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| Flickr CC via purplemattfish |
Packaged jerky treats have killed thousands of pets over several years in a mysterious illness. What may resemble food poisoning in humans
often result in the death of a family pet.
While the disease has been linked to cases as early as 2007, the rate of
occurrence has increased this year. So
far the only evidence produced has been that the jerky treats are poultry based
(made with duck or chicken) and are manufactured in China. The illness has been connected to several
different brands, some of which were recalled voluntarily by the manufacturers
in January. Illness rates decreased
after the recalls.
However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not been
able to pinpoint the specific cause of the illness. First of all, companies are not required to
disclose the origin of pet food products or their manufacturing
facilities. Secondly, dogs have been
showing various symptoms and the outbreak has lasted much longer than typical
food borne illnesses. Where a
contamination would usually only last as long as one batch of product and would
be solved through a recall, this illness persists. Due to the unusual nature, the FDA put a call
out to the public asking for more data.
Pet owners and veterinarians are being asked to save product
and packaging of any jerky treats that make pets sick, as well as send the FDA
blood, stool and tissue samples for testing.
The FDA will cover the costs of testing.
While several drug additives have been identified in some of the treats,
none of them have been directly linked.
The FDA opened a satellite office in China several years ago
to alleviate growing concerns about the safety of products in China. Several high profile cases have shown safety
issues with toys, powdered milk and candy.
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| Flickr CC via Carrie Lee |
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