Here we go again: another pet food-related issue (this time treats) traced back to China. Seems this one is just breaking and has yet to be classified as an official recall, but as we’ve all learned over the past months with anything China-related “better safe than sorry” is the way to go, so if you have these products STOP giving them to your pet ASAP!
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. quietly stopped selling two brands of dog treats in July, after customers voiced concerns that the Chinese products may have caused their pets to fall ill, but no recall has been announced, a company spokeswoman confirmed.
The world’s largest retailer started pulling Chicken Jerky Strips from Import-Pingyang Pet Product Co. and Chicken Jerky from Shanghai Bestro Trading on July 26, spokeswoman Deisha Galberth said late Monday.
Here are other related areas: My Pet Food Recall Updates post, blog search results for “China”, and a page I composed with information and link to many Pet Product Recalls.
Good luck and CHECK YOUR LABELS!
***UPDATE 8/21/07 PM***: A blog reader, Julie, posted the link to a press release by ADI Pet, Inc. regarding their chicken jerky dog treats, on Pet Product Recalls, but I thought I’d post it here as well. One thing I noticed is that it was not mentioned anywhere whether ADI Pet, Inc. manufactures any of their products in China. Buyer beware is all I have to say.***
***8/22/07 SALMONELLA-related dog food recall:Pet food recall: Mars Petcare, Inc. recalls Krasdale AND Red Flannel dog food due to possible SALMONELLA contamination***
***Added 9/13/07:Possibly another “made in China” tainted dog treat: Smokehouse Chicken Breast Tenders Treats***
42 comments
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August 21, 2007 at 9:55 am
RICHARD BROWN
WE HAVE BEEN GIVING OUR DOGS WAGGIN’ TRAIN BRAND CHICKEN JERKY TENDERS WE BOUGHT FROM SAM’S CLUB.ARE THESE TREATS PART OF THE RECALL AND IF SO WHAT SHOULD WE CHECK FOR IN OUR DOGS
August 21, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Wendy
No Waggin Tails Brand is not included yet… I too feed them to my AKita. As of now I stop. I trust nothing from China at this point. Do your loved friends a favor and boycot China.
August 21, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Marsha J. O'Brien
AMEN to Wendy’s comment.
August 21, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Dawn
We were also giving Waggin Train Chicken Tenders to our Lab, but I will not use them anymore unless I am sure they are safe. I will read every label from here on and I refuse to use anything from China. Pet food, childrens toys, toothpaste, whats next.
August 22, 2007 at 8:02 am
Gayle
My 16year old dog LIVES for her 7:30 “chichen treat”She LOVES Waggin Train brand,made in China.Upon opening a new bag about 2 weeks ago she started “taking her time” eating it which was unusual.After a few days she was still DEMANDING it every nite,but NOT eating it.!
I figured her teeth were hurting her,but she’s grinding up other treats with no problem.She is refusing this bag of treats for a reason.I say they are “TAINTED” with something,I don’t know what ,but she is smart enough to know she shouldn’t eat them.They may not have recalled these yet,but there is a problem with this last bag I bought at Wal-Mart.I would warn readers,after some of the things I have read today on this subject{Waggin Train brand},do not feed these to your dog.Investigate what this irradiation sterilization process consists of,it sounds like it could be toxic.I am taking these back for a refund,and will never buy these ,or Any pet food product from China again.If we don’t look out for ourselves and our pets,nooone will
August 22, 2007 at 8:22 am
Gayle
My dog is 16 years old,not much excites her,but at 7:30 every nite she would DEMAND her favorite.She LIVES for her Chicken Jerky Tenders,made in China,bought from Wal Mart.About 2 weeks ago,upon opening a new bag she started “taking her time eating it”,I thought her teeth must be bothering her.After 2-3 days she stopped eating it and “just left it lay”.
