Dear pet parents everywhere, please read and heed. As you know, Purina has gone ahead and re-released its Waggin' Train with "Real" Chinese Meat and "Real" Chinese Glycerin!
The Latest News! March 29th March 2014, The Washington Post
"Mystery of pet deaths related to jerky treats made in China continues to stump FDA
Andy lost his appetite. Then came the vomiting, the unquenchable thirst, the constant need to urinate. Over several days last year, the spunky 4-year-old West Highland white terrier grew lethargic and lost more than 10 percent of his weight.
“It got bad,” said Andy’s owner, Alfredo Gude, a retiree in Cape Coral, Fla. “I knew that he was in trouble.”
Gude and his wife rushed Andy to their veterinarian, who referred him to a clinic 15 miles away. Doctors there sent a urine sample to a specialized metabolic lab at the University of Pennsylvania. Days later, test results confirmed the diagnosis: Fanconi syndrome, a rare, often fatal illness that affects the kidneys. The suspected cause: chicken jerky pet treats manufactured in China.
The incident is part of a troubling mystery lasting more than seven years, with reports of at least 600 dogs dying and thousands of others sickened. It has outraged unsuspecting pet owners, confounded the Food and Drug Administration and put the pet food industry’s manufacturing practices under a microscope.
Since 2007, when the FDA warned of an apparent link between jerky treats and sick and dying dogs, agency officials have spent countless hours trying to nail down what might be behind the illnesses, with little success.
The agency continues to seek leads from veterinarians and pet owners, sorting through the 1,500 reports that have come in since a public appeal for information in the fall. Now, companies that voluntarily pulled some treats from the market last year are bringing reformulated versions back to store shelves, even though the government has been unable to figure out why pets continue to get sick.
Bernadette Dunham, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, has called it “one of the most elusive and mysterious outbreaks we’ve encountered,” a sentiment echoed by others at the agency.
“We are frustrated,” said Martine Hartogensis, who oversees the FDA’s ongoing investigation. “It’s been a long, winding, twisting road . . . [But] we haven’t given up.”
The FDA says it has tested more than 1,200 jerky treats in recent years, looking for salmonella, mold, pesticides, toxic metals, outlawed antibiotics, nephrotoxins and other contaminants. Federal officials have inspected factories in China that manufacture chicken jerky products for U.S. companies and sought input from academics, state and university research labs, foreign governments and the pet food industry. The agency even made its own jerky treats to try to duplicate the commercial process.
Still, it hasn’t figured out the cause.
FDA investigators say that the illnesses overwhelmingly affect dogs but that some cats have been made ill. The majority of complaints involve chicken jerky but also include treats in which chicken or duck jerky is wrapped around dried fruit, sweet potatoes or yams. Officials said there’s no clear pattern based on breed or geography — pets have been sickened in every state, as well as in countries such as Australia — and the problems don’t seem specific to any particular brand or manufacturer.
Until the agency is able to zero in on a specific toxin, officials say, it can do little more than warn people about the potential dangers of jerky treats. “Unless a contaminant is detected and we have evidence that a product is adulterated,” the agency said in one update, “we are limited in what regulatory actions we can take.”
The long-running investigation has paralleled a striking increase in the amount of pet food China exports to the United States. That volume increased from barely 1 million pounds in 2003 to an estimated 86 million pounds by 2011, according to the FDA.
Pet treats, including the jerky treats at the heart of the current investigation, have made up a fast-growing sliver of the pet food market. Part of the reason many U.S. companies have looked to China to produce chicken jerky treats, industry officials say, is that unlike in America, people in China overwhelmingly prefer dark meat. That leaves a larger supply of the white meat used in pet treats available for exporting.
Given the continuing problems, the FDA’s efforts simply aren’t good enough, say some pet owners.
“It’s maddening that it has gone on this long,” said Susan Thixton, who runs the Web site TruthAboutPetFood.com, which has repeatedly demanded that the agency do more. “If this were humans dying, and they couldn’t figure out a cause for seven years, members of Congress would be screaming at them.”
The home page of her site displays a clock tracking how long jerky treats from China have been killing and sickening pets. It asks: “When will FDA make this clock stop?” As of Friday, the count stood at 2,643 days.
“My job is to point out that they aren’t doing their job,” Thixton said. “I have a lot of respect for what they have to accomplish. They have huge responsibilities, but this is one of them.”
Angry pet owners also have heaped criticism on U.S. companies that continue to manufacture jerky treats with ingredients from China. The backlash includes everything from skepticism over the industry’s assurances that the treats have never posed health risks to lawsuits alleging harm.
Early last year, two industry giants, Nestlé Purina and Del Monte, voluntarily pulled several popular chicken jerky treats made in China off the market after New York state agriculture officials found trace amounts of antibiotics.
