I went in today to speak with someone at PetSmart about this issue. They said that they haven't received any recall warnings. I said that I was aware that no official list has been given but that I was of course very leary of any product coming out of China. He did assure me that if any product is found to be unsafe it is removed immediately. I said that I was going to be very proactive and not wait for any recall notices. We searched the shelves and we couldnt find ANY chicken jerky that is made in canada or usa!!! So I bought some made in Canada liver treats which Chloe seems to think are just okay :( I will be looking for a dehydrator.

An FYI that may help some of the folks here on YT, if you have purchased ANY product from PetSmart you can return it no problem. If you have a reciept they will refund your money, if you dont have a reciept they will happily give you a store credit in the form of a gift card :) I was very very impressed to hear this and I hope that for those of you that have chosen to stop giving your babies Chicken Jerky that you will be able to take advantage of PetSmarts excellent customer service and get back what you spent.

Goodness knows we spend enough on our furbabies without having to throw out treats :)

I have seen these recently at both Costco and Whole Foods. Once I read "made in China," they went back on the shelf.

You have to check the labels on your people food, too. Mott's apple juice is made from concentrate sourced from China. No way will I buy it.

Besides the deliberate contamination of vital wheat gluten with melamine several years ago (to make their vwg appear to be higher in protein than what it was), they also had a major scandal in 2008 where the same thing was being done to baby formula powder. Babies died. Now, if they would do this to their babies, they certainly don't give a damn about us or our pets. Just sayin'.

Tainted-Baby-Milk Scandal in China - TIME

Thnks for this, will be ordering

I can't believe Purina is the maker of this poisonous product ;( Zoey ate Waggin Train treat and is now sick. My vet and I have filled complaints/cases without the FDA, Waggin Train, and Purina. All my dogs ate them at some point but Zoey ate them everyday:(

Oh, no!! How is Zoey doing? What treatment is she getting? I'm so sorry to hear this. :( I pray she will get better and recover completely from this. Purina should have known better than to buy products overseas, knowing what has happened in the past with tainted food. Shame on them!!!!!!!:mad:

She is in chronic renal failure :(. Unfortunately she is eating Purina NF still for her kidney failure now. Her labs are improving. Some peoples pets have recovered but most don't from these poisonings. She is going to a specialist tomorrow afternoon. I need to find another kidney food she will eat.

Thank you so much for your concern.

That is AWFUL!!!! I will be praying for Zoey. This is getting out of control! I understand that manufacturers want to make as much money as possible but this is crazy! After all of the issues with foods, both pet and human coming from China you would think that these companies would get the message. The only way that the message will get through to them is in their pocket book. I for one refuse to purchase from ANY company that has any edible products made in China. I know that they dont care about quality or safety, there have been too many problems for any good company to put their trust in Chinas ability to make safe food. Have you heard back from Purina? I would be very interested in what they have to say. Did you keep any of the treats that made her sick? It would be good to have them available to be tested and see what god-awful garbage is in them.

I am so so sorry to hear about Zoey I can only imagine how difficult it is to have your little one so sick. You gave her treats from a company that you should have been able to trust :(

I'm so sorry to hear about all the sick furbabies. :( I hope they all can recover.

I was so upset with Joli when she refused to eat the Milo's Kitchen Chicken Jerky I got her, but apparently I should be very happy with her. I guess I lucked out with her pickiness!

I stopped giving my puppy Milo's Chicken Jerky after I heard this, thank god she didn't get sick. It's a shame because she likes them so much. Anyone know what brands are safe to give?

Me, too...I had just given my babies each a treat out of a brand new bag of Milo's, too. :eek: For some reason, DH didn't understand I didn't want them to eat any more Milo's chicken treats...actually, no more Milo's anything treats...when I told him about it over the phone, so he gave them each another treat!!! :eek::eek: We don't have them anymore...trash man took 'em away. :p We have maybe been really lucky...I had not even seen that Waggin Train brand...only Milo's...OMGosh...I am so picky about what's in stuff but even when the ingredients 'look' okay the stuff can be toxic and it's hard to tell 'cuz you cannot know if they are tainted somehow or not...:confused::(:mad:

I am so sorry that Zoey is sick. Sending all our best to Zoey for a full recovery and to you 'cuz I know how heartbreaking and worrisome this must be for you. :hands::getwell::big_hug:

Why is Costco still selling this stuff?!

