Cayr Ariel Wulff's Blog, page 11

FDA’s Count of Jerky Treat Casualties Reaches 2,200

[History: This article first appeared on the Pet Pardons News website September 9, 2012. It is the Eighth installment in an ongoing report - click here for the earlier articles:part 1, part 2,  part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7]

The Jatropha plant. A beautiful plant with deadly consequences.

Last week, the FDA released an update  regarding their continued investigation of chicken jerky treats imported from China. The newest FDA report says that the agency has received 2,200 reports of illnesses linked to the treats. Among these reports 360 dogs and one cat have died in the last 18 months. The agency says that cases have been reported from all 50 states and 6 Canadian provinces.

The three brands most often associated with the complaints have been: Waggin Train (Nestle Purina), Canyon Creek Ranch (Nestle Purina), and Milo’s Kitchen (Del Monte).

The majority of complaints have involved chicken jerky (treats, tenders, and strips), but there have also been complaints about duck, sweet potato, and treats where chicken or duck jerky is wrapped around dried fruits, sweet potatoes, or yams.  The common link is that they are all treats that were imported from China.

Although the FDA has not been able to find the specific toxin causing the illnesses and deaths, the FDA clarified their stance yesterday.

Laura Alvey, spokesperson for the FDA told Pet Pardons News:

“The FDA has been consistently receiving reports since 2007.  We do believe from the reports and data received in our surveillance system that there is a signal as it relates to jerky pet treats that warrants further investigation and as such are working and extending numerous resources throughout the agency to determine a cause.”

Since the FDA began investigating complaints in 2007, they have tested for a wide variety of ingredients and toxins. The problem is that the scientists have to know what they are looking for in order to test for it. A scientist at The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University said early on this year that whatever the toxin is, it’s nothing they’ve ever seen before.

It’s possible that the April FDA inspection of the Chinese plants manufacturing the treats may have provided some inadvertent new clues.

Alvey said: “We did identify concerns about the record keeping practices of several of the inspected firms.  And in particular, as indicated, one firm falsified receiving documents for glycerin, which is an ingredient in the jerky pet treats.  We are further investigating glycerin as a potential source of the illnesses.”

The fifth report is not yet available for download, but it is expected to be the inspection results from JOC Great Wall Corp. Ltd. of Nanjing, China, which according to ImportGenius produces and supplies the treats for Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch.  Alvey wouldn’t verify the name of the fifth plant, and said only that once the fifth EIR was finalized, the results would be posted on the FDA website.

Since research performed in Germany in 2005 described the toxic properties of mixing plasticizers with oil, Alvey was asked if the FDA had tested for Jatropha oil, a vegetable oil produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas, which has gained in popularity since 2007; specifically if the agency had looked for it either in the treats themselves or as a lubricant in the machinery making the treats.

“With regard to Jatropha, as you might already be aware, the agency released a Notification to Industry in July 2012.” Alvey told Pet Pardons News.

“We have no evidence that glycerin, oils and proteins derived from Jatropha have been used in FDA-regulated products; however, due to the availability of these materials, as byproducts of biodiesel fuel production, we are alerting the regulated community to exercise caution and examine their supply chains. Currently, a test does not exist to analyze glycerin for potential contamination by the Jatropha plant but we are working on developing one and are asking industry to share any relevant methodological information as we continue to collect more information.”

In addition to their work on developing a test that will detect contamination by Jatropha, the FDA is also expanding its testing to include irradiation byproducts and is consulting with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) experts to discuss this possibility further.

Meanwhile, without a definitive diagnosis, treats remain on store shelves, where they are still available for purchase by uninformed pet owners. A grassroots movement to get the treats removed from store shelves began in Ohio at the beginning of 2012 and has spread nationwide. Senators and Congressmen from Ohio and California have joined the movement, urging the FDA to increase their efforts, and drafting a proposal to change the way the FDA notifies consumers when a product is under investigation.

In addition, consumers have begun asking the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to use their influence to force a recall. While the AVMA has replied that they regret there is nothing they can do but issue warnings, the organization suggests that people in the know continue to spread the word to other pet owners.

Several online petitions have been created to urge the FDA, lawmakers, pet food companies and stores to act responsibly. One online petition urges the FDA and manufacturers of chicken jerky treats imported from China to “immediately halt all sales until the treats can be safely sourced and proven to no longer be dangerous to our companions.”

More than 22,000 signatures have been gathered so far, some from people who say their pets became ill and/or died after eating the jerky treats.

Bernadette Dunham DVM, the Director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has some important tips for consumers who may think their pet has become ill from pet food or a treat.

 

Tainted Dog Treats Spur Senator To Propose Consumer Notification Reform

[History: This article first appeared on the Pet Pardons News website September 9, 2012. It is the seventh installment in an ongoing report - click here for the earlier articles:part 1, part 2,  part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6]

Even though the FDA has been investigating reports since 2007 of illness and death in dogs who have ingested jerky treats imported from China, treats remain on store shelves readily available to consumers.  The most recent chapter in the ongoing investigation has prompted Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to spearhead an effort to reform the way consumers are notified when the FDA issues an advisory about a product.

Reports of illness and deaths of pets have risen exponentially during 2012. Although veterinarians have drawn a correlation between the treats and the reported illnesses, FDA scientists have not been able to pinpoint a specific contaminant.

Part of the problem is that whatever ingredient or manufacturing procedure is causing acquired Fanconi Syndrome and organ failure in dogs is nothing the FDA has ever seen before. Scientists have expressed their frustration of the difficulty of finding the culprit when they don’t know what they are looking for.  Additionally, the evidence shows that some bags of treats seem fine, while others of the same brand are deadly.

The group Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China are asking that in cases where people’s pets die after eating chicken jerky treats, that pet owners arrange for a necropsy to be performed on the pet. The FDA will pay for necropsies where chicken jerky treats are suspected of causing death, because the results may provide important clues for their investigation.

While the domestic pet food companies importing the treats from China can issue a voluntary recall, it is beyond the FDA’s jurisdiction to require that they do so.

The Food Modernization Act (FSMA)  which President Obama signed into law in 2011 is meant to give the FDA new tools and authorities to make certain imported foods meet the same safety standards as foods produced in the U.S., The Act is being implemented on a timeline, with the final changes not scheduled to take effect until 2013. However, it is unclear as to whether or not the FSMA includes pet food.

This ambiguity combined with the lack of mandatory recall has been a source of anxiety and frustration for people who have lost beloved pets and have been working to alert other consumers to the danger of feeding the treats. Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Senator SherrodBrown have both criticized the FDA for waiting to act. The Department of Health and Human Services audited the FDA and made the following statement:

“FDA has developed procedures for monitoring recalls and assessing a firm’s recall effectiveness. However, FDA did not always follow its procedures in overseeing three of the five recalls that we reviewed. Furthermore, FDA’s procedures were not always adequate for monitoring large recalls. FDA’s lack of authority, coupled with its sometimes lax adherence to its recall guidance and internal procedures and the inadequacy of some of those procedures, limited FDA’s ability to ensure that contaminated pet food was promptly removed from retailers’ shelves.”

Much of the pet food buying public remains in the dark about the ongoing investigation by the FDA and the dangers of feeding the treats.

“When I make out my grocery list, I don’t check my list against the FDA website before I go to the store,” said Rachael Chambers of California, whose three dogs became ill and one died after ingesting imported treats, “Right now, that’s the only place a consumer can find out about the reports of illness. It’s an inadequate way to notify consumers.”

Chambers makes a good point. If the FDA website is the only place where product advisories are listed, it puts a significant portion of the public at risk. Senior citizens who don’t use computers, lower income individuals without internet access and other homes without computers are not likely to receive important advisories and warnings under the current system.

Chambers has proposed that legislators create a law whereby any products under FDA advisory must have the warning posted on store shelves where they are sold. Senator Boxer is spearheading this effort.

Please contact your Senators http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and Congressmen http://www.house.gov/ and ask them to commit to consumer safety by supporting Senator Boxer’s initiative.

There have been a number of petitions created that address various aspects of this issue. Please sign and share.