Meanwhile she is grinding up other treats with no problem.I don’t know what is wrong with this bag,but she is smart enough to know not to eat them!!If you are feeding these to your dog I reccomend you stop.I am returning this bag to Wal_Mart for a refund and refuse to buy them again,or any dog food product from CHINA.If there wasn’t SOMETHING WRONG with them she would be eating them as she has been for several years.If we don’t look out for ourselves and our pets,noone will!!!
August 22, 2007 at 8:28 am
Red Flannel dog food (Mars Petcare) recalled in PA due to possibility of salmonella contamination « SoCal Muchacha
[…] the FDA (their website link is in my blog roll) and wanted to pass the news along ASAP. After the breaking news yesterday of Wal-Mart pulling chicken jerky dog treats produced in China, and now this salmonella warning, it’s feeling all to eerily similar to the […]
August 22, 2007 at 10:41 am
jeremy
Wow, this is terrible. I think we should boycott everything from China, not just food on principal.
August 22, 2007 at 10:57 am
Carmen
A week ago my maltese Abby was vomiting through out the night. I’m wondering if these treats the the reason for her change in appetite. Even though my dogs love these treats, I’ve decided to buy a dehyrdrator and make my own treats for them. The only treats my dogs will eat are the chicken jerky or the dingo bones, which the way it sounds they won’t be getting either.
August 22, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Maxine
I will no longer buy pet treats and will be very choosy about other food I buy for the pets. This is ridiculous. Can no long trust the makers of our pet food. Companies may have gone over seas for cheaper labor but is it worth the price?
August 22, 2007 at 4:55 pm
SoCalMuchacha
Hey everyone,
Just wanted to let you know that I updated the recall information on the dog food possibly contaminated with salmonella because there has been ANOTHER dog food added to it.
Here’s the entry: Pet food recall: Mars Petcare, Inc. recalls Krasdale AND Red Flannel dog food due to possible SALMONELLA contamination
And thanks for your comments and for looking out for each other and for our pets. 🙂
August 23, 2007 at 11:33 am
Kat
Concerning the Waggin’ Train Brand Chicken Jerky Tenders: I was hearing a lot of concern and complaints from people I know who have been giving their dogs these chicken tenders for years with no issues. Their concern was over the little piece of text printed on the back, lower-right side of the tenders’ packaging, under the Vendor Lot # that says, “Made in China.” With all the scares and recalls from China lately, such a thing is cause for concern, but I decided to do a little research before jumping to any conclusions.
ADI Pets, Inc., owners of the Waggin’Train Brand name and distributors of their treats is a California based company. They have a web site, http://www.adipets.com, that you can visit. Right there on the front page in a big, blue box is a disclaimer that seems to alleviate fears about these treats’ origin. Here’s one of the paragraphs from the site:
“Waggin’Train Brand is a US owned company and our products are produced in American partnership owned factories. Our factories do not produce any brand other than Waggin’Train Brand. This brand is sold and complies with standards established for the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Our company was founded and is 100% US owned, there is no foreign ownership of the Waggin’Train Brand.”
The company never makes any reference to on WHAT COUNTRY’S soil its treats are made, but notes that the factories they’re made in are “American partnership owned factories”. I gave ADI Pets, Inc. a call (864-622-0101) to clarify this. I was told by the rep. that the treats ARE, in fact, made in China, but they are made in factories that are 100% American founded, owned and run. The standards for producing and packaging the treats in those factories are the exact same standards used in factories here on US soil and ADI Pets, Inc. actually goes the extra mile to make sure their treats are sterilized (using a method approved for human-grade foods) in ways beyond what is required for pet treats.
