FDA Baffled and asking dog owners for answers??

[rockhillmanor]

FDA is asking "US"-dog owners, on national TV tonight"....

Why approx 600 dogs have died and around 3,000 have become ill after
eating jerky treats from China made of chicken, duck, sweet potato.???? :S:S

Isn't that THEIR job? 😞

The world 'has' gone crazy.





Costa Rica that's the place to be. :C

[resmas]

Bumpyroad wrote:
If you are scared of stuff from China getting into your dog food, I would be very wary of taking pharmaceuticals as they may also contain active drug components made there also.
bumpy

I used to LOVE shopping at the "oriental" markets and getting authentic Asian products for different recipes I prepare at home. Now, not so much... I am terrified of what I am REALLY buying. The freaky things the Chinese allow in their pet food has pretty much killed my desire to shop at those markets. I think the Chinese will package and sell anything as long as they can make a profit, no matter if it is poison or not. And since many of the items I used to purchase don't even have English labels, well....

[Bumpyroad]

If you are scared of stuff from China getting into your dog food, I would be very wary of taking pharmaceuticals as they may also contain active drug components made there also.
bumpy

[TugCE]

After reading this, I really am beginning to worry, first our pets and now us.

Chinese Processed Chicken to be Labeled as Made in America

[Francesca_Knowl]

dturm wrote:

BCSnob wrote:
Doritos as a treat; why not? They are not to be used for daily nutrition (they are treats). Science has proven dogs can readily digest COOKED grains including corn.

Oh No, here we go.... 🙂

:B

Guess that about wraps up the discussion of the FDA/Chinese jerky treats...

[BCSnob]

One of many examples of studies on this subject despite what the popular press and food expert opinion websites say.

Evaluation of Nutrient utilization in the Canine using the Ileal Cannulation Technique
JULIE A. WALKER DAVID L. HARMON, KATHY L. GROSSI ATVD
GEORGE F. COLLINGS
J. Nutr, 1994

Diets contained 67% extruded grain (corn, rice, oats or barley)
and 33% canned meat supplement on a dry matter basis. Starch digestion was complete (>98%) within the small intestine and was unaffected by carbohydrate source.

Starch = cooked grains = extruded grains

[dturm]

BCSnob wrote:
Doritos as a treat; why not? They are not to be used for daily nutrition (they are treats). Science has proven dogs can readily digest COOKED grains including corn.

Oh No, here we go.... 🙂

[BCSnob]

Doritos as a treat; why not? They are not to be used for daily nutrition (they are treats). Science has proven dogs can readily digest COOKED grains including corn.

[Francesca_Knowl]

TInmania wrote:

Did you actually read the post I responded to? Doritos for pets are healthy? Seriously?



Michael

Lighten up there, Babaloo!

We're talkin' about treats here...Doritos aren't even "healthy" for humans, at least not in the way spinach or something is. But they're safe for consumption by both species, and a few here and there won't hurt a member of either.

[TInmania]

Pawz4me wrote:

TInmania wrote:

Deb and Ed M wrote:
But this is such a no-brainer: dogs LIKE "people food". If you must give your dog a treat - give it something you'd eat. My dogs will do just about anything for a Nacho Cheese Dorito....LOL!

But dogs are not "people." There are things that we eat that are very much not good for dogs (chocolate, grapes, onions, garlic, etc.).

Sure they love it: they don't understand it can hurt them. We do (or should).

There are very, very few healthy "human" foods that are harmful to pets.=

Did you actually read the post I responded to? Doritos for pets are healthy? Seriously?



Michael

[Francesca_Knowl]

Pawz4me wrote:
But this is such a no-brainer: dogs LIKE "people food". If you must give your dog a treat - give it something you'd eat. My dogs will do just about anything for a Nacho Cheese Dorito....LOL!

No kidding- I haven't bought dog treats for years. Absolutely anything will do for a reward as long as it's presented right.