Take Dangerous Treats Off of Shelves  http://www.change.org/dangerousdogtreats

Ban Imported Treats http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/901/169/744/

Nestle/Purina Please Recall http://www.change.org/petitions/nestle-purina-recall-chicken-jerky-treats-made-in-china

Urge the FDA to ban http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces?siteId=3&campaign=JerkyTreats&origin=ARS_FACE_FAN_ADGROUP_TA_DogFoodChina_9-6_CTG

 

AUGUST 2012: Chinese Officials Strongarm FDA

[History: This article first appeared on the Pet Pardons News website August 22, 2012. It is the sixth installment in an ongoing report - click here for the earlier articles:part 1, part 2,  part 3, part 4, part 5]

Jinan Uniwell

If you take a stroll down the pet aisle of your local Wal-mart, Giant Eagle, Costco or Target, you will more than likely be able to find Nestle Purina Waggin Train or Milo’s Kitchen Chicken Jerky Treats on the shelves, even though there have been more than 2,000 complaints from consumers that their pets have gotten ill or died from eating them. What you will not find on the shelves is a caution to consumers; even though the FDA has issued multiple warnings about the treats which are imported from China. Last month, the agency even expanded the caution to include duck and sweet potato jerky treats.

The FDA has been following up on complaints from consumers since November of 2011, when pets began falling ill and in some cases dying after eating the treats. To date, they have still not been able to pinpoint a specific toxin to blame, although a link between illness and ingestion of the treats is unchallenged. There have been more than 2,000 reports of illnesses or deaths in U.S. dogs that ate jerky treats made in China, and there are at least two consumer class action suits filed against the pet food companies importing the treats.

In April, after testing proved inconclusive, the FDA decided to inspect the Chinese plants where the treats are manufactured for U.S. companies. They selected five facilities associated with the highest numbers of pet illness reports in the U.S.: Gambol Pet Products Co. Ltd.; Shandong Honva Food Co. Ltd.; and Shandong Petswell Food Co. Ltd., all in Liaocheng, China, and Jinan Uniwell Pet Food Co. Ltd. in Jinan, China, according to reports posted August 15 on the FDA’s animal and veterinary website.

The fifth report is not yet available for download, but it is expected to be the inspection results from JOC Great Wall Corp. Ltd. of Nanjing, China, which according to ImportGenius produces and supplies the treats for Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch.

Investigators were sent for several days to each of the plants, but according to a report by NBC news  Wednesday, they met with some resistance from Chinese officials, who would not allow the FDA to take samples from any of the facilities, unless they agreed to test them in Chinese-run laboratories or a third-party lab in China. As a result, “no samples were collected during this inspection,” wrote Dennis L. Doupnik, an FDA investigator who visited the sites.

Keith Schopp, Nestle Purina’s vice president of public relations clarified that neither Nestle Purina nor the Chinese plants manufacturing treats for them denied inspectors samples, but that the terms of the inspection were set by the U.S. and Chinese governments.

The FDA Establishment Inspection Reports, which are available for download  from their website, show that testing of the meat and raw materials at the Chinese plants has been sporadic at best,  even though the finished products are exported to feed the 78.2 million pet dogs in the U.S.

The inspections did provide the FDA with important information, such as ingredients and raw materials, manufacturing equipment, heat treating of products, packaging, quality control, and sanitation. Although the inspections helped the FDA identify more avenues of investigation, they found no solid indication of contamination.

The FDA did, however, identify concerns about the record keeping practices of several of the plants. One plant in particular had falsified receiving documents for glycerin, which is an ingredient in the jerky pet treats. As a result, the Chinese authority, the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), informed the FDA that it had seized products at that facility and suspended exports. FDA continues to investigate glycerin as a potential source of the illnesses. The FDA reports that they and AQSIQ are meeting regularly to share findings and discuss further investigational approaches.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, has been championing consumer complaints since January. He said in a statement Wednesday that Chinese officials’ refusal to release samples to U.S. inspectors should be grounds for banning the products from import — or for a mandatory recall.

“ I would pull them all off the market,” Kucinich said.

Consumers have organized over the past 8 months. There are at least 5,592 members of The Facebook Group Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China!. Members have picketed stores, placed their own warnings on shelves and petitioned the FDA to urge Nestle Purina and other jerky treat manufacturers to voluntarily recall the products. However, FDA officials have said they can’t force a recall based only on customer complaints, no matter how many pets have died.

APRIL 2012: FDA Denies Reports That Chicken Jerky Toxin has been Pin-pointed

[History: This article first appeared on the Pet Pardons News website April 4, 2012. It is the fifth installment in an ongoing report - click here for the earlier articles: part 1, part 2,  part 3, part 4 ]

Facebook users were burning up bandwith last night over a rumor in two Facebook groups concerned with dog treats that are imported from China. When a group member with alleged inside information from the FDA announced that the Food and Drug Administration was inspecting Chinese manufacturing plants and were close to solving the riddle of why dogs are being poisoned by chicken jerky treats, group members posted fast and furiously.