Though there have been some stories about people’s pets becoming ill and even dying soon after feeding them treats from new bags of the Waggin’Train Brand Chicken Jerky Tenders, I’ve yet to see any ACTUAL PROOF (as in specific chemical test results from a certified vet/lab) that these tenders are what caused the problems. My dogs and lots of others I’m acquainted with love these treats and I’m giving ADI Pets, Inc. and the Waggin’Train Brand the benefit of the doubt, based on what I’ve seen and heard from press releases, their web site and a company rep. These treats are 100% natural and that’s hard to find these days for the price. I still give my dogs Greenies and rawhide, despite the big Greenie scare and all the dangers associated with feeding your dogs rawhide. My dog could choke on its food one day and die. Like Oprah’s sweet Golden Grace who choked on her Cocker Spaniel’s toy ball and died. There’s no guarantees with anything and I for one am not going to go around jumping at shadows. I use common sense and feed my dogs healthy stuff and if some freak thing happens, then it happens. Nothing I can do about it. If every other dog on the planet being fed a certain product was winding up sick or dying, then yeah… of course I don’t use it. But, for now, the beloved chicken tenders are staying on my doggie-treat counter and my dogs will continue their little morning dance for a strip of chewy goodness. 🙂
August 25, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Gene and Gerri Richards
Our pet Rosie, a 3 year old Chihuahua was poisoned from Chinese made
Bestro’s Jerky Chicken Strips #77849 00006 1 We have this contaminated
bag. We have three Chihuahuas and one of them died one month ago. She
started with vomiting and dehydration and then we were told she may either have an obstruction or have been poisioned. Since our dogs are inside dogs and we are with them at all times outside we thought it was an obstruction. Finally the doctor
said he was almost positive it was some kind of poisoning at Elwood Animal
Clinic in Glendora, California. They were going to scope her but before that
could happen she died July 21, at VCA in Fountain Valley, California.
We gave our dogs Waggin train and Bestro’s Jerky Chicken Strips. Our
Sweet Rosie (our chihuahua that passed) loved them and and she would eat all the
treats we put down for the other dogs too. Up until today we never had any idea
what happened but now with Wal Mart (I bought the treats there and at Sam’s) pulling this quietly from their selves. I truly believe that is why she died. We called Wal Mart and are getting a run around. We need help. I would like to find a website with other dog owners who may have experienced the same as we have. If you know of any please let us know. We are totally heartbroken and will never forget Our Sweet Gypsy Rose!
Since Wal Mart had this problem before, why didn’t they pull all that
Chinese junk off the first time? Our Rosie will still be alive! Is Wal Mart concerned about people and their Pets or Money? You figured it out.
Boycott China and Wal Mart
Gene and Gerri Richards San Dimas, California
August 26, 2007 at 9:38 am
Thog
“…made in factories that are 100% American founded, owned and run. The standards for producing and packaging the treats in those factories are the exact same standards used in factories here on US soil and…”
At one time, this may have meant something. However, over the past decade or two, US companies have become just as sleazy as any. The name of the game is profit, or why else would they have the stuff produced in China in the first place? Last I looked, Mattel is an “Amercian-owned” company.
We’ve had it. We’re going to start making our own treats. I’d rather give up my time and convenience to make sure our pets stay healthy.
August 27, 2007 at 1:08 am
toni
Yeah, boycott China, but why is ANYBODY SHOPPING AT WALMART…….American’s have been boycotting them for years……….come on guys get with the program………….t
August 27, 2007 at 1:11 am
toni
Gene and Gerry, Walmart is concerned about money …….period…………..wow i am so sorry about your pet………..but the truth is you get cheap at walmart …..that’s what they do…t
August 27, 2007 at 9:19 am
rileysmom
CONCERNED? please read comments about sick or dying dogs after eating chicken jerky treats from Waggin Train
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html
August 27, 2007 at 9:20 am
rileysmom
http://www.topix.net/forum/us/fda/TPSS8QRGJM6D4MVVA/p25#lastPost
Sorry this is the site
August 27, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Cityslicker
Come on people, lets boycott China products for sure. Check those labels. Even some pet stores are not sure whats made in china these days. Make your own jerky or check out Hillbilly Smokehouse Products for freshly made in USA chicken treats. Cost alittle more but our pets are worth every penny.