The brands included Nestlé Purina’s Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch jerky treats as well as Milo’s Kitchen treats produced by Del Monte’s pet food division (now known as Big Heart Pet Brands).
The companies insisted that the treats had never been unsafe for pets and that the withdrawals were precautionary.
Complaints related to jerky treats dropped sharply in the months that followed. But the FDA agreed with company officials that the reduction probably reflected the smaller number of products on store shelves rather than any problems involving the antibiotics.
A spokeswoman for Big Heart Pet Brands said that this month, the company is introducing reformulated Milo’s Kitchen treats, manufactured in the United States with domestically sourced ingredients.
After revamping its manufacturing process and overhauling its supply chain, Nestlé Purina also has relaunched several kinds of Waggin’ Train treats, including two varieties that are made in the United States. The company still produces its Chicken Jerky Tenders in China but now gets its chicken there from a single U.S.-owned supplier, which oversees the process “from egg all the way through to treat,” said Bill Cooper, Nestlé Purina’s vice president of manufacturing, who declined to name the supplier. He said the company now routinely tests for 40 types of antibiotics and detailed its new quality controls in meetings with FDA officials.
“We have added to the strict protocols we already had in place,” Cooper said, noting that the company received very few complaints even before last year’s voluntary withdrawals. “We certainly believe that we have the highest level of quality.”
Nina Leigh Krueger, head of the Waggin’ Train brand, said most retailers and customers have welcomed the treats back. “Thousands of consumers have been calling and asking us for Waggin’ Train treats to be back on the market,” she said.
Terry Safranek is not one of them.
“It’s a kick in the gut to see them back on the shelf,” said Safranek, whose 9-year-old fox terrier, Sampson, who had eaten jerky treats, died of kidney failure in 2012. Since then, Safranek has become a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against Nestlé Purina and retailers including Target and Wal-Mart. She helped create Animal Parents Against Pet Treats and Food Made in China, a group that has petitioned the FDA to do better in alerting people about the potential dangers of jerky treats produced in Chinese factories.
For now, on Florida’s west coast, Andy the terrier has returned to normal after months of treatments — about $3,500 worth — to restore his kidney function. “We feel very lucky,” said Gude, who has taken the advice of many vets around the country to steer clear of pet jerky treats altogether. “It could have gone another way.”
“They want to solve it more than anything,” said Hartogensis, the FDA official overseeing the effort. “I’m confident we’ll get there. It’s a really complicated issue, but we’ve got a lot of great people working on it. And I think we’re getting closer.”
WASHINGTON POST LINK
The FDA consumer warning is STILL in place and Waggin' Train is STILL using China based ingredients. This is what the FDA really has had to say on the subject in it's entirety, bearing in mind that more than 600 dogs and cats have died and thousands more have been sickened and left with long-term health issues.
FDA Cautions Consumers about Chicken Jerky Products for Dogs
September 26, 2007
"The Food and Drug Administration is cautioning consumers of a potential association between development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats. FDA has received more than 70 complaints involving more than 95 dogs that experienced illness that their owners associated with consumption of chicken jerky products.
To date, FDA has not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA has conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified any contaminant. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky.
FDA has also received preliminary information from Banfield, The Pet Hospital which suggests an association between exposure to the chicken jerky products and signs of gastrointestinal illness (vomiting, diarrhea and bloody diarrhea).
Dogs that have become ill, typically show 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 (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.
FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch the dogs closely for any signs of decreased appetite, decreased activity, increased water consumption, increased urination, vomiting and/or diarrhea; and, if the dog shows any of these signs, to discontinue feeding the chicken jerky product. The signs of illness may occur within hours to days of feeding the product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours.
Chicken treat products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be used occasionally in small quantities.
The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem. Consumers who wish to report animal illness, please see below for the contact information on the FDA complaint coordinator in their state."
The FDA warning remains and is updated:
FDA Continues to Caution Dog Owners About Chicken Jerky Products
November 18, 2011
"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is again cautioning consumers that chicken jerky products for dogs (also sold as chicken tenders, strips or treats) may be associated with illness in dogs. In the last 12 months, FDA has seen an increase in the number of complaints it received of dog illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China. These complaints have been reported to FDA by dog owners and veterinarians.
FDA issued a cautionary warning regarding chicken jerky products to consumers in September 2007 and a Preliminary Animal Health Notification in December of 2008. After seeing the number of complaints received drop off during the latter part of 2009 and most of 2010, the FDA is once again seeing the number of complaints rise to the levels of concern that prompted release of our earlier warnings.
Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be fed occasionally in small quantities.
FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). 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.
FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified a contaminant."
And the Latest news from the FDA?