Many of the group members have had pets die from eating the treats, many are still nursing sick pets that may or may not recover. All of them are clinging to hope that they will one day have an answer to the question they are all asking:

Why are the treats making pets ill? Why can’t the FDA find the source of the toxin? Why hasn’t there been a precautionary recall? Why are these potentially deadly treats still on store shelves when the FDA has received more than 600 complaints of illness or death?

Senator Sherrod Brown and Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio have been asking those same questions, too. They’ve been after the FDA since February to get to the bottom of the problem and to insist on a product recall.

Today, the FDA denied that they are any closer to announcing a discovery.

However, according to MSNBC,   a spokesman for Representative Kucinich said “Based on our ongoing discussions with the FDA, we are expecting important new information soon,” directly contradicting the official word from FDA to Pet Pardons Media.

Senator Brown’s office did verify today that Federal health officials have sent inspectors into the Chinese plants making the chicken jerky treats to see if they can find the source of the contamination.

Last month, msnbc.com reported that FDA records showed that a log of owner and veterinarian complaints named at least three popular brands of jerky treats: Waggin’ Train, Canyon Creek Ranch and Milo’s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats. Waggin Train and Canyon Creek are products of Nestle Purina. The dog food manufacturer has repeatedly insisted that their treats are safe when fed correctly, even when confronted with hard evidence to the contrary.

Pet owners are angry that Nestle Purina has attempted to shrug off the reported illnesses and deaths by citing their feeding recommendations on the back of the packages. The pet food manufacturer has repeatedly suggested that pet owners are feeding the treats in excess, and instead of a proper nutritious diet. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Several pet owners reported their dogs becoming deathly ill after eating only part of a single treat.

The website Panjiva  indicates that JOC Great Wall Corp Ltd. Of Nanjing, China is the manufacturer and exporter of the treats. It is unknown whether the FDA is inspecting the plants operated by the exporter.

FDA scientists have been testing CJTs since 2007, looking for evidence of toxins, heavy metals, melamine, poisonous glycols and chemicals used in plastics and resins. They keep coming up empty.

One scientist at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University said that whatever the contaminant is, it’s something they’ve never seen before.

MARCH 2012: Document Leaked to Consumers Outlines FDA Tests on CJT

[History: This article first appeared on the Pet Pardons News website March 6, 2012. It is the fourth installment in an ongoing report - click here for the earlier articles: part 1, part 2  part 3]

Congressman Dennis Kucinich with two of his three dogs.

An FDA document was leaked to consumers this weekend from Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s office which details the chronological timeline of tests that the agency has performed on Chicken Jerky treats (CJT) since 2007.

The FDA has been aware of problems with chicken jerky imported from China since they started receiving reports in 2007 from dog owners about pets that grew ill or died after eating the treats.  2007 was the year of the massive pet food recall when over 8,500 pets died from eating tainted pet food.

In 2008, 2009, and 2010 the number of complaints decreased, but in 2011 reports began to surface again. In the first two months of 2012 the number of complaints has doubled those received since 2007. It’s clear that again there is a correlation between CJT from China and illnesses and deaths of pets.  Since issuing their update in November of 2011, the FDA has received approximately 529 complaints regarding CJTs.

The leaked FDA document raises more questions than answers.

The list details tests have been performed for known toxins such as vitamin D toxicity, melamine and diethylene glycol (antifreeze). The document also indicates that tests were performed for various molds and microbiological contaminants, as well as salmonella and formaldehyde.  None have been conclusive in pinpointing any particular source of the contamination.

Of these tests, all have been negative or within the FDA’s  accepted range of being below toxic levels, even in samples which contained trace amounts of diethylene, propylene or ethylene glycol. According to one website about tainted pet treats:

Approximately 1100 shipments of bulk glycols are received in the United States per year, yet despite the growing cases of deadly contamination, the FDA currently only tests for the fluid formulas. In other words, if the adulterated glycerin is on a product or in a product it is highly unlikely it will ever be discovered. – Poisoned Pets

The report indicates that the tests for melamine, and mycotoxins, (toxic substances formed by certain molds that grow on plant materials which are known to be toxic to the kidneys,) have all been negative.

Many of the FDA  tests have looked for toxicants that do not even cause the symptoms that pets are exhibiting. Salmonella and molds do not cause kidney failure or acquired Fanconi Syndrome, yet the FDA has tested for these two possibilities 84 times.

