Some had residues from banned antibiotics which were thought to maybe
play a role but have since been largely discounted as the source.
So, the actual cause of the problems has not been found. Some of the
dogs who passed and had deaths attributed to jerky treats have had
extreme necropsy work by researchers. I forget the actual figure from
a recent news report, but I think something like half were ground to
have hidden fatal conditions which would have killed them with or
without the treats. In the rest the why remains unknown but is thought
to be caused by the jerky treats, and in the ones who were already ill
the treats might be a contributory factor which caused death to happen
earlier than it otherwise would.
In situations with food related illnesses the reports that apply to
dogs and cats also commonly apply to ferrets, so melamine when that
happened, raisins and grapes, pet jerky, etc.:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm371413.htm
SHORT QUOTES:
To date, FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has conducted more
than 1,200 tests, visited jerky pet treat manufacturers in China and
collaborated with colleagues in academia, industry, state labs and
foreign governments. Yet the exact cause of the illnesses remains
elusive.
...
Within hours of eating treats sold as jerky tenders or strips made
of chicken, duck, sweet potatoes and/or dried fruit, some pets have
exhibited decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea
(sometimes with blood or mucus), increased water consumption, and/or
increased urination.
Severe cases have involved kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding,
and a rare kidney disorder. About 60 percent of cases involved
gastrointestinal illness, and about 30 percent involved kidney and
urinary systems.
...
Most of the jerky treats implicated have been made in China.
Manufacturers of pet foods are not required by U.S. law to state the
country of origin for each ingredient in their products.
END QUOTES. See the article itself for MUCH more information and links
to yet more.
(Sukie note here: do not assume that price is always a good indicator.
Remember that during the melamine problem some of the companies
involved had high priced products, for example, Blue Buffalo was in
that recall.)
[Posted in FML 8112]
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