A saltine cracker stands in for regular "treats" around here- all I have to do is say "want a treat?", and it becomes one. And it works just as well on the dog as it does on my Husband! :B

I've never used rawhide chews at all, mostly since a big wad of leather in a dog's stomach seems like a bad idea to me.

[Pawz4me]

TInmania wrote:

Deb and Ed M wrote:
But this is such a no-brainer: dogs LIKE "people food". If you must give your dog a treat - give it something you'd eat. My dogs will do just about anything for a Nacho Cheese Dorito....LOL!

But dogs are not "people." There are things that we eat that are very much not good for dogs (chocolate, grapes, onions, garlic, etc.).

Sure they love it: they don't understand it can hurt them. We do (or should).

There are very, very few healthy "human" foods that are harmful to pets.

I mentally snort every time someone says or types "human" food as if there are huge differences in basic, healthy foods for humans and pets. Food that is healthy for us -- lean chicken or steak, fish, most fruits and veggies -- are just as healthy for our dogs. Unfortunately, the dog food manufacturers have done an excellent job of convincing people otherwise.

Read the label on any really good dog food. The main ingredients should be pretty much the same things you eat in a well-balanced dinner. Up until about the 1950's, when commercial dog food first became widely used, most dogs did eat the same thing their humans had for dinner! People forget that in historic terms commercial food made just for pets is relatively new.

When I want to give my pets a treat, I pull out some chicken--chicken that I cook in the crock pot every week and that the humans use for sandwiches and quesadillas. It's easy and convenient and healthy and (so far) safe.

[TInmania]

Deb and Ed M wrote:
But this is such a no-brainer: dogs LIKE "people food". If you must give your dog a treat - give it something you'd eat. My dogs will do just about anything for a Nacho Cheese Dorito....LOL!

But dogs are not "people." There are things that we eat that are very much not good for dogs (chocolate, grapes, onions, garlic, etc.).

Sure they love it: they don't understand it can hurt them. We do (or should).




Michael

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

ScottG wrote:
I think it would be best to just stop buying any kind of pet food that's made in China. They've made it clear they don't care about our pets.

But don't forget: I could buy the raw materials from China; then press out the finished product here in the USA and be allowed (I'm pretty sure) to label the product "Made in the USA".

But this is such a no-brainer: dogs LIKE "people food". If you must give your dog a treat - give it something you'd eat. My dogs will do just about anything for a Nacho Cheese Dorito....LOL!

[BCSnob]

Until the FDA/USDA has been authorized to take samples or medical histories from any pet or pet owner they deem neccessary; the only recourse for the FDA/USDA is to ask for samples or medical histories from pet owners. The FDA is asking for more samples and/or medical histories to aid in discovering what is causing pets to get sick after eating these treats.

[dturm]

Anyone who has been a part of, investigated or just studied these types of problems understands finding the answer is usually more complicated than just testing the food/treat/environment or animal.

The problem starts with the fact that while hundred to thousands are implicated in this situation, it's a small blip on the number of dogs/cats that become sick every day. The symptoms mimic many other disease that occur every day and are far more common than an intoxication.

Then you get to the diagnosis and cost of tracking down these things if they are suspected. It's very costly to run tox screens when you know what you're looking for, and SUPER expensive to run a full tox screen. These costs are always borne by the owner. Those costs could be reimbursed if the culprit is found and law suits happen - but that's about as likely as winning a lottery.

Testing the food/treat is problematic because often this is only done in the case of a death when a toxin is known to be highly probable and most times the owners have disposed of everything, food, treats, toys ...

If you do find evidence of a toxin, where did it come from??? At home by some sick individual, in the grocery/pet store, in the regional warehouse, in the manufacturer's warehouse, during production or transport, or in raw ingredients?

FDA funding is part of the government budget that is subject to the same cutbacks that everything else has been with the sequester and more recent shut down. With the money they do have, investigating animal issues probably has a lower priority than human issues, that's just the way it is.

Doug, DVM