Dogswell Recalls Chicken and Duck Jerky Treats Made in China

Heads-up, dog people: The treats contain residue of an antibiotic that's not approved for use in the United States.

Dogswell is voluntarily withdrawing certain Dogswell and Catswell jerky treats made with chicken or duck with a “Best Before” date of Jan. 28, 2015, or any earlier date. 

The culprit is one we've seen before: trace amounts of an antibiotic residue that has not been approved for use in the United States, though it is important to note that this antibiotic is accepted for use in other countries, including the European Union.

The New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets discovered the residue during routine testing of a sample of Dogswell Happy Hips Chicken Breast Jerky. The department notified the company during the week of July 22, and the company voluntarily recalled Chicken Breast and Duck Breast jerky under the following brands: Breathies, Happy Heart, Happy Hips, Mellow Mut, Shape Up, Veggie Life, Vitality, and Vitakitty. 

This recall covers brands that are labeled with a “Best Before” date of Jan. 28, 2015, or any earlier date. The company says the jerky treats were made in China.

The company stresses that the rest of its products are safe, that no animals have become sick, and that there is no evidence that products containing trace amounts of this antibiotic pose a health risk for pets.

  Interestingly, the company explains why it uses products made in China, which is ground zero in the ongoing chicken jerky treat debacle. It says that most Dogswell products are made in the U.S., but "some" are made in China. Why? The company explains:

"China is a country where dark meat is more popular due to its inherent fat and flavor. Dogswell believes it is less wasteful to obtain our white meat in China where it is abundant, rather than sourcing it domestically, where white meat is less available and held at a premium. Not only do we care about your pet's health by sourcing only the healthiest meat available, we also practice sustainability by reducing as much waste as possible."

The company also explains its treatment of chickens: "Cage-free chickens are kept in barns where they can roam, scratch and perch as they please. Our chickens eat a natural diet, have plenty of room to roam, and live and grow free of stress."

For more information, and to received a full refund for an affected product, you can call Dogswell at 1-888-559-8833. Visit the website here.

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Product Reviews: Dogswell Jerky Bars

Jerkey Bars are made to be a protein bar for dogs. According to the manufacturer, they are  packed with antibiotic-free protein, plus vegetables, fruits and other ingredients for help give your dog healthy eyes, skin and coat, or support joint health.

Jerky Bars are about 1.5? square. This makes them a bigger treat, so they’d be ideal for medium and large dogs. Small dogs would probably enjoy them very much, but would have to bite off pieces. So for smaller dogs, they’d make a great treat, but not for training, where you’d want a quick munch. Fortunately, they’re dehydrated, so they would be easy for a dog to bite through or for you to break them apart. Dehydrated meat is suitable for a dog snack, rather than dried meat that you’d find in a human jerky stick, because they have to sit on the shelf longer. Also, the dog can just eat it, rather than having to chew, chew, chew, like a regular piece of jerky. And for dogs who don’t take the time to chew, dehydrated protein is easier to digest than dried jerky.

There are two varieties: Vitality and Happy Hips. Each comes in four flavors: Chicken & Veggies, Lamb & Veggies, Turkey & Veggies and Salmon & Veggies. Each variety — although dehydrated — actually smell like the primary ingredient (turkey, chicken, etc.). This increases the dog’s interest.

These treats, wich are made in the USA, have a guaranteed analysis of 30% protein. The manufacturer’s website says they contain 85% animal protein. That could mean that of the 30% protein in each bar, 85% of that protein comes from animals and the other 15% might come from plant sources.

Jerky Bars are low glycemic treats, which I was happy to see, since there are a lot of foods and treats on the market that are said to benefit skin and coat, and then the first ingredient is wheat or corn, which gives many dogs skin allergies. Jerky Bars contain no gluten, corn, wheat, soy, BHA/BHT, ethoxyquin, byproducts, antibiotics, added hormones, artificial colors, artificial flavors or preservatives.

Our two test dogs loved the flavors we tested. The size and consistency was just right. They are flanking me as I write this, staring at the bags, then at me, then at the bags, then at me. : ) To put this in perspective, these are dogs who are accustomed to a raw diet. They dine every day on raw hamburger, chicken wings, fish, beef tongue, liver, gizzards, and other delicacies. Their training treats are beef hot dogs. If I put down a bowl of kibble, they look at the bowl and then look at me as if to say, “Erm, mom? What are we doing?” