According to the New York Daily News, a specific dog treat sold in many stores is causing pet deaths all throughout the U.S. Reports show that the tainted dog jerky treats are from China, but are distributed for sale throughout America. The treats cause the onset of a mysterious illness in dogs. Thousands of pets have been sickened by the intriguing illness, and at least 600 pets have died after consuming the treats.
Since 2007, the FDA estimates that about 3,600 dogs have been sickened after consuming the treats. About 10 cats have also fallen ill, though the treats are marketed to dogs and therefore mostly canines are affected. The FDA officials are researching this food faux pas, bit at present they are stumped as to the exact cause of the illness. Officials say that they have performed thousands of tests for contaminants and have even visited the pet treat manufacturers in China, but have not been able to determine exactly what the culprit for the incident is.
The Veterinary Medicine Chief of the FDA says that this is one of the most elusive and mysterious outbreaks that the FDA has ever encountered regarding pet foods and treats. Pet owners are encouraged to watch out for pets that may be suffering decreased appetites or may start vomiting. Also, look out for signs of diarrhea, and sluggishness, especially after the animal has been snacking on jerky tenders. The FDA requests that pet owners report any illness that they discover in their animal to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator immediately so that they can continue to monitor this outbreak.
Whenever your pet falls ill after consuming any sort of pet product, it is important to take the animal to a veterinarian right away. That way, you can get a proper diagnosis and begin treating you r animal and can also report the dangerous product to the FDA. The toxic treats that are affected in this report are all chicken, duck, sweet potato, and jerky products that are manufactured under a variety of different brands.
Vets who have treated animals for jerky poisoning have been asked to consider sending blood, urine and tissue samples to the FDA for further research on this issue. The FDA says that the number of reported illness in connection with these treats has dropped this year because some of the jerky products have been pulled from store shelves. There may be bacteria in the treats which can cause an illness that affects the digestive system.
If you suspect that you pet has been poisoned by a food or any other edible substance, you should take action immediately. Poisoning can bring on a variety of symptoms. Dogs my drool, lost their appetite, or suffer from nausea, or cough and vomit blood. Some pets may become weak and lethargic, while others may collapse. In some cases, a dog will have pale gums, which may signify internal bleeding connected with the poisoning.
In some circumstances poisoning can lead to kidney failure. Halitosis, inappetance, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, and absence of urination are all signs of kidney failure, which can sometimes be fatal. Also, liver failure will cause dull mentation, vomiting, weakness due to low blood sugar, jaundice to the gums, and melena.
These specific jerky treats have been known to cause both kidney failure and gastrointestinal bleeding. 60% of all cases regarding the treats have resulted in a gastrointestinal illness and about 30% have involved problems with the kidney and urinary systems. Keep a look out for pet food recalls in order to avoid some of these recalls.