Don't Buy Any Pet Food Or Treats From China: Nearly 600 Dead Pets
Gregg, the other day, got Aida a chew stick from the grocery store, just to be nice (because he didn't have time to go to the pet store on his way over), but I read the labels assiduosly, and it was made in China so I threw it out.
I hate to waste food, but I know better than to let Aida eat anything made in China (and I sure won't consume food from there, either).
Well, it turns out jerky from China has been killing pets. JoNel Aleccia writes for NBC News:
Nearly 600 pets have died and more than 3,600 have been sickened in an ongoing, mysterious outbreak of illnesses tied to jerky treats made in China, federal animal health officials said Tuesday.Most of the cases have been in dogs of all breeds, ages and sizes -- although 10 cats have been sickened, too -- after eating chicken, duck and sweet potato jerky treats. The pace of the reported illnesses appears to have slowed, but federal Food and Drug Administration officials are now seeking extra help from veterinarians and pet owners in solving the ongoing puzzle.
"To date, testing for contaminants in jerky treats has not revealed a cause for the illnesses," Martine Hartogensis, a deputy director for the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in the new report. "Despite these warnings, we have continued to receive reports of illnesses in both cats and dogs.
Some American firms also recalled jerky for contamination with unapproved antibiotics. From a January 2013 story, also by Aleccia:
Nestle Purina PetCare Co. officials announced Wednesday that they're withdrawing Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brand dog treats until further notice. Officials at Milo's Kitchen, which is owned by the Del Monte Corp. of San Francisco, announced they are voluntarily recalling the firm's Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers home-style dog treats from shelves nationwide.The move came after the New York Department of Agriculture and Marketing told federal Food and Drug Administration veterinary officials this week that trace amounts of residual poultry antibiotics had been found in several lots of each of the brands of jerky treat products.
The agriculture agency found very low levels of four antibiotics that are not approved for use in poultry in the U.S. and one antibiotic that is approved for U.S. poultry use, but is limited to nearly undetectable levels in the finished product, said Joe Morrissey, a department spokesman. The antibiotics include sulfaclozine, tilmicosin, trimethoprim, enrofloxacin and sulfaquinoxaline, he said.
The antibiotics are approved in China, where most of the treats are made, and in other countries, according to company statements.
In fact, it turns out that I also bought made-in-China duck breast tenders -- not knowing they were made in China. It didn't say so on Amazon -- I checked the package. We'd ordered them to have them on hand when her current bag of treats runs out -- American-made treats. By PrimalPetFoods.com. Says "Made In The USA" at the top of the bag, and they're made from chicken raised sans antibiotics or added hormones and also do not include corn, wheat or soy.
Here's a link to the healthy, made-in-USA stuff: Primal Pet Foods Freeze Dried Canine Chicken Formula. Aida loves these. (Although, I should say, one goes a long, long, long, long way because I cut it up and feed her tiny bits because she's a tiny little doggie -- still under three pounds and should remain under five.)
And it ain't just dog treats...
google china chicken inspections
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-27/chicken-processed-in-china-triggers-u-s-food-safety-protests.html
jerry at October 22, 2013 11:58 PM
Interesting story.
I gave my mom a pug puppy. Every morning she would cook him a healthy doggie breakfast. Eventually she got tired of it and decided to give him canned dog food one morning,
He took a whif and turned up his nose and walked away. He refused any and all canned foods and non-expensive dog food, He also demanded his daily orange.
I had a bichon frise rescued from the streets. Despite being a very fine expensive dog he ate dried corn cobs, neighbors cat food, cat turds, dead birds.
It cracks me up how dogs can become snobs given their background.
Ppen at October 23, 2013 2:17 AM
There's a lot of stories like that from kennel owners Ppen. They get instructions from the owner about what their snookums likes, then give the horsemeat everyone else gets. A couple of days tops then they wolf it down.
I'm blessed at the moment with two cats who only eat what they need (one of my previous would overeat given the opportunity and get fat), and they're well fed on reasonable commercial stuff. I've even been to the factory in a profesional capacity. Of course, they still like to hunt, and in the inner city, there's no reason to stop them. Which led to an episode where one tried to wake me up (I was having a long snooze-in) and got told "Go away and hunt!"
I'm almost positive I said "and" not "you", and "hunt" not... well, you get the idea!
Ltw at October 23, 2013 2:27 AM
I use Nutro pet products. Back when my husband owned a pet store, he became friends with the owner.
