For seven years, the Food and Drug Administration has been looking into reports of pet illnesses after eating jerky treats.
As of May 1, 2014, the FDA has received approximately 4,800 reports of sickness related to the treats.
Three people reported problems with more than 1,000 canine deaths.
Here’s what the FDA recommends:
The FDA is working with laboratories across the country to get to the bottom of the issue.
Watch your pet closely. Signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding the jerky treat products are decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes with blood or mucus), increased water consumption and/or increased urination. Severe cases are diagnosed with pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and kidney failure or the resemblance of a rare kidney related illness called Fanconi syndrome (or “Fanconi-like syndrome”).
If your pet has experienced signs of illness, please report it to the FDA. Once a consumer has filed a report with their local FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator, or electronically through our safety reporting portal, FDA will determine whether there is a need to conduct a follow-up phone call or obtain a sample of the jerky pet treat product in question. While FDA does not necessarily respond to every individual complaint submitted, each report becomes part of the body of knowledge that helps to inform FDA on the situation or incident.