September 7, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Linda
Count us in on the boycott. Recently our dog Sasha had watery stools and vomiting during the night. Sasha also was very restless last night . Our other dog Ashleigh has shown no symptoms. We stopped giving the treats as of last night after reading they were made in China. We have been feeding them the Waggin Train chicken jerky from Sam’s club Lot # 94639. We are taking both dogs in for the blood & urine test tomorrow. I pray we have not feed our little buddies too many. Thanks for the website Rileysmom & Cityslicker for the Hillybilly Smokehouse suggestion. Also everyone else for sharing their experience. Does anyone know if & where I can have the treats tested?
September 10, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Jeremy
i am a proud owner of 4 boxers, and the other day one of them started having urinary problems so we took him to the vet and they told us he’s having renal failure. The vet asked us what type of treats and food we gave the dogs and low and behold a huge bag of there favorite treat was there Waggin Train Brand chicken Jerky. Later today i am taking my other 3 dogs to get checked. I would suggest anyone who gives this treat to there dog to stop. Vet also suggested if we wanted to give the dogs a treat to give them unsalted pretzals or rice cakes.
September 12, 2007 at 8:57 am
Bob Willingham
costco sold another brand of chicken jerky prior to the “kingdom pets” brand they now handle. I cannot remember the name…possibly “penny and benny” or something like that. The question….where was this brand manufactured…can anyone tell me?
September 14, 2007 at 2:03 am
toni
Walmart is only interested in cheap goods, I stopped buying anything there when my daughter got sick and we had to rush her to the hospital…..Costco though is another story, they do alot of research on their products and I have never had any trouble with them. And their testing and food safety is the tops. You are only asking for trouble when you shop at Walmart. t
September 14, 2007 at 2:06 am
toni
Just wondering why people are buying dog treats……dogs love carrots and they are good for them. Plus I have even started making my own dog food and of course cat food for my ‘hanky po’. If you love your pet start doing some research for making your own food. t
September 16, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Jonathan Bernstein
According to their press release on September 14, “The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has recently been made aware of several complaints from pet owners and veterinarians that multiple brands of jerky treats manufactured in China have been making pets sick.”
This is terrible, but at the same time we want pet owners to know that Waggin’ Train is not one of those brands and is, in fact, working to assist in the understanding of why these pets are sick through detailed research on dietary history and all factors potentially affecting health. You should know that:
* Waggin’ Train Brand Chicken Jerky Tenders have been tested by FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) testing labs, which have shown our treats to be safe and free of harmful microbes and chemical contamination (most current testing as of September 12, 2007).
* Approximately five million dogs eat jerky treats safely each week
* Waggin’ Train Dog Treats are intended as a tasty, meaty snack for your dog and not as a meal replacement.
* Always provide a balanced diet for your pet and plenty of fresh water.
* We prepare all of the Waggin’ Train products in human food grade facilities to insure the highest quality for your pet.
* Products are tested in US laboratories for bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli as well as chemical contamination and test results have always proven our products to be safe.
* Our products have never been associated with any recall and are currently available at major retailers nationwide.
For more information, see http://www.adipet.com or http://www.waggintrainblog.com, and thanks for giving us a chance to communicate with you!
Jonathan Bernstein
for Waggin’ Train
September 24, 2007 at 7:30 am
Donna & Chris
My boyfriend’s beautiful great dane, Lexi, was rushed to the emergency room last night. The reason, her organs were shutting down and she had no platelets in her blood. The only thing that was different in her diet were the chicken jerky tenders by Waggin Train that I purchased at Costco a few weeks ago. When we brought the bag to the vet, he noticed that this product said “made in China” and said that more than likely that was the culprit. I am just appalled that this product was not pulled from the shelves. We now have to face the fact that we have to put our beloved canine daughter down because ADI Inc. was trying to save a buck. Try explaining that to our children who won’t have their best friend to love and play with. ADI has left us heartbroken over this senseless loss of life.
