Information on Pet Food Recalls

Signs to watch for include decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. 

The type of kidney failure associated with chicken jerky strips is called acquired Fanconi syndrome. Urine test results consistently show glucose and granular casts. Blood tests may show hypokalemia (low potassium), mildly increased liver enzymes, and acidosis.

If your dog develops these signs and test results  while being fed chicken jerky treats, the AVMA says, "you should contact your state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Consumer Complaint Coordinator. For a state-by-state list of Coordinators, go to http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html. Please include as much information as possible, including the specific product name, lot numbers, veterinarian's report and diagnosis, etc." 

I would also appreciate hearing from anyone whose dogs are affected (my contact information is at the bottom of the page).

Update 9/24/09: Incidence of Fanconi-like kidney disease in dogs in Australia appears to have ended after two products were removed from the market. The products were Supa Naturals Chicken Breast Strips, made by KraMar in China, and VeggieDents dental treats, made by Virbac. See Following product recalls, Fanconi-like syndrome outbreak abates in Australia for more information. 

Update 5/28/09: Researchers in Australia have discovered several cases of unexplained kidney disease that was not associated with chicken jerky strips, but which may be associated with dental chews instead. The chews are called Veggie Dents and are made by Virbac. If your dog develops kidney disease and has eaten these chews recently, you or your vet should contact the FDA to report it. See New mystery arises in cases of Fanconi-like syndrome for more information. These chews were recalled in Australia the week of 6/1/09.

On September 13th, 2007, the AVMA issued a statement warning people of complaints that multiple brands of jerky treats imported from China have been causing kidney failure in dogs. The FDA is investigating these claims, and issued their own warning on September 26th, 2007. They have ruled out melamine as a possible cause. 

Please avoid feeding chicken jerky strips from China to dogs until we know conclusively that they are safe. Note that these products often appear to be made in the US, but if you search carefully, you'll find "Made in China" in tiny print somewhere on the bag.

Here's the rest of the story: On August 20th, 2007 it was learned that Wal-Mart had quietly removed Chicken Jerky treats made by two Chinese companies from their shelves on July 26th, due to complaints about the treats making dogs ill. No recall has been issued. Wal-Mart is no longer selling the treats, but other stores, such as K-Mart, are still doing so. The brands that were removed are Bestro and Pingyang Pet Product Co. 

On September 14th, PetSmart removed various Smokehouse brand treats from their shelves due to reports of pets becoming ill. No recall has been issued. This product is reportedly being investigated by Cornell, but information is available only to vets, not to the public. 

It is possible that other brands of chicken jerky may also be affected, such as the Kingdom Pets brand sold at Costco, and the Waggin' Train brand, which are also imported from China, as there are unconfirmed, anecdotal reports of dogs becoming ill after eating them, though no testing has been done. See this article for another report on Bestro Chicken Jerky making dogs ill and leading to at least one death (read the comments at the bottom of these stories for even more information). The Pet Food Tracker site also has information on the many online reports of non-recalled dog treats suspected of causing illness/deaths (including Waggin Train which has not been pulled). 

I have heard one report of dogs becoming ill (vomiting, diarrhea, inappetance) from two different brands of chicken jerky made in the US.

