Dog Community

Has Your Dog Gotten Sick from Chicken Jerky from China?

Posted : 9/19/2008 3:59:50 PM

I'm trying to find out from other dog owners, particularly those with small dogs, if any of your dogs have been made ill from chicken products from China? I'm trying to raise awareness among dog owners who may not know that almost all of the chicken products for dogs in the major stores are made in China. You can check the back of your package and in very small lettering you can usually find the words, Made in China, even though the company may seem to be an American company (which imports and packs it). Literally thousands of dogs have been getting ill, and the signs are vomiting, diarhea, lethargy and increased water drinking and urination. If your dog has any of these signs and you have been feeding chicken jerky, please check the bag. Our dog became quite ill but luckily did recover. We did find a company called Kona's Chips and the chicken jerky is truly Made in America. Our dog loves them! You can buy them online--check them out at www.konaschips.com They have some really good info on their site too. You can also check out www.laciessite.org for more info on stories of dogs becoming ill.

JackieG

Posted : 9/19/2008 4:21:00 PM

Thanks for the warning. I used to buy my dogs Smokehouse brand chicken jerky from Petsmart and the package said made in USA. Then I checked the label on the same product at my local grocery store (much cheaper) and it said made in CHINA. I called and this woman told me she was positive that the two products could never get mixed up. Yeah, right. So even though my dogs never got sick I quit buying this brand.

PommyMommy

Posted : 9/19/2008 4:32:35 PM

Yes, Smokehouse is one of the major brands that have been mentioned in these illnesses. Glad you caught it! Yes

losinsusan

Posted : 9/19/2008 9:14:53 PM

About 7 months ago I had a package of chicken jerky from Target. I had it for quite a while on the shelf unopened before finally using up other treats and gave one to my then puppy. He was throwing up within an hour or so from having it. I checked online to see if it was recalled and found very little about that brand. I did see it was made in China and got worried so I contacted Target. They said the product was recently involved in an FDA recall although they felt it was fine. They did pull it off the shelf in Target due to the FDA insistance but again said nothing is proven wrong with it. I let them know about my dog vomiting it up and they did not even want the product back for testing! I was appauled. They refunded my money spent and that was it. I didn't like the response from Target and have many, many other problems with their customer care people. I do not shop there anymore.

PommyMommy

Posted : 9/19/2008 9:49:53 PM

Losinsusan, thanks for your response. In reading it, I realized that I should mention that if any of you experience this with a chicken jerky product from China, please save the treats and the bag! That way if you contact the FDA, they are able to test the actual product which made your dog sick. And/or, if you have to have your dog treated by the vet, they may also like to submit the remainder of the product for testing. I have the feeling that many more dogs have become sick than we have realized because either the report didn't make it to the FDA or the dog owner may have never made the connection to the treats they were feeding their dog. That's why I am trying to continue to get the word out!

Cassidys Mom

Posted : 9/20/2008 12:35:48 PM

We've been buying chicken jerky from Costco. I hadn't heard anything about the brand (Kingdom Pets), but was concerned after hearing about other dogs getting sick from chicken jerky, so I checked the label, and it IS made in China. But according to the website, they were not affected by the recalls, and they test the product and post the test results right on their site. http://www.thekingdompets.com/web/products_detail.php?ID=90

So, I THINK it's safe. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has had a problem with that particular brand. I have big dogs, 70-85 pounds, and they only get a piece occasionally.

PommyMommy

Posted : 9/20/2008 1:31:04 PM

Hey Cassidy's Mom... I hope the treats are safe too, but they are listed on Lacie's site as a brand that made some dogs ill. I know that Dogswell does testing too, and that is the brand our dog got sick on. I don't think all the bags are tainted, just some of them are (maybe bad batches here and there), but I'm sure you don't want to take any chances with your pets! Here are the 2 websites (again) that I recommend:

www.konaschips.com

www.laciessite.org

Good Luck! Big Smile

spiritdogs

Posted : 9/20/2008 1:42:12 PM

I stay away from any product that isn't organic, and made in the good old USA, for my dogs' treats. Or, I bake them myself. They're even poisoning babies in China these days:-(( After the pet food recall, you would think people would learn.

sl2crmeg

Posted : 9/20/2008 1:52:32 PM

spiritdogs
I stay away from any product that isn't organic, and made in the good old USA, for my dogs' treats. Or, I bake them myself.

Yep. Two brands I really trust for treats are Zukes, and the Wellness line of treats. Pirate *loves* chicken jerky, so I just figured out how to make it myself (and sweet potatoes, too!)