People are still buying it, remember that not every dog who eats it get sick, but Yorkies are known to have sensitive digestive systems and that's why we warn yorkie owners of potential problems with various foods and snacks.

I cant figure this out either. When we heard about dogs getting sick from these we took them back to Costco. The guy there told us that a LOT of people are returning them. That was several years ago. They are still selling them. We thought that Teddy Bear had a sensitive stomach because he was throwing up all the time but after we stopped giving them the jerkies he stopped throwing up. I felt so bad that i was unknowingly making my little boy sick. If i remember correctly the ingredients on the bag stated only "chicken" but I wonder if there were "secret ingredients" in them.

I still have the horrid treats in a sealed bag in a pet proof container. I doubt they will ever ask for them for testing though. The FDA is doing large batch testing testing not from individuals at this time. :thumbdown

Purina basically took my info and then sent me to the claims company handling the Waggin train/Canyon creek complaints. :(

The really sick part here is the woman who took my info at the claims place has a dog that was signifieds with renal failure 1 1/2 years ago and she feed these treats, too. She never put 2 and 2 together til she talked to me. :eek:

Purina needs to voluntarily recall these products. I did tell the company I am boycotting them and all Nestle products this issue with the tainted treats is taken care off. These a-holes actually sent me coupons for my "feedback". They are nuts :eek::eek::eek:

Zoey and I are battling daily to keep her doing well. I just hope no one else ever has to go through what I am going through right now.

I definitely saw the Waggin' brand at Costo. I almost watched someone purchased it until my mother said something about it. Costco doesn't seem to have anything good there and they have a limited amount of snacks for dogs. I'm surprised all the doggy stores that I have visited still carry this jerky. Apparently the woman at the counter didn't have any idea that they have been doing harm. :confused:

Getting treats for our babies is like walking thru a mine field. I had decided I could do better on my own, so I bought a dehydrater and I do all my own treats...."sweet" treats are Cheerios and little pieces of vanilla wafers or graham crackers that we eat....I alos use Goldfish for treats...I mostly use the things I dehydrate.

I must add....I knew NOTHING about dehydrators and after doing alot of research and "hanging out" around those big hunting sporting goods stores, and talking with alot of really informative hunters, I had some names that were really highly recommended....and Excaliber won hands down! So, that is what I got, back in 2002, and it is a super brand...adjustable temp control, fans that blow from back to front rather than up from the bottom.....just my choice, based on tons of research, meant to save anyone interested a little time!

Jerky/protein question
 

My Bad Leroy Brown loves the chicken jerky we make for him. Up until now, I've been making them in the oven, but thanks for the reminder about using the dehydrator (duh!).

And, because the chicken is so high in protein, do you take that into account for the daily consumption total? (too much protein can be harmful) Just wondering.

On the subject of a member requesting funds from others...
 

I love the forums as they keep us updated and thanks for being there for us on many matters. On a topic you have addressed I wanted to say that there seems to be several "yorkie rescuers" out there wanting money to fund their individual desire to "breed" yorkies. I once did breed 3 females twice each with excellent males and had nice puppies and interviewed prospective homes. I did not do it for money because the cost outweighed:aimeeyork the potential profit. I stopped breeding because I found very few people put the effort into care that I expected. Additionally, I met so many people along the way complaining to vets that their 11 or 12 year old was beginning to have problems so they were considering have them put down as if they were a mechanical device! That stopped me in my tracks. I then "fixed" my six yorkies and ended up rescuing a family of 3 yorkies that were ill. I lost one of the males last year but got him to almost 2 years old. It never occurred to me to beg others for funds. I now have 8 yorkies and that is very challenging but I love them everyone, keep vaccinations, yearly check ups, and flea/worm intervention on all. They roam freely & are fixed. Two of them r over 13 & I can not imagine life without them. How does one believe taking on a few extras and breeding to be a reason to beg for funding. Thanks for keeping up about the woman on FB.