FDA Releases Progress Report on Jerky Pet Treat Investigation
October 22, 2013
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released today an update on its investigation into pet illnesses and deaths associated with jerky pet treats from China. The update includes a description of the extent of the agency’s testing and current findings, as well as a “Dear Veterinarian” letter and Fact Sheet for pet owners.
The “Dear Veterinarian” letter to veterinary professionals explains how they can provide valuable assistance to the agency’s investigation, requests that veterinarians report to FDA any cases of jerky pet treat-related illness that come to their attention and, when requested, that they also provide samples for diagnostic testing by the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), a network of veterinary laboratories affiliated with FDA. The Fact Sheet for pet owners lists steps they can take to prevent or detect illness related to the treats.
As of September 24, 2013, FDA has received more than 3000 complaints of illness related to consumption of chicken, duck, or sweet potato jerky treats, nearly all of which are imported from China. The reports involve more than 3600 dogs, 10 cats and include more than 580 deaths.
FDA continues to caution pet owners that jerky pet treats are not required for a balanced diet. The agency encourages pet owners to consult with their veterinarian prior to feeding treats and if they notice symptoms in their pets.
The rate of complaints associated with jerky pet treats dropped sharply after several well-known brands were removed from the market in January 2013, when a study conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Marketing (NYSDAM) detected low levels of antibiotic residues in those products. FDA believes that the drop in complaints is linked to a decrease in the availability of jerky pet treats rather than the low levels of antibiotics found in January, which FDA believes are unlikely to be the cause of the illnesses. However, FDA is performing an evaluation to determine the possibility for low levels of the antibiotics to cause illness in dogs when fed over a length of time. This process involves review of the scientific literature, as well as any adverse event reports and consumer complaints sent to the FDA in connection with dogs and sulfonamide drugs, and may take many months to complete. In the meantime, our investigation continues to evaluate all potential causes for illness from the jerky pet treats.
While FDA has not yet identified a cause for the reported illnesses, the agency, together with our Vet-LIRN partners, continue to perform testing to help identify cases and examine both animal tissue and product samples associated with the cases. FDA also continues to work with the manufacturers and distributors of the treats and China’s Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine to investigate potential sources of contamination or causes of illness in pets."
So... the FDA continues to actively investigate the problem and its origin but don't hold your breath coz the US FDA is in business with corporations like Monsanto and Nestle/Purina.as well as Big Agriculture (Big Ag). Many of the illnesses reported may of course be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints/ to submit a report on ANY pet food that has makes your pets sick!
My own take?
Purina’s half truths and spinning of words to make the company appear as if it cares is repulsive. If they truly cared about our pets they would heed the warnings and make the decision to sell NO treats from China. Instead of this, heavy investment in that country continues.
The NY Department of Agriculture determined that the cause could be illegal antibiotics in far higher quantities that were reported to the public. Yep! MUCH more than the trace amounts suggested by Purina shills!
Let us compare what the NY Departrment of Agriculture actually found in the treats, then reported to the FDA with what the FDA reported to us, the public. Clue.. THE FDA LIED!
Drug A: NY Dept of Ag's Report identified Sulfaquinoxy line The allowable limit is < 0.1 ppm. 29 treats tested positive. Highest concentration 0.828 ppm More than 8 times above allowable limit but the
FDA REPORTED TO THE PUBLIC: 27 treats tested positive Highest concentration 0.041 ppm Under the allowable limit. LIES! The actual figure was More than 20 times the level reported to the public by the FDA! THE FDA LIED!
Drug B: NY Dept of Ag's Report identified Suffaclozine NO allowable limit - drug is illegal in the US. 79 treats tested positive. Highest concentration 1.598 ppm. This is an Illegal drug at any level but the
FDA REPORTED TO THE PUBLIC: 30 treats tested positive Highest concentration 0.257 ppm Illegal drug at any level. The actual figure was More than 6 times the level reported to the public by the FDA! THE FDA LIED!
Drug C: NY Dept of Ag's Report identified Tilmicosin. The allowable limit is < 0.1 ppm 31 treats tested positive. Highest concentration 0.528 ppm More than 5 times above allowable limit but the
FDA REPORTED TO THE PUBLIC: 9 treats tested positive Highest concentration 0.005 ppm Levels found unlikely to cause symptoms The actual figure was More than 6 times the level reported to the public by the FDA! THE FDA LIED!
I think we should only trust the original independent New York Dept of Agriculture lab results, don’t you?
SO... you are probably now asking: "what can I give my dog as a treat?"
"Treat" your dogs to a piece of banana, sliced apple, carrot, melon, or pieces of cucumber, zucchini or broccoli instead! Most dogs love raw green beans too! Or you can oven-dry strips of meat and refrigerate once you have fully dried them! Simple, cheap and, most importantly, SAFE!
