The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Pet Treat The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Pet Treat
Showing posts with label Pet Treat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pet Treat. Show all posts

Thursday, November 30, 2017

These Store-Bought Bone Treats Could Kill Your Dog, FDA Warns


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning dog owners about store-bought "bone treats," saying they have led to multiple reports of pet illnesses and even death.

In a consumer update, the FDA said they have received nearly 70 reports of pet illnesses related to "bone treats." The illnesses reported by owners and veterinarians include: 

Gastrointestinal obstruction (blockage in the digestive tract)
Choking
Cuts and wounds in the mouth or on the tonsils
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Bleeding from the rectum
Death. Approximately fifteen dogs reportedly died after eating a bone treat.


To read more on this story, click here: These Store-Bought Bone Treats Could Kill Your Dog, FDA Warns 



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Friday, December 18, 2015

Woman Caught Selling Dog Food as Heroin


Dog food and aspirin may not be controlled substances, but one Plymouth woman's alleged attempt to pass them off as such have landed her behind bars.

Megan M. Meyer, 22, was charged with two counts of imitation of a controlled substance and one felony bail jumping count. With enhancers attached for repeat behavior, she could face a maximum of 12 years in prison.

According to the criminal complaint:

The Sheboygan County MEG unit set up a buy with Meyer through a confidential informant on Nov. 18. The informant told officers that Meyer had contacted the informant offering to sell a pill of Percocet for $35. After arranging the buy, Meyer increased the price of the pill to $50 and also offered to sell him some "boy," which is slang for heroin.

When the informant made contact with Meyer, she said that the heroin was a "dose and a half" and that she had to get the items out of her apartment before her probation officer arrived in 15 minutes. The transaction was made and the items were turned over to police. However, they were unable to identify the drugs as Percocet or heroin.

When Meyer was picked up on a probation hold and other charges on Dec. 15, investigators interviewed her about the buy. Meyer said she sold the informant fake drugs -- namely dog food crushed up to look like heroin and aspirin in place of Percocet. She did so, she said, because the informant had stolen a car seat from her and Meyer wanted to get back at that person.


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Saturday, April 21, 2012

Urgent! Vets Warn of New Treats from China Poisoning Dogs



Despite repeated warnings issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), chicken jerky treats, but this time they are being poisoned with a whole new class of treats: sweet potato treats imported from China.

The brands veterinarians say are associated with the new cases of unexplained acute kidney failure are Canyon Creek Ranch Chicken Yam Good Dog Treats (Nestle-Purina), Beefeaters Sweet Potato Treats (16 types of yam-related treats), Drs. Foster and Smith (exact item not specified in the report) and Dogswell Veggie Life Vitality (4 types of Veggie Life brands).

It is important to remember that although the type of treat most often mentioned in the press is described as a jerky treat, the treats may also be called by a myriad of other names such as stix, chips, poppers, tenders, drumettes, kabob’s, strips, fries, lollipops, twists, wraps, bars, tops and discs.

The report says that there is speculation the problems may also extend to pork treats and cat treats imported from China.

In 2010 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Import Refusal Report and later issued an Import Alert for sweet potato dog treats imported from a company in China (whose main business is, oddly, in rubber and plastic raw materials) were contaminated with a highly toxic pesticide known as Phorate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phorate.

Phorate is an extremely toxic organophosphorus compound and is among the most poisonous chemicals commonly used for pest control. It is used in agriculture as a pesticide and Phorate is identified by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) and Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR) as one of the “most toxic” set of pesticides known (aka a Bad Actor) in the world.

Although Phorate is known primarily as a neurotoxin and not classified as a nephrotoxin and therefore unlikely to cause acute renal failure in dogs, its presence in any food item is a disturbing indication that treats of any kind imported from China could pose a risk to the health and safety of pets and to the consumers handling them.

On the Veterinary Information Network, several veterinarians have reported cases where dogs have developed symptoms of kidney failure (Fanconi’s syndrome) similar to dogs who have been poisoned by Chinese-made chicken jerky treats.

So far, the brands implicated are all made in China:

Beefeaters Sweet Potato Snacks for Dogs
Canyon Creek Ranch Chicken Yam Good Dog Treats (FDA has issued a warning on this product)
Drs. Foster and Smith (exact item not specified in the report)
Dogswell Veggie Life Vitality

There was also speculation that the problem may also extend to pork products (pig ears) and cat treats made in China. Australian veterinarians have reported similar symptoms from chicken jerky treats, as well as several cases associated with “Veggie Dents,” a dog treat made in Vietnam by Virbac, an American company. Virbac recalled one batch of Veggie Dents in Australia in 2009.

The FDA still claims that there is no pending recall of Chinese-made pet treats, even though it has repeatedly issued warnings about the problems associated with chicken jerky treats since 2007.

Symptoms of Fanconi’s syndrome include:

  • Increased drinking and urinating
  • “Accidents” in the house
  • Reduced appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Weakness
  • Blood and urine tests show azotemia (high BUN and Creatinine), dilute urine, and glucose in the urine (that isn’t diabetes).

Most affected dogs have recovered over time with good supportive care.

We strongly recommend that you check the source of all cat or dog treats you may have purchased, and do not give them to your pet if they were made in China. It would be best to avoid any pet food or treat products made in China, and probably a good idea to avoid all dried animal parts, because they are not heated to a temperature that will kill pathogenic bacteria.




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