FDA Reports Almost 600 Dog Deaths Linked to Jerky Treats

Despite testing hundreds of samples and inspecting facilities in China, investigators still can't identify the source of the problem.

According to a new report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there are still plenty of reasons to be careful about giving your dog those jerky treats that they so dearly love. Earlier this year, Joe's Jerky Treats and Dogswell announced recalls of their treats made in China because of contamination with salmonella and antibiotic residue. On Tuesday, the FDA released a progress report stating that reports of illness or death due to jerky treats have declined sharply since the product recalls, but it's still investigating, and it says vets and pet owners should still be cautious.

The FDA reported more than 3,000 complaints about illness linked to chicken, duck, or sweet potato jerky treats, including almost 600 deaths since 2007. The problems include gastrointestinal and kidney problems, including Fanconi syndrome.

Bernadette Dunham, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, says that "This is one of the most elusive and mysterious outbreaks we've encountered." The FDA reports that it has tested 1,200 samples and inspected facilities in China, but it still can't find the source of the problems. Dunham says that "Our beloved four-legged companions deserve our best effort, and we are giving it," and that the FDA wants to hear from veterinarians and consumers about any symptoms that might be connected to jerky treats.

So what do you look for if you're afraid that your beloved pet might have gotten a bad treat? A fact sheet released by the FDA says that the most common symptoms include decreased appetite, low energy, increased water consumption, urination, diarrhea, or vomiting within a few hours of eating a jerky treat. Even though reports are declining, for now it might be a good idea to look for alternative tasty rewards for your four-legged friend.

Via Food and Drug Administration Website

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Banjo the Dog Almost Lost His Life to a Train; Now He Gets a Home Near the Beach

"We saw his picture and we both fell in love with him, the most beautiful dog we've ever seen," said Banjo's adopter.

Remember the 78-year-old man who tied a 10-month-old terrier mix to railroad tracks in early April, later telling authorities his family "didn't want the dog" and he "didn't know what to do with him?"

Remember how a train was coming and the conductor slammed on the brakes, stopping just yards before the dog? Well, this story has finally come to an end -- and it's a good one.

Banjo -- so named by the train depot employees who saved him -- has finally found his forever home. 

Meet Jeff and Louisa Moore and their Tibetan Terrier, Lali. Their plea to adopt Banjo was among the more than 1,300 emails from potential adopters that flooded Riverside County's Department of Animal Services after the story of Banjo went viral. People wrote from around the world, crashing the department's site at one point for 24 hours. 

"We saw his picture and we both fell in love with him, the most beautiful dog we've ever seen," Louisa told KABC.

Jo Marie Upegui, Banjo's temporary caretaker -- and the one with final say on who would take Banjo home -- was thrilled with the decision.

"I'm just so happy with the choice we all made," she told USA Today. "It's just such a loving family."

How did the Moores pull it off? By caring. They "constantly" checked in on Banjo via email. And they also live near the beach (Huntington Beach in Southern California, no less) as well as a dog park.

Still, they were shocked when they got the call.

"We had no clue that we were actually the ones who would be picked, so we feel pretty special," said Jeff.

"This family is so dedicated to their animals," Upegui told KABC. "They never leave the dog alone, and I thought that was really important to Banjo because Banjo's had such a ... it's been a scary trip for him." 

"Tonight we're just going to go home and hang out," Jeff said. "We have a big field that's right next to our place that about a dozen of us all go out with our dogs, and they all get along really well, so it'll be fun introducing him to all the dogs. I'm sure they'll love him."

The Moores plan to keep the public updated on Banjo's life though new Instagram and Facebook pages; we'll update this post when those go live. 

Via KABCUSA Today; photos via Riverside County's Department of Animal Services' Facebook

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The dogs of Almost Heaven Ranch show off their happy feet

February 6, 2011

Sometimes, this veterinarian is a little bit of a hypocrite.

I’ve been on TV telling pet owners that live in colder climates to keep the hair trimmed between their dogs’ toes so that they don’t get ice balls or soak up salty brine off of the sidewalks and irritate their feet.

It’s good advice, but the truth is, some winters we trim the hair on Quixote’s feet and other times like this year we’re letting it grow out. Why? Because we love what Teresa calls his “furry slippers.”

Quora, on the other hand, has two Ticonderoga #2 pencils for legs, and stands digitigrade (only digits on the ground) like Natalie Portman en pointe in “The Black Swan.”

But just because she stands like a ballerina, don’t think Quora’s a softy.

We live in the wilds of Northern Idaho and have both wolves and coyotes as neighbors. Rather than have a flock guard dog like a Great Pyrenees, Komondor or Anatolian Shepherd, we use Quora as a lethal deterrent. Facing her in her pink outfit, the feared predators would die laughing!

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Amazing Gracie settles in at Almost Heaven Ranch

Folks, I’m just so in love with my little Amazing Gracie I’m probably going to embarrass myself in this post. But I can’t help it.

In case you don’t remember, we adopted Gracie on Christmas Day from Second Chance Animal Adoption in our hometown of Bonners Ferry. Mikkel told the “love at first sight” story already, but I can tell you, it’s gone on to be a real “Love Story” for all of us — well, except maybe for Quora, but my theory is that she’ll come around soon.

I like to think I’m Gracie’s new best friend, and when she’s cuddling in my lap and wriggling and moaning as I give her a full body massage, I probably am. Her rear legs have some kind of deformity, and regular massage helps keep them limber.

But I have to admit, she might possibly love our Golden Retriever, Shakira, best of all. And playing, running and rough-housing with Shakira is probably the best therapy for her hind legs, too. Here’s a photo slideshow of them playing this weekend:

Quixote gets in on the action sometimes, but Shakira and Gracie can play for hours out in the snow on Almost Heaven Ranch.

Gracie spent her whole life since puppyhood in a shelter — they gave me this photo of her, taken on admission — so this is her first experience of being a beloved family pet. I’m so glad Shakira’s here to show her how it’s done!

But I’m sharing a lot of “firsts” with Gracie, too. Just today she tasted an apple I took up to the barn for the horse and went wild for its sweet flavor. She followed me up the steep stairs to the hay loft of the barn but after she made her passes around looking for kibble the cats have spilled, she walked over to the stairs and presented herself for me to pack down (I worry about her going down with those bad rear wheels) the to the ground.

Don’t tell the other dogs (or Teresa or Mikkel, for that matter), but when I give all the dogs a treat every morning, I give Gracie two. Okay, three. I figure she needs lots of spoiling if she’s ever going to catch up.

It snowed hard this weekend, and I got a real kick out of how she goes on her walks with her head down, lapping up snow — something I guess she never got to taste during her life in the shelter.

But our Gracie is an “all-seasons” kind of gal. She loves to lie out in the sun on the grassy area under a big pine tree. No matter how clean the shelter, or well-run, or how loving the people there, there’s nothing to compare with fresh air, sunshine, lots of exercise, and being part of a family!

Gracie’s been playing so much, in fact, that I’ve started her on Rimadyl. And despite the extra treats, I’m making sure she stays lean, to keep her rear legs from carrying any more weight than they have to. After we’ve gotten her loved up and muscled up, we’re going to take her to Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine for a complete checkup, and to see if surgery might not be helpful to her.

So that’s it. I’m in love, and our Gracie’s a real part of the family now. I just couldn’t love her more, and encourage all my readers to consider giving a second chance to one of the amazing dogs in shelters everywhere — even if I did already get the best one!

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