Heavy metals are one of the primary causes of acute renal failure, but heavy metal tests had not been performed until this year. The document states that results of those tests are still pending. Heavy metals include: antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, platinum, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin, uranium, vanadium, and zinc; all of which can cause acute renal failure in subjects exposed to toxic levels.

Of the 130 CJT samples that the FDA has already tested this year, fifty-eight are being tested for metals and/or organic compounds; seventy-two are being tested for DNA analysis.

Results from these tests are still pending.

The fact that so many samples are being tested for DNA analysis suggests that the FDA is questioning that the “Chicken” jerky treats are, in fact, made of chicken.

After certain government officials pressured the FDA, it is reported that the agency has agreed to inspect four Chinese facilities along the supply chain for the product and to expedite the testing.

Unfortunately for pets, chicken jerky treats are still available to consumers, and stores are not even posting the FDA warning about the products imported from China. The Facebook group – Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China is organizing a protest of stores still selling the treats for April 1, 2012. The Facebook group had just over 100 members a few weeks ago, but today they have over 2,200 members, indicating that more pets are being affected by the treats that still line store shelves.

Meanwhile, the response of pet food companies importing CJTs to consumers has been underwhelming. They have stubbornly refused to voluntarily recall the treats as a precautionary measure and have instead sought to shift the blame to consumers by accusing them of overfeeding the treats.

Sadly, there may be an undeniable truth buried in their statement. When feeding just half a treat can cause a deathly illness in a pet, the best choice is to feed none at all.

 

 

URGENT Call for Action! Your Voice is Needed

It’s been four years since Steve Croley, the owner of High Caliber K-9 in Youngstown OHIO,  let all of the dogs in his care starve…several of them to death: including a beautiful Rottweiler named “Nitro.”

Nitro

It’s been four years since NITRO’s LAW was introduced to Ohio lawmakers by Elizabeth Raab and Nitro’s grieving family. Four years ago, it was Ohio HB70…but the bill died before it could make it through the Ohio House.

Nitro’s Law was reintroduced in February of this year as HB 108.  Nitro’s Law (HB 108) would make abuse and neglect like what happened at High Caliber K-9 a 5th degree felony in a state where the animal welfare laws are some of the very worst in the country.  It shouldn’t be this hard to pass an animal welfare law that seeks to protect our beloved pets from mistreatment at the hands of people we entrust with their care.

Nitro’s family and many animal advocates have fought tirelessly for FOUR years to get this legislation pushed through the Ohio lawmaking machine, and here we are again…counting down to mere days before the bill DIES AGAIN, without the final votes it needs…because the legislators WILL NOT BRING IT TO THE SENATE FLOOR FOR A VOTE!

PLEASE. Please share this, and please call:

YOUR Ohio Senator – ask for their support and that they push for a Vote on HB108.


Senate President Niehaus – STRONGLY ENCOURAGE him to move HB108 to the floor for a Vote. 614-466-8082

Call tonight. Leave a message. This is just too important to ignore!

—————————-

Here is the letter I wrote to Senator LaRose tonight. Feel free to copy and paste it in a letter to your own Ohio senator. BUT HURRY!  There are only three senate sessions left (Dec 4, 5 and 11.)!  Also email Senators Niehaus [niehaus@ohiosenate.gov], Coley [coley@ohiosenate.gov], Faber [ faber@ohiosenate.gov ], and Obhof  [obhof@ohiosenate.gov] — we’re told they are the Senators that are holding the bill up.

Dear Senator,

I am writing today to ask you that you please don’t let Nitro’s Law (HB 108) die. We have worked so hard for the past 4 years to get this legislation passed, and now there are only 3 sessions left to get it done!

When I board my pets at a kennel, I want to know that they will be safe…and that they will be alive and well when I pick them up. Don’t you want the same assurance for your pets’ safety?

Why is it so hard to get animal welfare legislation passed in Ohio? Our state is currently one of the worst in the nation for our companion animals. It’s been proven that people who abuse animals often go on to hurt humans. Ohio courts need to stop looking the other way.

Please urge Senator Niehaus to bring this to the floor for a vote before the bill expires yet again – and please support Nitro’s Law (HB108)

——————————-

If you want to learn more about Nitro and Nitro’s law, you can read it here:

Cleveland Pets Examiner: The Clock is Ticking on Nitro’s Law

Up on the Woof: Nitro’s Law

Up on the Woof: Sentencing for animal abuse in Ohio

FEB 2012: Reports of Pet illnesses to FDA Increase, Hundreds More Dogs Fall ill

[History: This article first appeared on the Pet Pardons News website February 20, 2012. It is the third installment in an ongoing report - click here for the earlier articles: part 1, part 2]

On February 14, President Obama hosted a visit for Vice President Xi Jinping of China to discuss our countries’ differences over trade, currency and human rights. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and several other senators took the opportunity to meet with the visiting dignitary and discuss their concerns over the quality of pet food items coming from his country. Brown said that Vice President Xi Jinping was made aware of the rising concern among US citizens that pet food and treats being imported from China are unsafe.

On Sunday, Senator Brown held another news conference  at the Ohio Humane Society in Hilliard Ohio about tainted chicken jerky treats from China. It was Brown’s second public statement to the Food and Drug Administration regarding the treats that are reported to have been causing illness and death in pets across the country.

The conference on February 19 came in the wake of 400 new complaints to the FDA about pets becoming ill after eating the treats. Although the FDA has been trying to find the contaminant causing the illnesses, they have been unable to pinpoint the specific toxicant. As a result, manufacturers have not been required by law to remove the products from store shelves, keeping the potentially dangerous treats readily available to the public.

In December of 2008, when pets began falling ill in Australia, University of Sydney researchers made an epidemiological connection linking the illnesses to the consumption of chicken treats imported from China. Australian dog treat importer KraMar withdrew its Supa Naturals Chicken breast strips  from the Australian market as a precaution, even though a specific toxicant wasn’t pinpointed.

Supa Naturals Chicken breast strips is one of Australia’s highest selling dog snacks.

“A link has not been scientifically established. It is a mystery to us, but in the interests of animal welfare we have decided to take this decision,” said KraMar’s CEO Brian Fouche about the voluntary recall.

If only American companies put pet health above profits. The leading US importer of chicken jerky treats has stubbornly refused to recall. Cases of their products line the shelves at Giant Eagle, Wal Mart, Walgreens and other stores, and coupons for consumers continue to be found in newspapers and circulars.

Like now, the symptoms pets exhibited in Australia in 2008 were consistent with Acquired Fanconi’s Syndrome,  an uncommon disease characterized by elevated levels of glucose in urine but not in blood. The glucose damages the kidney’s ability to reabsorb nutrients and electrolytes. The kidneys become chronically compromised, sometimes resulting in death.

One of the points that Senator Brown pressed in his first news conference on February 7 was that the FDA has not been issuing a public enough warning for consumers and needs to improve its notification system. The FDA has been posting warnings associated with the treats since 2007, but most consumers are not aware of the notices. Typically FDA post warnings are posted on their website, which consumers don’t tend to check unless a product has been brought to light in the mainstream media. You can download the warning here*.  Although Brown sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg on February 7 about these issues, he still has not received any official response. Senator Brown has again urged the FDA to step up their investigation.

The FDA has tested the treats for certain known contaminants with negative results. Laboratories don’t just test products arbitrarily. Toxicologists need to have an idea of what contaminants to test for, otherwise, it’s just a stab in the dark.

Karyn Bischoff, Clinical Toxicologist/Assistant Professor at NY State Animal Health Diagnostic Center, Cornell, said:

“The tricky part of this situation is that the clinical signs and kidney changes are not typical of common veterinary toxicoses.  This could be something completely new, like melamine was a few years ago.  Melamine was not even considered to be particularly toxic, so nobody really thought to look for it.  I don’t know if we have a similar situation here, but this doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen before.”

Cornell is not currently testing treats, but has indicated that they may be interested in doing so.

With the treats still available in stores and manufacturers unwilling to issue a precautionary recall, angry consumers have started a grassroots movement to spread the word, advocate for animals that are sick or have died, and put pressure on manufacturers to issue voluntary recall.

The Facebook advocacy group Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China has been posting complaints on manufacturer’s websites and Facebook pages, consumer affairs sites, pet blogs, and YouTube. They have posted copies of the FDA warning in stores and have even pulled treats off of shelves themselves, confronting store managers and asking them to stop stocking the dangerous products – most times falling on deaf ears.