Please, please, please check all ingredients and where the products were manufactured.
Vendor Item #169728
Lot No: 94695
October 3, 2007 at 4:53 am
susanne
I have a (almost full)bag of Benni and Penni Chicken Jerky I got from Costco. They do say the dreaded “made in China” on the bag. My vet has now advised I not give our dogs any products made in China. This is killing me because our dogs LOVE these treats. Our little one choked on a Greenie bone so I don’t give those any more so I am back to rawhide strips. Sue
October 5, 2007 at 9:29 am
kaycee
#
Open comment to Jonathan Bernstein (Bernstein Crisis Management):
Just curious. After reading your comments on numerous websites and forums (regarding the Waggin’ Train Chicken Jerky Tenders debacle), do you EVER advise your clients that they should perhaps take the high road?
A decent company would not try to defend themselves in such manner as they have hired you to do – if their product came up in so many places as being a culprit to ill or dead pets, they would pull the product and cooperate fully with the FDA and AVMA.
This would lead to a much better situation regarding their reputation. As it is, my bet is that Waggin Train will fold in the next year due to their evasive tactics – and you, my friends, may very well go with them. Sometimes, you simply cannot defend the indefensible.
For those who don’t know, Jonathan Bernstein is in the employ of Waggin Train in his capacity as a “Crisis Management” expert – http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/
October 7, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Gene Reed
My name is Donna, and Gene and I just lost our 9 year old female Akita Meiko. She was murdered. Murdered by Wal-Mart who continued to sell the Bestro Chicken Jerky even though they knew it was tainted with Melamine. She became ill June 15, 2007. She began vomiting everything we fed her. The vet came to the house to draw blood and take urine to see if he could determine what was causing her illness. She was in renal failure. Her creatine had gone from 3 to 14. We started an IV on her. We had IV poles and pumps on every floor in our home. We ran 54 liters of ringers through her in 72 hours. They retested her blood and her creatine had gone back down to 3, but her kidneys were permanently damaged and she would be on an expensive K-D diet the rest of her life. But we were still at a loss as to how Meiko came down with acute Kidney Failure. Within a couple of days of bringing her back to some level of normality a chief executive from Tyson Foods who spends a great deal of time at our home called to see if we were still feeding our pets chicken jerky from Wal-Mart. We said yes it is their favorite treat. He said to stop immediately that it was tainted with melamine and that was what was killing her. We thought we had her on the mend when she began vomiting again in September. The vet once again came and drew blood and took a urine sample. Her creatine was 15 this time. The damage that was done from continuing to feed her the chicken jerky was too great, we were not able to save her life, but we are still desperately trying to save the lives of our other 2 pets Yoshi and Chopper because they all ate the same damn jerky and the other two are both peeing whole blood. Had they pulled the jerky from the shelves and made a public recall, Meiko would still be alive today.
Our beautiful baby daughter is buried in our garden. Beware of what Wal-Mart sells and what they import and the country it is imported from. They do not care about you or your pets, they only care about the almighty dollar and their bottom line. When we contacted Wal-Mart about Meiko, they sent us a letter stating that “Claims Management, Inc. manages claims on behalf of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and that they were very sorry to hear of the incident which involved chicken jerky. At this time we would like to share some information with you regarding the claims handling process. Upon reviewing your claim, CMI tendered the claim to the product supplier; Shanghai Bestro Trading. If you do not hear from the supplier in the next 10 days, please feel from to contact them directly 011-86-21-5848-6661. This is an overseas phone number.
This is your great Wal-Mart at its best, they don’t want to take responsibility for what they imported and sold at their stores. It may cost us more, but we no longer shop at Wal-Mart or any of its subsidiaries.
