FDA continues to warn dog owners about the dangers of Chinese-made chicken jerky
Back at least 10 years ago, I remember warnings about rawhide chewies for dogs made in Thailand and China. Apparently some countries use formaldehyde or arsenic in the tanning process, and this was linked to illness and death in some dogs.
Since rawhides aren't good for dogs anyway — they aren't digested well, swell when wet (in the gut), and may become lodged in the intestine, causing dangerous impaction — it was easy to make the decision to stop feeding them.
I usually don't feed any type of processed treat, anyway because the added sugars, smoke flavouring, artificial colours, etc. can't possibly be good for dogs, but now there are safety reasons to avoid feeding them.
In 2007 the American Veterinary Medical Association issued a warning about chicken jerky strips made in China. An unusual increase in dogs with similar presenting complaints including vomiting, lethargy, and anorexia, were traced back to jerky treats from China.
That was followed in December 2008 with a warning from the Food and Drug Administration. The Preliminary Notification warned dog owners about feeding chicken jerky treats from China. Saying that no specific contaminants were found, they still urged consumers to watch their dogs closely after feeding these products and cautioned that jerky treats should be fed in very small amounts, especially for small dogs.
In June of 2011, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) warned its membership of practicing veterinarians of a potential link between instances of Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose in the urine, leading to kidney failure) and chicken jerky treats made in China.
Now this November the FDA, citing an increase in complaints, has issued a new warning, continuing to caution dog owners about chicken jerky products imported from China.
The FDA advises that if you do continue to feed chicken jerky treats, that you watch your dog for the following signs that may occur anywhere from hours to days after consuming the jerky:
- decreased appetite;
- decreased activity;
- vomiting;
- diarrhoea, sometimes with blood;
- increased water consumption and/or increased urination.
If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product and consult your veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. “Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover,
some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.”
Better yet, feed a natural USA-made product like bullysticks, raw marrow bones, or make your own liver treats. If you really like feeding rawhide or jerky, give sparingly, and make sure it says “Made in USA” on the label.



2012 Rally Information
2012 Rally Information – posted to AKC Rally Web Page
Several items are posted to the AKC web site for Rally at the below link.
http://www.akc.org/events/rally/2012info.cfm
2012 AKC Rally® Information
IMPORTANT AKC RALLY INFORMATION
Recently the AKC Board of Directors, working with AKC team members and representatives from the Rally Sport Fancy, passed a number of regulation changes and new exercises for AKC Rally. These changes are effective April 1, 2012.
In an effort to assist judges and members of the fancy to learn and to educate all about these changes, the Companion Events Department has prepared several documents prior to the regulation implementation date to assist in the transition of the sport.
All AKC Rally Judges should become familiar with these changes and regulations prior to the implementation date of April 1, 2012.
At the below links you will find:
1. DRAFT copy of the AKC Rally Regulations – Effective April 1, 2012
2. A complete set of Rally Signs with new numbering and new signs added
3. Label Template for AKC Rally signs to be used to renumber signs from older sets
Please feel free to share this information with the Rally community and other interested parties.