Scores of pet parents have joined the group sharing their grief, expressing their frustration and organizing information for others. If your pet has become ill with symptoms such as

Decreased appetite
Decreased activity
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Increased water consumption
Increased urination

and you have been feeding it jerky treats from China please report it to the FDA.

In the absence of a named contaminant, the pet food companies importing the treats from China have petitioned news sites and blogs to remove and desist references to their specific brands. A lengthy list of brands that are imported from China can still be found on the Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China Facebook page.

* Author’s note: The FDA warning has been pasted into a print-friendly document with some of the more important text highlighted, which is why it  is being offered for download from a third site: the author’s own website.

FEB 2012: FDA Requiring Pet Owners To Pay For Results Of Tainted Treat Testing

[History: This article first appeared on the Pet Pardons News website February 28, 2012. It is the second installment in an ongoing report - click here for the first story]

It’s been almost a month since U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown first contacted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about complaints involving pets dying from eating chicken jerky treats imported from China. As of February 27, the FDA has still not responded to the Senator’s requests even though they have received hundreds of complaints about the jerky products.

The FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (Vet-LRN) has tested 80 samples (results completed) since January 1, 2012 and has 153 tests pending. Samples have been tested by both government and animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S. The investigation has yielded no definitive results, which understandably frustrates pet owners looking for answers.

A spokesperson for the FDA said that jerky samples have been tested for a wide variety of substances.  Diethylene glycol (DEG) was detected in one sample but the levels were calculated to be below toxic levels by FDA scientists. Further DEG testing on subsequent samples has been negative, yet they continue to test and screen the treats for that compound.

The FDA investigation is ongoing, but they are not saying what compounds they are testing for or what those results are. Several pet owners have turned their leftover treats and packages over for testing and were told that they would not be notified of the results.

Robin Pierre of Pine Bush  New York, and Norma Fleming-Super of Nashville Tennessee, both turned over samples to the FDA and were told that if they wanted to know the outcome, they’d  have to submit a Freedom of Information Act request. The instructions on the FDA website  indicate they will have to pay for that information. Even then, they are not guaranteed to receive a report if the FDA deems it is “not in the public’s best interest” to release the information.

Some frustrated pet owners are paying independent labs to do their own testing, not trusting that the FDA will be forthcoming with what they find. In one lab, treats are being tested for arsenic.

Before the FDA had them stop last summer, Pfizer had manufactured a feed additive for chickens called Roxarsone that was found to contain arsenic. In China, where regulations are lax, chickens have been found to be loaded with the poison. The FDA usually only tests water for arsenic, not meat or food products. They have not revealed whether they intend to check the jerky for the poison.

The Facebook group “Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China” continues to grow at an accelerated rate as more people with pets sickened by chicken jerky strips join. The stories come from all across the country and share a host of similarities:

pets that have eaten various brands of chicken and other jerky imported from China suddenly becoming ill or die
pets exhibit  “addictive” behavior to the treats
pets are diagnosed with kidney and liver failure, and in some cases acquired Fanconi Syndrome pet food manufacturers of the treats have been contacted but take no responsibility
stores are still stocking the potentially poisonous products

The group is trying to get importers of the Chinese treats to voluntarily recall their products while the treats are under investigation.

An FDA spokesperson said:

“Unless we detect a contaminant and have evidence a product is adulterated, we are limited in what regulatory actions we can take.  The regulations don’t allow for products to be removed based on complaints.”

Yet, another FDA Complaint Coordinator confided to a consumer that she has a bag of the suspicious treats at home, and was refraining from feeding them to her own dog.

Although pet owners have cited different brands of the treats as causing illness, the bulk of cases reported on the Animal Parents Facebook page point the finger at Waggin Train jerky.

Nestle Purina has repeatedly released this statement regarding complaints about their jerky:

“any association between dog illnesses and chicken jerky is likely the result of dogs (primarily small dogs) consuming treats in excess of normal or recommended levels.”

Treat packages recommend no more than 2 treats daily.

Pet parents whose dogs got ill after eating just one treat or even a part of the treat are taking issue with Purina’s statement as well as with the FDA’s official stance. When is it all right for a treat to cause kidney or liver failure in any quantity? How many pets have to fall ill or die before the FDA will accept that there is “evidence of adulteration”?

Barbara Miller of Malibu, California said she only fed her dog Oliver ½ of a strip before he became ill, and many other pet owners have reported only having fed a single treat before their pet began to show signs of distress.