Rights and Responsibilities
 

We have lots of rights that many feel we are "entitled" too. But rights should be handled with responsible actions and preparation for meeting the challenges of potential consequences. Yorkies give their all and we in turn must rise to the occasion and assume the responsibilities associated with ownership and a lifetime commitment to do the right thing by our Yorkies and any other animals we choose to assume responsibility for! This message is to affirm responsible ownership for our little ones. I hope those that feel this way will always speak out with kindness and assertiveness. Thank you all for so much support in the past and the support given in all the forums that supports responsible ownership of our precious little yorkies and all God's creatures.

Chinese Chicken Jerky warnings over a year ago...
 

There was an old article I happened to read in a magazine over a year back about how the Chinese chicken & meats, for dog products were treated with a radiation process to kill all germs. The article said this process was not safe. Sure enough, Taffy's jerky said made in China. I went to the two big "chain pet stores"...none of their jerkies were from USA! All were Chinese. So, I began to hunt for MADE IN USA chicken jerky, and found more and more USA companies had switched to the cheaper Chinese chicken. I began to read all the small print on packages and would finally find a tiny line on side or bottom of pakage that the Chicken was from China, although "packed" in N.C. or Calif., etc! I switched over to our local family-owned pet store's products over which they had labeled "Made in USA", which was 1/4 of their treats, and no dry chicken jerky was from USA. Now, there are more products there this year. The local Farm Bureau carries a chicken jerky made in N.C.; it costs more and there was less inthe bags because it has to go through USA production methods, which are not as cheap. Last year, I switched over to the Wellness Puppy Meat Jerkies which I pay more for, but the pieces can be easily broken in half..so takes a good while to finish. So, I was sad, but not surprised when the news stories broke about more and more dogs becoming sick from the Chinese Jerky & other foods. (Remember the big news stories a few years ago about human baby foods that were made in China that did not meet USA standards, and had to be recalled, and totally remade?) Taffy liked the dried chicken jerky, but he doesn't get it any more. So, he has forgotten it even exists, and happily eats the other brand. I just Don't buy any Chinese dog products.

How is Zoey?
 

Dear Mika,
I saw your posting about poor Zoey getting sick. Pet Smart and Pet Co were the 2 chain stores I had asked over a year ago if they had any chicken jerky NOT made in China. The clerk looked and looked, but whenever we thought we had found one, a check on small print somewhere on the bag showed the meat came from China. I spoke to the manager, and told him about the article I had seen about the Chinese use if radiation scanned over the trays of raw chicken to kill bacteria & germs..and how this source felt it didn't work on everything and felt the products were not safe. I told the manager that I enjoyed shopping for standard USA products there, but I would not be buying any Chinese products as I did not trust their safety..this went for toys and foods! He said he was sorry, but he said they stood behind their products that they sold. So I would definately say Pet Smart Made the Choice to go with the Chinese products since these cost them less to buy and gave them more profit. I also asked the clerk why certain foods were on certain shelves. She said the "better dog foods ... quality wise...were closer to the front!" They also cost more..Blue Buffalo, Wellness, etc. Purinea was back down on the third aisle...si, I asked her why since they are such a well advertised brand. She told me their ingredients weren't as good. So, after trying a free sample of the canned Purina's best and my dog would not eat it. I went back to the Wellness brand again. Also, tried Blue Buffalo but it had so much Whitefish in it that Taffy himself began to smell after third week on it.
I hope Zoey is better now! But, there are USA products out there. If pet owners all begin to avoid the Chinese products, perhaps the big chain stores will start carrying USA made products again...though our foods do cost more.

Any updates on jerky made in the usa?
 

