Acute (sudden) kidney failure has been seen in pets who had such products. (Some other things around the home which can and have causes acute kidney failure in ferrets, dogs and cats are aloe, raisins, currants, and grapes. It is NOT known what the actual causes of kidney failure is from the jerkies (though with some of the residual antibiotics found being of ones considered too dangerous to have in the U.S., maybe further study coming?) Nor is it known why grapes, raisins, and currants can do that in sufficient quantities (which can be as few as something like 7 in some ferrets so genetics in Carnivora might play a role) despite many possible contributing factors having been studied so far. Whether there are any possible overlapping factors, I do not know, nor whether the nature of the acute kidney failures in the two categories are similar in presentation or in study. I can not recall offhand if a mechanism for why ingesting aloe in sufficient quantity can cause sudden kidney failure in Carnivores. Here is info from Sept 2012 at the FDA's veterinary site on the problems from the jerky made in China and the jerky with ingredients from China and remember that in such toxicity situations what affects dogs and cats often also affects ferrets though with ferrets people too often do not do follow-up so data is too often lacking on them: <http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm319463.htm> Company's Press Release for the current recall: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm335621.htm Press Release: Recall -- Firm Press Release FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. Milo's Kitchen® Voluntarily Recalls Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers Home-style Dog Treats Contact: Consumer: 1-877-228-6493 Media: Chrissy Trampedach 415-247-3420 [log in to unmask] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 9, 2013 - Milo's Kitchen® today announced that it is voluntarily recalling its Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers home-style dog treats from retailer shelves nationally. No other Milo's Kitchen® products are affected. On Monday, New York State's Department of Agriculture informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Company that trace amounts of residual antibiotics had been found in several lots of Milo's Kitchen® Chicken Jerky. After consultation with the New York Department of Agriculture and FDA, the company decided to voluntarily recall Milo's Kitchen® Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers, which are both sourced from the same chicken suppliers. The use of antibiotics to keep chickens healthy and disease-free while raising them is standard practice in poultry production for both human and pet food. However, the antibiotics found in the products were unapproved and should not be present in the final food product. Milo's Kitchen® has a comprehensive safety testing program in place for its products from procurement through manufacturing and distribution. Part of that program involves extensive testing for a wide range of substances commonly used to ensure the health of chickens. However, Milo's Kitchen® did not test for all of the specific antibiotics found by the New York Department of Agriculture. "Pet safety and consumer confidence in our products are our top priorities," said Rob Leibowitz, general manager, Pet Products. "While there is no known health risk, the presence of even trace amounts of these antibiotics does not meet our high quality standards. Therefore, today we decided to recall both products and asked retailers to remove the products from their shelves. "Consumers who discard the treats will receive a full refund," said Leibowitz. "We are committed to Milo's Kitchen® and stand by our guarantee of complete consumer satisfaction." Consumers with questions about Milo's Kitchen products can get further information at 1-877-228-6493. Sukie (not a vet) Ferrets make the world a game. Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.miamiferret.org/ http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html all ferret topics: http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html "All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow." (2010, Steve Crandall) A nation is as free as the least within it. [Posted in FML 7674]