Jerky treat mystery: 1,000 pets dead, humans sickened; still no source, FDA says

[Emily]

Hat tip to JJackson for finding this animal scientist's website.

Implication of the Failure of the FDA to Diagnose Pet Mortality

Feb 25, 2015 The American Veterinary Association has posted a number of articles relating to mortality in dogs and cats fed jerky treats manufactured in China. The problem emerged in 2007 and has apparently resulted in 6,000 complaints of illness following consumption of chicken or duck-origin treats. Reports filed with the FDA include 1,000 deaths of dogs and nearly 6,000 illnesses in addition to a few cases in cats and not unexpectedly, in three pet-owners.
Despite assays for heavy metals, mycotoxins and other chemical contaminants the FDA has not been able to isolate or identify any specific toxin, known pesticide, drug, antibiotic, rodenticide or pathogen responsible for the problem. Most affected and dead dogs have shown renal failure reminiscent of Fanconi Syndrome, a congenital condition in certain breeds, although a wide range of pure-bred and mongrel dogs have been affected.
The FDA apparently is now somewhat complacent that the number of complaints recorded from May to September 2014 declined to a total of 270 compared to 1,800 during the preceding seven months. This has little to do with the presumption that the toxic agent is no longer in the treats but is due to voluntary recall of products by distributors and the reality that pet-owners have stopped purchasing and feeding these Chinese-origin treats. This is attributed to warnings by Veterinarians, postings on the social media and articles in the mainstream press...

http://egg-cite.com/editorial/single.aspx?contentID=4480&action=next

[Emily]

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/petco_drops_chinese_jerky_trea.html

Petco drops Chinese jerky treats for dogs and cats after pet deaths

By Associated Press
on January 05, 2015 at 10:17 PM, updated January 05, 2015 at 11:51 PM LOS ANGELES -- Petco said Monday it has removed all remaining Chinese-made dog and cat treats from its website and stores nationwide because of concerns they have sickened thousands of pets and killed 1,000 dogs in the U.S. since 2007...

Back to pet-food trade US grown chicken?

http://www.wisconsingazette.com/trending-news/humane-society-hens-scalded-alive-at-minnesota-slaughter-plant.html

Humane Society: Hens scalded alive at Minnesota slaughter plant

...
Spent hens are egg-laying birds no longer considered commercially profitable. The hens are used for cheap meat after a lifelong confinement producing eggs in ?battery cages." The meat is often so low-grade and unsafe that many battery cage facilities cannot even sell it for human consumption. Hens and other poultry are not covered by the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, even though chickens and turkeys represent nine out of 10 animals slaughtered for food in the United States...

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: 1,000 pets dead, humans sickened; still no source, FDA says

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm...tegoryId=40534

Veterinarians' case studies aid FDA jerky investigation
Two retailers ban treats made in China; search for cause continues; death toll rises.
Jun 17, 2014
DVM360 MAGAZINE

More than six months after U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a ?Dear veterinarian? letter asking for assistance from private practitioners in its investigation of jerky pet treat illness, the FDA issued an update. While the agency still has not identified a specific cause for jerky-related illness, it says the many well-documented case reports it received from veterinarians since October of last year have been extremely valuable to the investigation.
...
Here is the breakdown of symptoms in cases reported to the FDA:

> Approximately 60 percent of cases involved gastrointestinal or liver disease.

> 30 percent involved kidney or urinary disease.

> 10 percent involved neurologic, dermatologic and immunologic signs.

> About 15 percent of kidney or urinary cases tested positive for Fanconi syndrome...

http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/l...3cf9deabb.html

Ask a Vet: Making your own dog treats may be your best option

Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2014 5:00 am

By Dr. FRANCINE RATTNER Correspondent
...


Recent research has focused on testing samples of chicken jerky treats collected from veterinarians across the country whose patients became ill after eating them. Chemical analysis shows the treats had two adulterants, the insect repellent DEET and the drug amantadine.

DEET is generally used as an insect repellent and also a pesticide. Amantadine is a drug used to treat Parkinson?s disease and some types of influenza virus infections in people, and for pain management in dogs. Poultry farmers may have been using it to prevent avian influenza in their flocks, but it is illegal to use in poultry in the U.S.
...

