ohmidog!

The number of dogs reported sickened by chicken jerky pet treats from China is nearing 1,000, according to federal health officials.

The Food and Drug Administration has logged 900 reports of illnesses and deaths since November, when it warned owners about continued problems with the products — all made in China — known as chicken jerky strips, treats and nuggets, a spokesperson said.

Last November, the agency had heard from 70 owners about problems ranging from vomiting and diarrhea to kidney failure after animals  consumed the treats. Since then, complaints from owners and reports from veterinarians have mounted steadily, putting  pressure on the FDA to solve the problem, MSNBC reports.

The agency sent inspectors earlier this year to Chinese factories where the treats are made, but no results of those reviews are yet available, an FDA spokesperson said Monday. Despite repeated tests since 2007, FDA scientists have been unable to detect any toxin responsible for the animal illnesses.

Three brands mentioned in the consumer complaints are Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brands, marketed by Nestle Purina PetCare Co., and Milo’s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats, sold by the Del Monte Corp.

Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch treats are produced and supplied by JOC Great Wall Corp. Ltd. of Nanjing, China.

Both manufacturers have insisted their chicken jerky treats are sound and that any illnesses are unrelated to the products.

You’d think, scientific technology being what it is, that the Food and Drug Administration would have determined by now what it is about chicken jerky treats from China that seems to be continually sickening, and sometimes killing, dogs.

But after more than four years, the FDA still has not found a contaminant in the jerky products, or established a clear link between them and reported illnesses.

Nor has it taken steps to have any of the 15 companies selling them issue recalls.

A lot of customers, following the story, have stopped using them, including me — not that I bought them in the first place.

Instead, it was a neighbor and one of Ace’s admirers who bought a big bag of them from a discount store to dispense when Ace dropped by. And, boy, did Ace love them — by which I mean both the treats and the neighbor. The mere sight of the jerky treats, though, made my dog act like an addict in dire need of a fix.

Ace became ill in the month that followed, with what seemed to be a stomach ailment. I have no idea if the treats were the cause, and the vet diagnosed nothing in particular, but my neighbor and I — both having read of growing suspicions about the treats, and he having checked the label to find they were from China – declared a moratorium on them.

(Al still dispenses Ace the occasional treat, including the slice of pizza he brought home for himself the other day, but fed to Ace before he got out of his car — possibly so that Ace, who can sense a pizza a mile away, would let him out of his car.)

Concerns about the treats go back at least to 2007. The FDA has run numerous tests on them, all of which were inconclusive. (There’s an in-depth piece recounting all this in Food Safety News.)

So far the only step the FDA has taken has been to caution consumers. The latest FDA notice, last November, warned dog owners who purchased chicken jerky to monitor their pets for decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination or increased water consumption, and to take their dog to a vet if any of those symptoms lasted more than 24 hours.

Since then, Food Safety News says, the FDA has received more than 600 reports from dog owners who say their pets have fallen ill because of chicken jerky products from China, and that calls for a recall are gaining momentum.

In February, Ohio’s Sen. Sherrod Brown brought the issue to the Senate floor, and later held a press conference, urging the FDA to accelerate its investigation into the chicken jerky treats.

Also last month, a Facebook group called “Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China!” started up, quickly growing to about 2,500 members. And a petition demanding the ban of jerky treats from China has acquired more than 3,000 signatures.

Blogger Mollie Morrissette, who has been following the chicken jerky issue on her website, Poisoned Pets, says she continues to hear horror stories from readers.

“I get letters every day from broken-hearted pet parents — people who had to put down their beloved family dog or five month-old puppy,” she said. “They all fed their dogs chicken jerky.”

(Photo courtesy of Food Safety News: Sarge, a seven year-old chow-corgi mix who fell ill after eating a single chicken jerky dog treat. After nearly two weeks of treatment, Sarge was put down.)

An increase in consumer complaints led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday to release another cautionary statement about chicken jerky products for dogs imported from China and sold as ”tenders,” “strips” or “treats.”

“The FDA continues to receive complaints of dogs experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products,” the statement said.

The FDA and several veterinary diagnostic laboratories are investigating whether there is a connection, DVM 360, a veterinary news magazine, reported.

Dog owners who feed their dogs chicken jerky products are asked to watch for these signs: decreased appetite (although some dogs may continue to consume the treats to the exclusion of other foods); decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea (sometimes with blood); and increased water consumption and/or increased urination.

If a dog shows these symptoms, and signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours, owners should consult their veterinarian.