October 11, 2007 at 5:57 pm
SoCalMuchacha
Donna, I’m sorry for your and Gene’s heartbreaking loss. 😦 I hope you continue to go after those accountable for the irresponsible behavior. Sadly it all seems to boil down to the almighty dollar…sigh. I’ve never been a fan of Wal-Mart and their practices, and this just adds to it. Again, sorry for your loss.
Kaycee, EXCELLENT post! Yo go, girl!
June 3, 2008 at 6:11 pm
V Olivo
It is NOT “melamine” that is killing your pets in these treats.
Look at the back panel of the bag. You will see a cute “flower” logo.
Get a magnifying glass – LOOK CLOSELY – it says “Irradiated for sanitation”.
They are using spent plutonium rods to “sanitize” the treats.
If you feed these treats to your pets, you are feeding them TOXIC WASTE PRODUCT.
We bought an “Excalibur” dehydrator and make our own jerky for our dog and ourselves. WE NO LONGER SHOP AT WAL-MART, and we WILL NOT BUY ANY PRODUCT THAT SAYS “MADE IN CHINA”.
You get what you pay for.
August 6, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Cici
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of pets due to products from China. How can we expect a culture that eats dogs to care about their health? The chicken jerky strips are so dangerous from China and our little pup was seriously ill as well, but he was able to make a recovery. Our vet told us about a chicken strip made in the US, since Pooky really loved these treats. They’re called Kona’s Chips and you can check them out at konaschips.com
August 25, 2008 at 10:13 am
ChaCha
THIS IS SERIOUS . . . I sent this to Waggin Train today: 8/25/2008
My Siberian Husky had fallen ill eating the Waggin Train Brand chicken jerkey treats sold at Costco. Unfortunately I threw the bag out in disgust once I examined very closly and saw that the product was MADE IN CHINA!! Had I not, I could have given you the lot number.
This began a couple of weeks ago with diarea and her refusal to eat yet she had an increase in water consumption which prompted me to take her to the vet. She is experiencing liver disfunction and pancreatitis as her liver and pancreas are both enlarged as illustrated on the xray taken last week at the vet’s office. She now has a temperature of 105 and is too weak to walk outside to urinate and has refused food for a week. My vet has her on antibiotics and we will start another new one today in addition to the anti-diarea and stomach settling medication she is taking.
In checking the web, I have discovered that many other pet owners have indicated their pets have experienced the SAME SYMPTOMS with this product. I make my dog’s food from scratch: rice, chicken, carrots and green beans so I know it is not what I am feeding her!!! The only other treats she has been getting (about 5 – 6 per day) is this chicken jerkey product!!!
PLEASE REMOVE THIS PRODUCT and WARN PEOPLE!!! I did not see that this product was made in China until researching this on the web!! Put this in big bold letters on your packaging as it is a very small and goes unnoticed!
September 25, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Cheri Gray
My dog LOVES the Kingdom Pet chicken jerky treats from COSTCO. Recently, however, he developed kidney stones & was really sick & will be on medication for about 2 months. Also, the neighbor’s dog became very sick with kidney & liver problems & their vet told them that he had gotten an e-mail warning about the Kingdom chicken jerky treats from China. Does anyone else know anything about this brand? My dog & I will never again eat anything from China & will bpoycott all products from China! Any7 comments from others will be appreciated.
February 27, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Heather Millott
I have two dogs, Lady Gator a 49 lb English Bulldog and Daisy and 26 lb mixed beagle/basset mix from the pound. I purchased Kingdom Pet Chicken jerky treats from Costco. A few days ago, one of them start peeing in the house. I took both girls to the vet yesterday (Feb 26, 2009) to get checked for a urinary infection. The next day, the vet called with the blood work results: Gators results were boarder line but Daisy was going to require medication. I told the vet that Daisy was acting strange and they asked me to being her in when I came to pick up her medication. When I got home to pick her up (taking off from work) there was vomit, feces and urine all over the house and all containing a lot of blood.