See these pages for more information:
12/24/08: FDA Continues to Receive Complaints About Chicken Jerky Products (AVMA)
12/24/08: Caution to Dog Owners About Chicken Jerky Products (FDA)
12/24/08: Caution in Feeding Chicken Jerky to Dogs (FDA)
12/18/08: Preliminary Animal Health Notification - Chicken Jerky Products for Dogs
11/1/07: FDA cautions consumers about chicken jerky products for dogs (JAVMA)
10/15/07: Jerky treats from China could be causing illness in pets (JAVMA)
9/28/07: Caution in Feeding Dogs Chicken Jerky (FDA)
9/14/07: Update: AVMA warns of potential new threat to pets
11/14/07: Reports Of Dog Illnesses From Chicken Jerky Treats Continue
10/3/07: Managing Director Of Bestros Assures Chicken Jerky Treats For Dogs Safe
9/26/07: FDA Cautions Pet Owners About Chicken Jerky Products For Dogs
9/21/07: FDA Continues To Investigate Chicken Jerky Pet Treats
9/19/07: AVMA Issues FAQ's About Alert For Pet Jerky Treats
9/17/07: Symptoms Of Affected Dogs From Jerky Treats Compared To Fanconi Syndrome
9/14/07: Smokehouse Brand Dog Treats Pulled From PetSmart Shelves
9/14/07: Indiana State Chemist Office Releases More Test Results For Chicken Jerky
8/30/07: Wal-Mart: Refund Only, No Dog Vet Expenses For Bestros
8/25/07: More Claims Of Chicken Jerky Strips Causing Death And Illness In Dogs
8/23/07: No Melamine Found In Chicken Jerky Strips Dog Treats By Indiana State Chemist
8/22/07: Chicken Jerky Strips For Dogs Still Being Tested By FDA
8/22/07: Melamine Found In Wal-Mart Bestros Chicken Jerky Strips For Dogs
8/20/07: FDA Investigating Bestro Chicken Jerky Strips In Dogs' Deaths
8/17/07: Wal-Mart Removes Bestro Chicken Jerky Strips After Dog Death

Update 2/6/08: 3 Companies Indicted in Pet Food Case 
ChemNutra, one of the companies that imported contaminated gluten products leading to the massive pet food recall, has been indicted as of February 6, 2008, along with two Chinese companies who produced and exported it. See Itchmo for more info.

Update 11/15/07: Study shows that the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid causes kidney failure within 12 hours in cats. Either ingredient by itself is not harmful. See Itchmo for more info.

See the complete list of recalled products at the Recalled Pet Food Tracker

The "official" number of deaths reflects only the animals that died during Menu Foods' feeding trials. As of April 26th 2007, six weeks after the initial recall, the FDA had received over 17,000 reports of adverse reactions -- more than they would normally get in three years. Those complaints included uncomfirmed reports of approximately 1,950 deaths of cats and 2,200 deaths of dogs. On May 10th, the FDA said it had more than 18,000 calls, and of those, about half of the 8,000 entered into the system had been reporting a dead pet, according to Pet Connection. That site received uncomfirmed reports of  4,867 dogs and cats that had died before they closed the database on May 16th. Dr. Paul Pion at Veterinary Information Network projected in April anywhere from 2,000 to 7,000 total deaths and thousands more affected pets based on surveys of member vets. In November, Dr. Pion said that "VIN’s best estimate, based on an extrapolation from the approximately 1,500 deaths reported as likely from VIN member veterinarians, was that thousands, maybe tens of thousands, had died." Banfield Pet Hospitals estimated in April that more than 39,000 pets may have been affected by the contaminated foods, based on extrapolation of data from their own hospitals. Oregon's public health veterinarian reported 49 suspected deaths out of 127 suspected cases (Oregon has 1.2% of the population, so that would project to over 4,000 deaths nationwide). Michigan Veterinary Medical Association conducted a survey of vets in April that found 52  deaths and another 155 cases of kidney failure suspected to have been caused by contaminated food. While there is no way of confirming how many of those are a direct result of contaminated food, it is likely that they represent only the tip of the iceberg. Read Is Your Pet's Food Safe Yet? for more info.

If you think your pet may have been affected by one of the recalled foods, it's important to talk to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator for your state, and follow their instructions for submitting information, in order for them to verify what has happened. The more hard evidence they have, the better they will be able to respond to this problem.

Resources for more information:

• Menu Foods has added a section on "Claims Information" for folks whose pets were affected by their foods.
• Itchmo has put together a summary of all information of everything we know about the recall, including information on having foods tested yourself.
• See The Pet Food List for information on brands not affected by the recall.
• Go to Pet Connection for updates and to add information about affected pets to their database. Also see this call for action for advice on writing to your legislators to ask for specific legislation that will help stop something like this from happening again.
• See the FDA's Pet Food Recall site for information on how to report adverse reactions to their database.
• The ASPCA Pet Food Recall Resource Center has more info on both melamine and aminopterin. 
• The ASPCA issued a press release on May 3rd that includes some newer information about treatment for kidney damage caused by the melamine contamination. The AVMA, ACVIM and VIN have information for veterinarians and pet owners about treating pets that may have been affected. AVMA has also posted instructions for vets on submitting samples and reporting cases here.
• Help get recalled foods off the shelves -- see this open letter.
• Some labs are offering to test suspected pet foods for free (samples must be submitted by your veterinarian). See UC Davis’ California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System and Iowa State University . Your state health department or veterinary medical association might also be able to do testing, or point you at who can. 
• Vets can report suspected cases via the AAVLD Pet Food Toxicity Survey, which is collecting information for the FDA. Vin members should also report suspected cases on their web site.
• Canadians can report suspected cases of illness caused by the contaminated foods to CFIA vet Hugh Baker, (416) 665-5044. You will need to provide information about the food that was consumed, and your veterinarian.

Wheat gluten imported from China that was contaminated with melamine was responsible for the original recall that began on March 16th 2007, when Menu Foods recalled 95 brands dating back to November, 2006. Menu Foods recalled further products on March 24th, April 5th and April 10th as further contaminated products were discovered. Note that Menu Foods had received complaints of their foods harming pets as early as February 22nd, and had seen their own test animals start dying by Febrary 27th. They ceased using the suspected contaminated wheat gluten on March 8th, but did not initiate their first recall until pushed into it by Iams. See Pet-food recall: Timing and triggers and its link to The Great Pet Food Scandal for a synopsis.

On April 17th, a rice protein concentrate, also imported from China but from a different company, was found to be contaminated with melamine and causing illness. The company that supplied the rice protein said it shipped this product to five pet food manufacturers. 

On April 19th, South Africa reported that corn gluten contaminated with melamine was causing pet illness and death. Once again, the food originated from China. We don't know if any contaminated corn gluten has been used in pet foods in the US or Canada, though Royal Canin, the company that made the food in South Africa, has stated that none of the foods sold in the US contain corn gluten from China.

On April 20th, Royal Canin reported finding a new contaminant, cyanuric acid, which is chemically related to, but distinct from, melamine, in rice gluten. Scientists in Canada now think that the cyanuric acid may have chemically reacted with the melamine to cause kidney failure. The NY Times reports that cyanuric acid, like melamine, was likely intentionally added to increase profits.

On April 25th, American Nutrition, a major pet food manufacturer, informed a number of companies that contaminated rice protein concentrate (identified in at least one case as "rice flour") had been used in some of their products, some without the company's knowledge or consent, and without being disclosed on their labels. Affected brands that have since been recalled include Kirkland (Costco), Blue Buffalo, Natural Balance, Diamond,Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul, Harmony Farms, Canine Caviar and Mulligan Stew (see below for more info). 

On April 27th, the FDA quietly expanded its hold on imported foods to include Wheat Gluten, Rice Gluten, Rice Protein, Rice Protein Concentrate, Corn Gluten, Corn Gluten Meal, Corn By-Products, Soy Protein, Soy Gluten, Mung Bean Protein, Soy Bean Meal/Powder/Gluten/Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Powder, Wheat Gluten, Wheat Flour Gluten, Wheat Gluten, Rice Protein, Rice Gluten, Rice Protein, Corn Gluten, Milled Rice Products, Amino acids and protein hydrosylates.

On May 2nd, the FDA announced it was expanding the Menu Foods recall to include products which do not contain contaminated wheat gluten but which were produced during the same period and were cross-contaminated. In addition to foods sold in the US and Canada, two foods sold in Europe were added to the list. Foods from other manufacturers have been recalled in the days since due to cross-contamination (see updates below). See the full list of newly recalled Menu Foods products here and the complete list of recalled brands at the Recalled Pet Food Tracker

On May 8th, the FDA announced that tests on contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate (RPC) showed that these ingredients were actually simple wheat flour spiked with melamine and cyanuric acid to increase the protein levels and make them appear to be something else.

At some point, the "worry date" of melamine contamination was also pushed back from November, 2006 to July or August, 2006. The NY Times reports that melamine contamination in China is widespread and deliberate, and has been going on for years.