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: 1,000 pets dead, humans sickened; still no source, FDA says

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investig...s-safe-n107571

Factory Owner Eats Dog Jerky Treat to Prove It's Safe
By Ian Williams, Monica Alba, JoNel Aleccia and Tom Winter
...
But when NBC News traced a particular brand of jerky treat from the shelves of U.S. stores all the way back to a specific factory in Shandong, China, that manufactured treats for a variety of U.S. companies, the owner of the factory did not hesitate to pop a pet treat into his own mouth...

How convincing. One 'random' dog treat was safe for one much larger animal of another species.

Brooklyn, N.Y., veterinarian Brett Levitzke said he has seen a dozen fatalities since 2011. ?There?s definitely something in those treats that cause these signs and this syndrome,? said Levitzke. He said that in the absence of any other explanation he had ?no doubt? of a link between the illnesses and the treats.

Small dogs have proven particularly susceptible. Nancy Belinski of Clinton, N.J., would feed her four-year-old Yorkshire terrier Zoey chicken jerky treats every day.

?I thought I was being an exceptionally good mother to my dog,? said Belinski.

According to Belinski, however, when her dog died of kidney failure in 2012, her vet told her the jerky treats might be to blame.

?I fed my child poison,? said Belinski.

http://www.veterinarypracticenews.co...t-lawsuit.aspx

Nestl? Purina, Pet Owners Settle Dog Treat Lawsuit
A class-action settlement would allow U.S. pet owners to be reimbursed if they believe their dog was harmed by Waggin? Train or Canyon Creek Ranch treats.
By Ken Niedziela
Veterinary Practice News
Posted: Monday, June 2, 2014, 5:55 p.m. EDT
...
The class-action settlement does not assign any blame to Nestl? Purina for pet illnesses or deaths.

"While there is no indication the treats negatively impacted the health of the dogs, this resolution allows everyone involved to move forward,? the company stated...

Everyone who is still alive and healthy....

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...520-story.html

PetSmart joins Petco in halting sales of Chinese dog and cat treats
By Ricardo Lopez
Petco Animal Supplies Inc. said Tuesday it would end the sale of dog and cat treats made in China in a move the company said would protect the "well-being of pets."

Rival pet retailer PetSmart Inc. quickly followed and said it would end sales of China-made pet treats too...

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

FDA with an almost simultaneous response:

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/.../ucm397713.htm

FDA Provides Latest Information on Jerky Pet Treat Investigation

May 16, 2014

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an update on its ongoing investigation into pet illnesses and deaths in animals that ate jerky pet treats. This update includes the latest information about complaints of illnesses, FDA?s collaboration with the CDC on a new case control study, and new findings revealed through the agency?s testing. Unfortunately, FDA has still not been able to identify a specific cause for the reported illnesses or deaths.


Case numbers: Since FDA?s last update on October 22, 2013, we have received approximately 1,800 additional case reports. As of May 1, 2014, we have received in total more than 4,800 complaints of illness in pets that ate chicken, duck, or sweet potato jerky treats, nearly all of which are imported from China. The reports involve more than 5,600 dogs, 24 cats, three people, and include more than 1,000 canine deaths. The breakdown of symptoms associated with the cases is similar to that of earlier reports: approximately 60 percent of the cases report gastrointestinal/liver disease, 30 percent kidney or urinary disease, with the remaining 10 percent of complaints including various other signs such as neurologic, dermatologic, and immunologic symptoms. About 15 percent of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney disease that has been associated with this investigation.

...

Testing: Following testing performed by the New York State Department of Markets and Agriculture (NYSDAM) in 2012 that detected low levels of antibiotics in tested jerky pet treats, FDA undertook a project to adapt the NYSDAM method to the equipment in its own field laboratories for regulatory and enforcement purposes. This adaptation is now complete and the method is in use for testing both imported and domestic treats.

Testing of jerky pet treats from China has also revealed the presence of the drug amantadine in some samples containing chicken. These samples were from jerky pet treats that were sold a year or more ago. Amantadine is an antiviral that is FDA-approved for use in people. It has also been used in an extra-label manner (using an approved drug in a way that isn?t listed on the label) in dogs for pain control, but FDA prohibited its use in poultry in 2006.