The vet did an x-ray and found nothing left in her stomach but thinks it was food poising. When asking about their food, I mentioned the chicken treats. She believes that is the culprit. Daisy was treated for dehydration and sent home with 7 different kinds of medications to start taking tomorrow when she is able to keep something down. It is Friday evening and I have cleaned up vomit containing large amounts of blood three times. I have spent over $926.00 and can only pray my babies will be OK. I am very mad that this product is still on the shelves at Costco’s and that there has been no recall as of yet.
April 7, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Cristy Xtremedolls
My dog amost died this weekend from these treats. $6,000 vet bill, but my baby recovered. BEWARE OF THE WAGGIN TRAIN TREATS
October 15, 2010 at 6:28 am
Julie Cook
The Waggin Train Chicken Jerky product is still making dogs sick. After reading everything here, I can’t believe it is still on the market. My 4 month old puppy has nearly died from the “healthy treat”.
November 5, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Joe
Waggin Train Chick. Jerky – NO!
I have an 8-year old Airedale Terrier that has never had a serious illness, until now! I bought a package of Waggin Train Chicken Jerky treats from Costco about 10-12 weeks ago. I don’t usually give him anything but dry dog food and Milk Bones, but I read the ingredients and they appeared to be all natural, so we gave it a try. He really loved these things and he was getting 1 or 2 a day until a couple of days ago. He began to have trouble walking a few weeks ago, and the problem appeared to get worse. His appetite has decreased until a few days ago, he is no longer eating anything! He developed diaherra 2-days ago, at which time we brought him to the vet. They have taken x-rays, and want to now do blood work and have put him on anti-biotics, an anti-inflamatory, Pepsid and Gas-X. The poor guy is suffering horribly, his stomach is in constant spasm and he crys and groans non-stop. He doesn’t want to go outside or eat, and barely drinks fluids. The vet gave him an IV to replenish fluids today, but he is still suffering. I suspected the treats because of the timing and his lack of any of these symptoms for so many years. Even the vet suggested that we look into any recalls on the product as he mentioned that Salmonella matched some of the symptoms and he was aware of other recalls on pig’s ears and the like from retail stores.
Although I have no hard evidence, I have to say that the circumstantial information I’ve read on here sure does seem to point to these treats as the culprit. I have stopped giving him these things and I pray that he gets better. I don’t know how the courts view negligence relating to pets/animals, but I intend on looking into it.
According to news release dated 9/13 on Reuters, Nestle (the Purina Pet Care Company) wants to purchase Waggin Train, who is reported to have annual sales of $200M. Perhaps the current owners and/or Nestle are not aware of the issues discussed here. At the very least, we should look into joining forces to inform the company about what is happening to our beloved companions.
By the way, I don’t wish to “trash” every product that is produced in China, I don’t think that the one response that stated that some of the best products come from China, should be used as a barometer to determine if this particular product is good or bad. There are enough people reporting very similar issues that, at the very least, warrants a further investigation. China is undergoing a major economic and industrial “boom” much like we here in the US experienced in the past. During those periods, the priorities of industry and commerce were profit, and there were similar abuses and oversights that affected our quality of life, environment, etc.
I think the best thing we can do to try to have a voice, is to band together as consumers and citizens, and try to communicate to the powers that be, and let them know we that we will not be ignored. If the purchase by Nestle’s/Purnia has not closed, the current owners might be very interested in resolving any outstanding issues that might affect Nestle’s decision to purchase the company. While I’m not a litigious person, I certainly understand what the threat of a major class action lawsuit might do to a potential suitor looking to purchase this company. Maybe our numbers aren’t enough, but it possible that there are many more people out there with similar issues that are either unaware of the problem, or reluctant to speak up.
