I’m sure that many of you heard about the recent warning issued by the FDA concerning dog treats from China. http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm280586.htm
As noted in the title of this warning, the FDA continues to warn consumers about chicken jerky treats from China. This implies that there is a background history of problems associated with these treats.
FDA issued a cautionary warning regarding chicken jerky products to consumers in September 2007 and a Preliminary Animal Health Notification in December of 2008.
Their warning goes on to state that they have not yet determined the cause of the problems. The FDA warning is based on reports from consumers and veterinarians that implicate these treats in a number of health problems.
We received the latest warning on the same day it was issued. We had a discussion about the risks involved and decided to remove all the chicken treats we carry that were manufactured in China. We made this decision even though there was no recall from the manufacturers.
Before the warning was issued we had given some of these treats to our own dogs and have never noticed any problems. It still seems like the most responsible thing to do, given the latest warning by the FDA. We would never knowingly sell a treat or food product that we would not feel safe feeding to our own dogs.
Many of you will remember that Chinese wheat gluten has been implicated in a number of serious illnesses and dog food recalls over the past few years. Chinese pet-food products are beginning to get such a bad reputation that we are seriously considering removing all Chinese food products from our shelves.
The problem we face is that there are so few real alternatives available. The alternatives that we have found are often much more expensive. It’s disappointing to our customers to find that their dog’s favorite treat has been eliminated from our lineup and then it’s like adding insult to injury when the customer discovers we have a new product which, while similar, costs nearly twice as much!
We are scouring the shelves of our distributors and reading all our wholesale catalogs in search of reasonably priced treats that we can sell and feed with confidence. We have had some success, but there’s still a pretty big hole in our shelves where we can fit in more good, wholesome, dog treats.
So, we’re asking you for your help to find safe and reasonably priced treats. If you know of a good, wholesome and safe dog treat that is made in the USA, we would like to hear from you. Maybe you’ve purchased something from another store and you’d like to share your secret with us? If you have any tips about safe and reasonable treats you can send us an email or give us a call anytime. We’d love to hear from you.
In the mean time, this latest FDA warning is a good reminder to take a look at what you are feeding your four-legged friends. Wheat gluten and corn gluten meal have been implicated in numerous recalls and have also been shown to contribute to yeast infections and other skin and coat issues.
If you need help finding a good, healthy dog food that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, we are here to help. Don’t forget to call us with your treat tips!