I was just wondering if you have found any jerky made in the usa? I am also now concerned about some of the dog foods being made in China. I hope Science Diet is still made totally in the USA and that they use USA chicken. I know a lot of our chicken is coming from China. If anyone knows more on this subject, please share. Thanks:aimeeyork

Chicken Jerky
 

Yes, like I mentioned two sections up above, the local Farm Bureaus usually carry chicken jerky made in the USA...IF you have any farm bureau co-op stores. But, this jerky is more expensive and there is less per bag. I just totally stopped buying chicken jerky once all I could find was made with Chinese chicken. I have switched to Wellnes Meat Jerkies, 3 - 4 different meat-pair combos..like turkety & salmon, or chicken & venison, etc. They are $11 - $12 per bag and these are not big bags. They are good real meats and the jerky is cut into small rectangles, so I break them in half for Taffy, then it takes him a good month and more to finish the bag. But, there are othed cheaper treats made in USA if you have small pet stores that still carry USA made products. The big, pet chain stores' "chicken jerky treats" are bought in bulk from USA "Namebrand companies", but their chicken is being processed over in China where it is done more cheaply and without the USA restrictions. So, you won't get Big bags of dry chicken jerky made in the USA with USA processed chicken for $12.- $18. You have to decide if it is worth the risk to get the overseas chicken or switch your pet to another type of product made here with safer meat processing. Read the ingredients list, especially the first 4 ingredients..meat should be at the front, and not called "byproducts" which are any groundup parts of the animal's body. Ugh!

With all the issues with jerkies, I ended up buying a dehydrator and making chicken jerkies at home. Buy a bulk of chicken from Costco, cut them up, put them in the dehydrator. I don't know if it's cheaper in the long run but at least I don't have to worry about anymore recalls. Unless there's a problem with the chicken itself. :)

Hubby's home-cooked chicken nibbles for Taffy!
 

I told my husband about the "bad" chicken jerky products that all my Yorkie Talk friends were worried about feeding to their pets. So, this past week, whenever Mike cooked some chicken breasts for us, he would save little pieces (I think he really 'snuck off' some extra slivers of chicken! Ha!) and he cooked them over on the side of his big skillet (with no sauces) just for Taffy. Now, all Taffy has to do is smell our chicken cooking, and he comes right to the kitchen! Mike (the man who insisted he only liked cats when we got married) puts Taffy's chicken pieces in a little bowl for him when they've cooled. It is so much fun to watch how this little 5 lb. Furball has completely captured my husband's heart. I know they'll be watching the t.v. news tonight, together in his lounge chair! It is so cute!!

I have one of those hubbies too! :) Love it.

Great Idea
 

I have been wanting a dehydrator to make venison jerky so I think that is what I will do and make chicken jerky for the furbabies. Thanks for the idea!

Taffy's company is advertising on bottom of our page!
 

I just looked at the latest post to our thread on bad Chinese chicken jerky, and the "Wellness" dog food company has paid to advertise on the bottom of our Yorkie Talk site! This is the company whose food I have been feeding my Yorkie since he was little. The asst. manage of the local pet store raised his 2 little West Highland White Terrior puppies on this brand and had me try it with Taffy. They now make 3--4 double-meat blends of 'meat jerky' in thin, soft little rectangles that Taffy loves; I switched to these after giving up All the chicken jerky! Taffy eats a daily blend of their small breed kibble + 1/3 cup measure of one of their canned meats...I still get 2 cans of the 'Puppy blend' whenever I get 3-4 of their other cans as the puppy ingredients are such a good mixture, and Yorkies are such high energy little doggies that a can of their salmon+chicken+veggies+fruit 'pup mix' once every 2 weeks is a good food. The 'double meat jerkies' are $11.-$12. per bag, but they can easily be pulled in half. Wellness does make a larger treat bag with veggies added to the meat, But they put in a 'barbque smoke flavour' that my little fussie eater won't touch, and it was cheaper for me, too--Sigh! So, we are now back to their 2-meat jerky type of treats again!

Wondering
 

Yip yap do your dogs ever have a "sluggish" day where they just don't want to eat? On those days I pull out the shredded chicken but it didn't make any difference yesterday. I too feed my Zoey Wellness their chicken / lamb jerky treats off and on as I rotate treats to freeze dried too. I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't the Wellness now. I don't think it is required of the company to list where all their ingredients come from as long as it is listed WHERE it is manufactured.
She was on Wellness puppy food till she totally stopped eating it. I topped and mixed it as long as I could till she just would not eat it anymore. Like maybe she didn't feel good.....literally starved herself....

I tried around and she likes Orijen puppy now.
What do you think?