FDA Asks for Help With Pet Illness


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.
Flickr CC via Carrie Lee

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