Whatever the toxicant is, it has been killing smaller dogs in less than five days from the day it is ingested. Larger dogs who receive veterinary care quickly have a better chance at recovery.

Consumers continue to contact the pet food companies that are importing the treats from China, but have been experiencing censorship on the companies’ Facebook pages. Some have had their Facebook accounts suspended for posting photos of brands in the Animal Parents group.

One thing is certain however, pet owners, carrying a torch for pets that have been stricken ill or have died, do not appear to be showing signs that they are backing down any time soon.

 

FEB 2012: FDA Warns Pets Being Poisoned by Treats: Manufacturers Refusing Recall

[History: This article first appeared on the Pet Pardons News website in February, 2012. It is the first installment in an ongoing report]

Some of the victims

Bella in New York, Chansey, Ginger and Sampson in Ohio, Shelby in Pennsylvania, Sarge in Tennessee, Venus in Washington, Sherma, Tundra, Gracie Mae, Chester and Anna Claire; this is just a handful of victims of the latest deadly danger to pets.

Once again, our pets are being poisoned by the very companies that we trust to keep them healthy. Once again, beloved and innocent family members are dying from eating food items that US companies are importing from China.

Pet owners went through this in 2007, when the biggest dog food recall in U.S. history came in the wake of thousands of dead and dying pets. That year the FDA received reports of approximately 8500 animal deaths, including at least 1950 cats and 2200 dogs who died after eating contaminated food.

The 2007 recall effected brands ranging from budget labels like Ol’ Roy to top shelf brands like Royal Canin. Eventually it was determined that the contaminant was melamine, a product made in the production of plastics, and that the products had all been imported from China.

This time, there is no recall. The poisoned products are still stocked on store shelves across the country, with no indication that they will be removed any time soon. Dogs have been falling ill and dying, from puppies to seniors.  The only thing they all have in common is that each of them ate dog treats imported from China.

The FDA is aware of the connection and is investigating, but so far they haven’t been able to pinpoint the contaminant.

“FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified a contaminant.” (source: FDA)

Because their tests are inconclusive, pet treat manufacturers are not required by law to recall their products, and none of them have volunteered to do so. But just because they haven’t pinpointed the contaminant doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The FDA issued a warning to pet owners in November, 2011.

The question is; how many dogs will have to die before the products are recalled? It’s already estimated that the dead and dying number more than 500. That doesn’t count all of the cases that haven’t made the connection yet between a pet’s illness and the treats. The treats are causing kidney failure and Fanconi syndrome, some cases resulting in death; others, in chronic kidney disease.

It’s been four months since the FDA warning, but the treats are still being sold, and pets are still dying.

When Purina began to receive calls from customers from pets that had become ill after eating their Waggin Train jerky treats, they initially discussed financial settlements. But when the FDA’s tests were inconclusive, they took all offers off the table.

Some consumers that have posted to Purina’s and Dogswell’s websites have been banned there.

At a news conference today (Feb. 6, 2012) in Cleveland, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown,  and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich  both petitioned the FDA to step up their investigation. They both called for the Food and Drug Administration to take immediate action to put a stop to their policy that allows dangerous pet treats and pet foods to remain on the market and to put an immediate stop to its continued sale.

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The original article contained a long list of brands made in China. Since then, most complaints involve three major brands: Nestle Purina Waggin Train, Canyon Creek Ranch, and Milo’s Kitchen. Although these are the brands most often associated with complaints, consumers should be warned not to trust ANY brands where the treats have been manufactured in China.

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If your pet has eaten tainted treats, symptoms may include:

Decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea, increased water consumption and increased urination.

If your pet is sick and you have been feeding these treats please report it to the FDA.

For now, pet owners who find the current state of this situation unacceptable, here are some suggestions:

Download the FDA warning here, and print some copies.

If you find the products in your store, remove them from the shelf, give them to store managers with a copy of the FDA warning, and ask that the store return the treats to the manufacturer.

Introducing SPECIAL WOOF REPORTS

During the past year, I’ve been covering an important ongoing story in the news on both the Pet Pardons News and Cleveland Pet Examiner websites. The Pet Pardons site has been offline for more than a month now, and I realized that the pieces of this particular story, which is one of critical importance for dog owners, was no longer accessible online, so I’ve decided to make the articles live and accessible here, Up on the Woof.

I will begin re-posting the stories over the next couple of weeks, and I hope you will read and share them.