A major US pet supplier has said it will stop selling dog and cat treats made in China over fears the treats are making pets sick, Seattle Times reports.
In its latest assessment of a mystery that continues to vex federal investigators, the FDA says the deaths of more than 1,000 dogs have now been linked to toxic pet-jerky treats from China.
Thousands of complaints of pet illnesses — 5,600 dogs and 24 cats — tied to the products have been filed with the agency, but, after seven years of testing and inspections of plants in China that produce the treats, investigators still can’t pinpoint the source of contamination.
About 1,800 of those complaints were filed since the FDA’s last update in October. Most of the complaints involve chicken jerky (treats, tenders and strips), but others include duck, sweet potato and other jerkey treats.
About 60 percent of the animals were reported with gastrointestinal illnesses, the FDA says. About 30 percent had kidney or urinary problems. The remaining 10 percent showed other symptoms, such as convulsions, tremors, hives and skin irritation. The agency says 72 of the dogs that developed kidney problems were diagnosed with Fanconi or Fanconi-like syndrome, a rare kidney disease.
The FDA said it has received more than 4,800 complaints of pet illnesses and more than 1,000 reports of dog deaths from eating Chinese-made chicken, duck, or sweet-potato jerky treats.
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