Since grains give my doxie diarrhea, I appreciate their grain-free products.
From their website:
We produce our dry pet foods in our own facilities located right here in the United States.
All of our facilities adhere to industry-leading food safety and quality standards.
We have dedicated quality and sanitation experts in each of our facilities to ensure the quality and safety of our pet food.
We never operate for more than seven days in our dry facilities without an in-depth cleaning and sanitation break.
We regularly conduct on-site audits at our ingredient suppliers to ensure that our quality and food safety standards are met.
We test our key ingredients before we use them to ensure nutritional and food safety parameters are met.
We test our shipments of grains for mycotoxins before we unload them to ensure they are safe.
We carefully test every finished product batch to confirm microbiological safety, nutritional compliance and shelf stability through oxidation testing before we ship it.
We lead the industry in our commitment to understand and drive stability and freshness of natural pet food.
The Nutro Company was first to receive American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) Pet Food Manufacturing Facility Certification Program certificates for our three manufacturing facilities in Victorville, Calif.; Lebanon, Tenn.; and Kansas City, Mo. This achievement illustrates our commitment to pet-food safety.
While I am still not sure they handled the Greenies issue properly, they did reformulate them and they are now 97% digestible, even more digestible than dog food.
They have also stopped making sticks that they believe are not safe for pets.
All in all I think they are committed to natural ingredients for pets, so I stick with them.
Annie at October 23, 2013 3:08 AM
3 lbs? Under 5? My Lily was 14 lbs when we brought her home at 8 weeks. I guess a Chinese crested is not the same as a Bernese Mtn Dog.
;)
mer at October 23, 2013 4:31 AM
I mused to my husband last night about whether The Jungle is available in Chinese translation. They certainly are experiencing both the highs and lows of the Industrial Revolution in China these days.
Astra at October 23, 2013 5:20 AM
Amy is dead on with this warning. I used to give my dog rawhide chews without regard to where they were made. He would occasionally vomit after having one.
A few years ago I switched to American made rawhide and he hasn't had a problem since.
Jay at October 23, 2013 6:32 AM
My Lily was 14 lbs when we brought her home at 8 weeks.
Wow!
And Gregg went to some chichi pet store on Melrose or Fairfax and got Aida a chew made out of - tah-dah! - dried bull penis (from the USA). Apparently, they last forever. Although - heh - not for the bull.
I wrote to the Smokehouse company to say we have an unopened bag and want our money bag.
Oh, and the wonderful food Aida eats, Blue Buffalo, our breeder's recommendation, is made in the USA.
Interestingly, my friend Debbie was having problems with her bichon Mingus' skin, and found that a diet of dehydrated raw food was the thing that cured him.
Amy Alkon at October 23, 2013 6:58 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/10/23/dont_buy_any_pe.html#comment-4001087">comment from Amy AlkonHere's a raw food company's dog food.
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/embark
It's $89 for 10 lbs. Aida would take a long, long time to go through that but this would be very expensive for a Bernese!
Amy Alkon at October 23, 2013 7:02 AM
The same thing happened a few years ago with cat food that originated in China. One of our cats mysteriously died around that time and I'm sure that it was the tainted Chinese cat food. Pet companies should really stop importing ingredients from there.
DrMaturin at October 23, 2013 7:02 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/10/23/dont_buy_any_pe.html#comment-4001118">comment from DrMaturinI am so, so sorry, DrMaturin.
Awaiting word back from SmokehousePets to see if they'll refund our money for their made-in-China duck tenders. Package has sticker on it, says "lab-tested in USA." Not enough. Another message says "regularly tested." And these were expensive -- maybe $16.99 for the package. Of course, with Aida's size, it would take her probably two years to go through this package.
Amy Alkon at October 23, 2013 7:20 AM
@DrMaturin
The same thing happened to our cat several years ago. I do not remember the year, but it was a story reported extensively in the media at the time. Our vet diagnosed failing kidneys and believed he had been poisoned. We ultimately had to put him down.
About a week after his death, the story of tainted pet food from China was reported. We had not thrown out the food we fed him, so we researched the ingredients and place of origin: China
The Chinese killed my cat. I will not forget.
Nick at October 23, 2013 8:56 AM
If it is this bad with products that are meant for the american market, then the products for the chinese market must be downright dangerous. Probably chinese people would avoid all processed foods in their country and just cook at home to avoid getting poisoned by the adulterated products there.