Good luck to all
November 5, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Joe
Post: 265540
Update on my Airedale Terrier
Well the unmentionable happened, after almost 8 years with no health problems of any kind, my beloved Ruff died tonight. He would have been 8 years old on November 19, and now he’s gone.
He’s been at the vet’s office/hospital for the past 2 days. They tried IV liquids, anti-biotic and Pepsid, all to no avail. My daughter and I were told he had developed an irregular heartbeat and appears to have developed fluid in both his abdomen and possibly around his heart. His blood work showed reduced kidney function, and before we could have them perform an electrocardiogram, he passed. It’s strange, but amazing; we scheduled an appointment for this evening at 8 pm at which time I was going to have to decide if we were going to have him put down, or proceed with the ECG. They brought him into the room with my daughter and I and he could barely walk. He came up to both of us, put his head in our laps and let us comfort him one last time, then his legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor. My daughter and I jumped off of our chairs and lay down beside him to comfort him. I could feel him slipping away. He looked up at both of us, almost as though he wanted to say good-bye, then he dropped his head down into my hand. I saw his eyes go into a deep stare, and felt his breathing slow, then stop, soon followed by his heart beat. My daughter and I broke down, at which point he seemed to rally for a moment, with a faint heartbeat, and looked up at us. Then he slowly drifted off, he was gone. We are heart broken!
Does this sound dramatic; well that is the understatement of the year! I can’t prove that the Waggin Train chicken treats killed him, but I can tell you all that he has only been eating them for about 3 months. He had NO apparent health problems before that, but we started to notice his energy level drop. I simply thought that he was finally “feeling his age” as Airedales aren’t known for extremely long lives, so we just thought it was a natural part of the aging process. The vet would not confirm or deny that the treats were the culprit. He did mention that these treats or something similar were recalled in the past. He did suggest that some of the substances people reported turning up in these treats, such as melamine, arsenic, etc. can and do lead to the failure of organs such as kidneys, pancreas and even the heart.
All I can say is that given the number of people on this as well as other blogs/threads that have reported similar experiences, someone needs to look into this further!
I apologize for the length of these posts, but I’m adamant about getting the word out about this product for others to see. At the very least, an unbiased, objective analyst should test this product and render an opinion without the influence of a company that is doing $200 million per year in sales.
Our dear friend Ruff is dead, and I can’t ignore how quickly he deteriorated after starting him on this product. Maybe it’s coincidence, maybe not, you decide. I still have a package of these treats that I will gladly donate to any legitimate, unbiased party that is able to test this product.
Thanks to anyone that reads/replies to this post.
November 12, 2010 at 10:52 pm
SoCal Muchacha
Joe, I’m SOOOOO sorry to read about Ruff. It’s heartbreaking enough when our pets pass, but to have to wonder about the cause of their death and whether it was preventable is another matter entirely, and just amplifies the heartbreak. My thoughts are with you. RIP Ruff.
November 17, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Barbara Burgess
Our little Jack Russell is almost 16 years old, and has been healthy and energetic for her age. Then all of sudden she started having a decline in energy, and stopped eating dog food. We had just started giving her Waggin’ Trail Chicken Treats, and I was concerned that these could have contributed to her problem. We took her to her Vet, he tested her and x-rayed her, and found she had elevated Kidney levels. They flushed her Kidney’s and started her on a prescription diet and medication for her kidneys last week. I could also give her limited treats, but because of my suspicion, I left off the chicken treats. Today she was retested, and her kidney levels dropped from 100 to 38. I was still suspicious, so I went on the internet to see what I could find, and I saw your letter. I am going to take these treats to my Vet tomorrow, and see if he can find out anything. I had also heard that some chicken treats made in China were dangerous to dogs, and that is what first made me suspicious. I will post whatever results I get on these treats.
Also, I am very sorry you lost your little pet. I know how hard that must be. We thought our little Jack Russell was going to die last week.
May 24, 2011 at 5:24 am
Chicken jerky for dogs
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