FDA does not believe that amantadine contributed to the illnesses because the known side effects or adverse events associated with amantadine do not seem to correlate with the symptoms seen in the jerky pet treat-related cases. However, amantadine should not be present at all in jerky pet treats, and the agency has notified the Chinese authorities that the presence of amantadine in these products is an adulterant. Chinese authorities have also assured us that they will perform additional screening and will follow up with jerky pet treat manufacturers. FDA has notified the U.S. companies that market jerky pet treats found positive for amantadine of this finding and are testing both imported and domestic jerky pet treats for amantadine and other antivirals....

So is the testing they refer to the testing done by VIN or by FDA? If this was done by FDA, why withhold the findings? I do not understand why FDA says that no amantadine adverse effects were seen in the sick dogs.

http://www.vetstreet.com/amantadine

POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS:

Gastrointestinal effects: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, flatulence, diarrhea
Agitation (most likely to occur in first few days)
Humans report various mental side effects, for example, hallucinations and dizziness
If you notice anything unusual, contact your veterinarian

Does this not overlap with the reported illness symptoms as reported by FDA in the link above?

The breakdown of symptoms associated with the cases is similar to that of earlier reports: approximately 60 percent of the cases report gastrointestinal/liver disease, 30 percent kidney or urinary disease, with the remaining 10 percent of complaints including various other signs such as neurologic, dermatologic, and immunologic symptoms. About 15 percent of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney disease that has been associated with this investigation.

Also, the FDA says it is now using the more accurate NYSDAM methodolgy for testing for antibiotics. This seems a tacit admission favoring NYSDAM as having been the correct party in the earlier discrepancy where FDA found lower levels of illegal antibiotics in feed than NYSDAM did.

So does the FDA believe that interactions between various contaminants are impossible?

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...P=A&A=2781&S=1

Interactions with other Drugs

Trimethoprim-sulfa (an antibiotic), quinidine (a heart medication), and thiazide diuretics may decrease the excretion of amantadine, yielding higher blood levels, making amantadine stronger.

Other anticholinergic drugs, such as antihistamines, may enhance the anticholinergic effects of amantadine. These effects include dry mouth (possibly showing as more lip-licking or water consumption), difficulty urinating, increased heart rate.

Other drugs that increase activity/general stimulation may exacerbate the agitation side effect sometimes seen with amantadine. Selegiline, which is frequently used to treat senile cognitive dysfunction, might be an unexpected member of this category of drugs.

Concerns and Cautions

Probably the biggest concern is that this medication is fairly new to veterinary use and a full catalog of what to expect with its use is not yet available...

And FDA does not even address the DEET contamination.

[Shiloh]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/pet-...treats-warning

Pet jerky FDA deaths: 1,000 dogs dead, 5,600 ill, FDA warns of pet jerky treats

May 18, 2014

Pet jerky FDA reported deaths of more than 1,000 dogs and pet jerky illnesses of more than 5,600 dogs and 24 cats have pet owners on edge and asking, which pet jerky treats are killing our pets? The pet jerky treats which have been linked by the FDA to more than 1,000 deaths in dogs include chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats ?nearly all of which are imported from China,? reports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 16...

************************************

Source: http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=32153

Insect repellent, antiviral drug detected in jerky pet treats

May 16, 2014
By: Edie Lau
For The VIN News Service

Chicken jerky treats consumed by dogs that became sick have been found to be tainted by the insect repellent DEET and the drug amantadine, according to a veterinary pathologist leading an independent probe of the ongoing pet treat mystery.

Samples of the treats were solicited through a survey conducted by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), an online community for the profession and parent of the VIN News Service.

Dr. Kendal Harr, head of the chicken jerky treat team for VIN, said samples of suspect treats were submitted by a variety of veterinarians whose patients became ill after eating the treats. A total of 16 animals were involved, some of which had consumed more than one type of treat, she said. Whether the adulterants are responsible for making the pets sick is unclear.

?The clinical significance is unknown ? but these are contaminated treats,? Harr said. ?I think what the illegal residues tell us is that we have a contaminated food source...?

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/...shelves/nfZXM/

Updated: 2:02 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, 2014 | Posted: 4:09 p.m. Monday, April 14, 2014
Previously recalled dog jerky treats back on store shelves
PITTSBURGH ?

WPXI-TV Washington Bureau reporter Jacqueline Fell discovered Chinese chicken jerky treats, pulled from store shelves more than a year ago, are now for sale again in grocery stores.

Sheri Brodie said that her dog died 12 hours after eating a Waggin' Train treat in 2012...

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

I wonder if 'safer' means no more glycerin labeled as "Prohibited for human food and feed processing"...even though they say it's really perfectly safe - they are just trying to avoid fees and pesky, slow inspections - just like when that wheat gluten was mislabeled as textile products back in 2007.

http://google2.fda.gov/search?q=cach...ess=p&oe=UTF-8

An FDA-483 was issued to the firm's president and owner at the conclusion of the inspection which identified that until the week prior to the inspection and continuing for approximately the past two years the firm had used in part glycerin labeled as being industrial grade in the manufacture of jerky pet treat products without having assurance or verification of the safety of the glycerin as an ingredient in these products. This individual was informed that the inspection would be considered violative. Finn management was informed of the legal options that FDA could consider as a result of the inspection.
The firm's president and owner acknowledged that the observation was accurate. This individual went on to state that his concern was the impact this would have on his business.

http://google2.fda.gov/search?q=cach...ess=p&oe=UTF-8

He explained that following episodes of illnesses and deaths from cough syrups containing glycerin
contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG) around 2007,
4
tt>lf .eonvneraan::ort'dentl31.mplemented new
? regulations requiring stricter oversight and testing ofglycenn, mciUding imported glycerin, intended
for use in foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. This resulted in higher costs and loneer_dearance
X4) - COrilmeraal Confidentia
times for imported glycerin labeled for food and pharmaceutical use.

[mixin]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

This quote from the ABC-7 link absolutely astounds me.. "safer ingredients" should have been used in the first place.

Now jerky treat brands Milo's Kitchen and Waggin' Train are reintroducing their products. They say these new treats are made with better, safer ingredients.

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

http://www.abc-7.com/story/24584313/...s#.UvCpXPvTDMo

Controversial pet treats could return to stores
Posted: Jan 29, 2014 7:05 PM PST Updated: Jan 29, 2014 8:57 PM PST
By Laura Roberts, Reporter

Pet Food News
Jerky Treat Freedom of Information Act Request
Posted by Susan Thixton on January 1, 2014 at 2:45 pm

Pet Food News
Just Sickening
Posted by Susan Thixton on January 23, 2014 at 5:36 pm

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

http://www.norwalkreflector.com/article/4087861

Ohio dogs continue to get sick from mysterious illness
Hold off on jerky treats, experts say.
MCT Regional News
Feb 1, 2014

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/241807...t-jerky-treats

8 on Your Side: FDA Warns Pet Owners About Jerky Treats
Posted: Dec 10, 2013 6:05 AM PST Updated: Dec 10, 2013 6:30 AM PST
By Michelle Mortensen, Investigative Reporter - email
By Rudy Villarreal, Photojournalist - email
...
Many of these treats are still on store shelves. The FDA hasn't removed them from the market because of inconclusive evidence regarding the danger they present. The FDA is still testing the treats and looking for answers...

http://www.poisonedpets.com/universi...-treats-china/

University labs offer testing for pets affected by toxic jerky treats at no cost to pet parents
The University of Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories are collaborating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration?s (FDA) Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN) to evaluate diagnostic samples from companion animals in suspect cases of exposure to contaminated pet treats at no cost to pet parents...

[mixin]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

Losing a furry 4-legged family member is heartbreaking.

There are many instructions for homemade jerky treets on the internet; they are fast, easy and dogs love them.

[Emily]

Re: Jerky treat mystery: Nearly 600 pets dead; still no source, FDA says (NBC News, October 22 2013)

http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/...9#.Up7dEiftrMo

Tainted treats leaves poor pooch sick
by Beth Cefalu
Posted: 10.29.2013 at 5:08 PM
Updated: 10.30.2013 at 7:55 AM

In August, Gina Marie, a six-year-old chihuahua mix, was kept in intensive care for six days. There she received a three-page long list of medical treatments totaling over $8,000. The Deloria family said it didn't take long for veterinarians at Fox Valley Animal Referral Center to conclude jerky treats were the cause.