Redrajesh at October 23, 2013 9:50 AM
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in addressing a decade-long trade dispute over farm imports, said it will allow poultry slaughtered in the U.S. and Canada to be processed in China and returned to the U.S. for consumption.
How the fuck is it cheaper to kill birds in north america, ship them several thousand miles to be processed, and then ship them several thousand miles again to be sold, as opposed to processing them on sight and not shipping them an extra 14 to 20 thousand miles?
lujlp at October 23, 2013 9:52 AM
That's what I was wondering too luj.
BunnyGirl at October 23, 2013 7:46 PM
Astra; this isn't so much the highs and the lows of the industrial revolution. This is simply greed matched with corruption.
Take short-cuts or use inferior ingredients to make a product; pay off some officials to look the other way, and make tons of money. When noncorrupt officals come looking for you, simply close up shop, move to a new location with a new name and start again.
And it isn't just pet food. There have been dozens of stories over the last 15 years about bad products from China.
Recently, I so "scared" a friend that she threw out some "pine nuts" because of stories that some brands labelled with the country of origin as China are, in fact, pine nuts that are not edible and can cause one to lose your sense of taste. (Many pine trees produce nuts; but only a few are fit for eating; others which look and taste the same are not fit to eat and can make you sick)
Redrajesh; yes, products sold in the Chinese market are dangerous. Do you remember the toxic baby formula sold in China a few years back? Dozens of infants died from baby formula that had some chemical in it that made them sick. XinHua News agency reported about a dozen deaths and over 50,000 hospitalized. That was the "official" report. One does have to wonder what the real numbers were.
I remember one case from back in the 1980s, when I lived in East Asia, where several companies in China were selling sausages made with "plastic" casings. Folks were eating the casings not realizing that they were made of plastic and ended up with intestinal blockages. (How, on earth, one can cook and eat plastic I really don't know). This was during the Chinese New year, where feasting is quite the norm, and there was a shortage of natural casings; so some companies found a solution and used plastic to make the casings; but forgot to inform the buyers to NOT eat the sausage skins.
As much as I complain about the US federal government being a leviathan (and it is!) there are some good things that the US government does and is needed for - food safety is one of them. The real question is where do we draw the line between food safety and government meddling?
The bottom line - be very careful of what you buy and where it is from. If in doubt, don't buy it or throw it out.
P.S. I buy NO food products from China. Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, Japan, yup; but not ONE thing from China. My health is too important to me.
Charles at October 23, 2013 7:50 PM
My cats have Blue Buffalo dry food to snack on, but I bake a chicken for them about twice a week, and feed them some daily.
My Vet says that is OK, and that meat is more natural for a cat to eat than brewer's rice and corn grits.
I just checked their Temptations treats, aka Kitty Krack, and it's from Tennessee. Huge sigh of relief, I couldn't live through my kittys in Krack withdrawal. It's unbelievable-they will do anything for that stuff.
Thanks, Amy, and please give Aida an extra treat from me? She's adorable and I'm not a teeny-dog person.
bmused at October 23, 2013 9:18 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/10/23/dont_buy_any_pe.html#comment-4003034">comment from bmusedAww, thank you!
Amy Alkon at October 23, 2013 10:11 PM
Astra; this isn't so much the highs and the lows of the industrial revolution. This is simply greed matched with corruption.
Yes, but is it unique to China? The history of the additives found in British bread in the Victorian era and how their government had to relax height requirements to find enough soldiers to serve in WWI are well covered. And one doesn't have to embrace Upton Sinclair's vision of a socialist utopia to recognize that conditions in Industrial age meat-packing plants were less than ideal and why we still have to fight to get raw milk sold legally.
This is not to defend the Chinese government or whitewash societal corruption there. (There is a reason so many of my Chinese colleagues stay here to work.) However, one often scents a tinge of "the other" in comments about modern China (not so much on this thread), as though such things would never take place among "our sort." Historical ignorance and assuming evil can only be done by evil people are two of my pet peeves.
Astra at October 24, 2013 5:33 AM
Consistency alert:
If you call for the end to food inspections in the USA, you support the conditions that allowed this to happen with products made in China - and there is nothing special about Americans that would prevent them from doing the same things. If not deliberately, then through lack of due diligence in guaranteeing the absence of contaminants in their products.
You CANNOT personally detect contaminants in your food capable of injuring or killing you.
Radwaste at October 27, 2013 8:18 AM
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