealed low levels of antibiotic > residues in those products. Recalled products 

included several > well-known brands believed to comprise the majority of the jerky pet > treat market. FDA believes it unlikely that the reports of illness > it has received are 

caused by the presence of antibiotic residues in > jerky pet treat products. Rather, because the brands that were > recalled represent a significant portion of the jerky pet treat >

 market in the United States, FDA theorizes, therefore, that the drop > off in complaints since January 2013 is the more likely the result > of the general lack of availability jerky 

pet treat products. >  > To date, testing for contaminants in jerky pet treats has not > revealed a cause for the illnesses. The FDA also explained the difficulties it faces in

trying to determine the specific cause behind pet illness reports: > This investigation continues to be a challenging one for FDA. > Complicating the investigation are some fundamental

 differences > between investigations into illnesses in people versus those in > pets. >  > In human illness outbreaks caused by foodborne bacteria or > contaminates, FDA 

works in concert with the Centers for Disease > Control and Prevention (CDC) and state boards of health, which > collect and track cases of foodborne illness. Unfortunately, there >

 is no equivalent for pets, which means that it is difficult to > accurately evaluate the scope of an outbreak. >  > Another complicating factor in the investigation is the lack of

> post-mortem information. When a person dies unexpectedly, it is not > unusual for a medical examiner to perform an autopsy to try to > determine the cause of death. When a pet 

dies, it is much less > likely that qualified veterinary pathologists will have the > opportunity to examine the body. By the time FDA receives reports of > deaths in pets, the body

 has often already been cremated or buried, > eliminating the chance for scientists to gather more information > about potential causes for the pet's illness. >  > Finally, 

FDA does not have access to market data about food items > for pets. FDA regulations do not require product registration for > foods, whether they are intended for people or animals. 

Therefore, > it is difficult to appreciate the scope of the jerky pet treat > market and the different products available to consumers. Pet owners who believe their pets have become

ill from consuming jerky treats should observe the following steps to assist the FDA in its investigation: > In addition to your contact information, your pet's symptoms, and > 

medical records, the one piece of information we most often lack is > the lot number of the jerky treat product. If we have the lot > numbers, we can identify whether particular lots 

triggered more > complaints, trace products back to specific manufacturing > facilities, and identify lots for testing. While we still want to > hear from you even without the lot 

number, this information can help > our investigation immensely. >  > If you find it convenient to transfer pet food and treats to a > secondary container to protect them from 

rodents, insects or > spoilage, FDA recommends that you consider saving the original > packaging. This will help ensure that you will still have access to > the lot code if your pet

 becomes ill from consuming the product. >  > While working with your veterinarian to review your pet's records, > FDA and Vet-LIRN scientists might request specific testing to

 try to > narrow down the cause of your pet's illness. The costs of tests > requested by the scientists will be covered by Vet-LIRN and FDA, but > pet owners will not be 

reimbursed for any additional testing > expenses they may incur. >  > Although it is always a difficult topic to consider, in the event of > a pet death that appears to be 

related to the consumption of jerky > pet treats, post-mortem testing of animal tissues, such as a > necropsy (in human medicine, doctors call this procedure an autopsy) > may also 

be helpful. While we want to do everything we can to > prevent pets from becoming ill in the first place, having the chance > to examine tissues may fill gaps in information that can 

help us > pinpoint a cause for the reports of injury and death. For additional information, check out the FDA's website and this episode of CBC's "Marketplace."