"They pretty much figured it out after day one at Fox Valley," Lynn said. "Hearing she had jerky and then the illnesses that resulted from it, the symptoms that came from that."
...
We contacted Rhode Island Textile Company, the manufacturer of Pet Shoppe, but did not receive a comment. We reached out to Walgreens for a comment as well, and they responded...

Upper Michigan dog dies from 'Made in China' treats
by Beth Cefalu
Posted: 12.01.2013 at 10:30 AM
Updated: 12.01.2013 at 5:30 PM
...
When we first spoke to the Deloria’s at the end of October, they thought their dog was possibly on the road to recovery. Then, this past Monday, they said her health took a dramatic turn and they had to let her go on Black Friday.

Lynn Deloria said she hopes there’s a heaven for pets where Gina Marie is playing and happy. "Because down here, we're miserable," stated Deloria...

Textile companies & imported pet food ingredients were a deadly combo a few years ago, but in this case the FDA is looking at the common denominators, glycerin and irradiation, present in treats linked to Fanconi-like syndrome in dogs both here and in Australia:

From a link found in the FDA document mixin posted above -

Jerky Pet Treat Investigation Rationale and Results

IV. Evaluation of Jerky Treat Irradiation
Manufacturers use irradiation, an approved process, on a broad variety of food products to ensure food safety and provide insect control. FDA can verify absorbed radiation doses through a variety of methods, such as measuring furan concentration and monitoring levels of 2-acylcyclobutanones (2-ACB).
A. Furan Analysis
1. Rationale: Many of the treats are irradiated; items that are improperly-irradiated may contain marker chemicals indicating improper handling. In general, the literature indicates that irradiation of food does not negatively affect dogs. Blood et al. (1966) reported; however, that dogs fed a high-dose irradiated pineapple jam diet developed glucose in the urine. We therefore evaluated jerky samples for evidence of high-dose irradiation.
2. Results: We analyzed 9 samples (7 chicken, 1 duck, and 1 yam treat). Furan concentrations were in compliance. We have concluded this line of testing.
B. 2- Alkylcyclobutanone (2-ACB) Analysis
1. Rationale: While the correlation of 2-ACB levels in raw muscle foods has been well documented, the literature provides little information on the effect of processing and various additives on observed 2-ACB levels. We believe that jerky pet treat products are irradiated at doses of about 10 kGy, though we do not have any current verification tests. Also, we do not know what, if any, effect the glycerin treatment prior to irradiation has on the final product.
2. Results: We conducted a preliminary study to measure the levels of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone (2-DCB) in chicken jerky treats soaked in glycerin for varying amounts of time (0 control, 20 min., and 24 hours) and subsequently irradiated at different doses (0 control, 5, 10, 15, and 25 kGy). Chicken jerky samples were prepared from store-bought chicken breast tenderloins, stored in Whirl-Pak bags, and then irradiated with a Cesium-137 source, at 200°C. 2-DCB is a common 2-ACB found in muscles eaten for food which contain palmitic acid. Our study showed that 2-DCB could be used to monitor the absorbed radiation dose and that soaking the chicken in glycerin at different times did not affect the detection of 2-DCB. A second phase of our study is pending and includes consumer complaint-related samples.
...
D. Glycerin Metabolites
Jerky Pet Treat Investigation Page 7 of 21
1. Rationale: The clinical signs noted in the consumer complaints have been very similar to those associated with antifreeze (ethylene glycol) poisoning. Ingested ethylene glycol is converted to glycolaldehyde to glycolic acid to glyoxylic acid to oxalic acid to calcium oxalate. We are exploring the possibility that during manufacturing process of jerky pet treats, irradiation, in combination with other factors, produces toxic metabolites of ethylene glycol from glycerin that also converted to calcium oxalate. In 2013, we began developing a method to detect these glycerin metabolites.
2. Results: We have tested jerky treats for ethylene glycol and all samples were negative. Testing is pending for toxic metabolites of ethylene glycol from glycerin.

It sounds like citizens and their pets are unwitting subjects in a big science experiment & that irradiation of pet food is poorly regulated, whatever the cause of these illnesses.