This article by vet Eric Barchas, caught my eye this morning: Why are you giving your dog jerky treats Worth some thought
Just to be clear for everyone; what exactly is qualified as jerky? Is it any dried meat, and would this include 'bully' sticks, hide chews, pigs' ears, etc?
It never occurred to me that the pizzle sticks I buy would come from anywhere but NZ. I'm definitely going to check with my pet store next time I go in.
I know where all my stuff comes from. I get stuff as locally as I can too. All my venison sausages and dried meat products come from up the road and are made by the man who retails them. They are human grade and his carcasses locally. Its a small company and any problems I just call and they sort it. I think they are probably more expensive but the stuff is very good
I got a security alert when I tried to click on the linked article. It said there was an attempt to get data from my computer. Did anyone else get that? It looked suspicious and the only way I could get rid of it was to restart my computer. So I didn't get to read the article. I hope it was warning about store bought jerky as I make my own for Oban.
The upshot was that dogs are dying from eating jerky, specifically that produced in China. But that, "However, as the great melamine scandal of 2007 showed, globalization has led to supply networks that can be convoluted. Products labeled as made in the USA may in fact contain ingredients sourced elsewhere." However: "You should be aware that some experts don’t believe that China, or even contaminants, are to blame for jerky-related illness and death in dogs. There are some who believe to this day that there is something about jerky itself that is the culprit. This would place jerky in league with grapes, which are another food that causes canine kidney damage unpredictably and in an entirely mysterious fashion."
Thanks @snowbunny I guess it would help if we knew how the jerky is cooked and if certain meats and other foods are more susceptible to becoming carcinogenic. I make the assumption cancer is the concern as I've read of other studies saying so when cooking over coals or wood chips is used, or smoking. Mine is kangaroo and sweet potato, baked at low heat on the dehydrating setting of my regular oven. If that is a problem too then the OH and I are also at risk.
Not necessarily, because we have different systems to our dogs, which is why we can manage grapes and they are toxic to (some) dogs. It says, "Chicken and duck jerky treats seem most likely to cause toxicity, but other types of jerky, including vegetarian versions, also have been linked to illness."
The article didn't actually cite any evidence. There was just a claim that jerky from China has caused deaths and illness in a certain number of dogs (liver failure). No actual causal agent or substance has been pinpointed (a range of undesirable substances have been found in this jerky but apparently none that would cause liver failure). And the article didn't say how it was known that the jerky was the culprit. So make of it what you will.
I'm pretty sure there is no evidence; they've tried to find some and have drawn a blank. No studies have been done, because they don't know what they're testing. They don't know what the toxin is, or why it appears to affect some dogs and not others. Here's another article about the same thing:http://www.aht.org.uk/cms-xmodnewsr...d_jerky_treats_may_cause_kidney_problems.html "Vets across the UK have reported seeing an increased number of dogs presenting with kidney problems which may be linked to the ingestion of imported dried jerky treats." (emphasis mine) So it seems there is an increase in problems large enough for it to be noticed, and commented on, by the veterinary profession, but no-one really knows what's causing it or why. I'd be interested to know why they believe it to be from jerky treats, because (if that includes all forms of dehydrated meats, rawhide etc) then I'd have thought most dogs are given that sort of thing from time to time. So it may just be a suspicion someone had that's becoming self-fulfilling by asking the owners of affected dogs whether they've recently fed jerky. I would assume they'd be aware of this potential to confuse correlation and causation, though.
Hehe, I guess that's just "your call". I think I'm happy to use dehydrated meat products (basically just tripe for me) that are made in Europe. I've pinged off a couple of emails this morning to manufacturers to make sure there is no part of the production process that occurs in China. I could easily do without any dehydrated products, but I chuck them the occasional bit of stinky tripe for being good
Am I the only one who taste the dog treats before giving them to their animals? I know it might sound odd but I think of it this way, if I wont eat it then why should I make my dog? Scooby snacks anybody?
Well....that's dedication. I'm sure you are not the only one, but I must admit it's not something I would do.
Not tried any dog food or treats except for Bonios which I occasionally ate as a kid. We didn't have a dog but a friend did and we use to nick the dog biscuits...
As much as pizzle sticks look like delicious beef jerky, I can live my life without knowing what steer dick tastes like We had to feed the cats behind a baby gate when my kid was a toddler, though - I found her snout-deep in the cat biscuits a few too many times. Doesn't seem to have done too much lasting damage at least.
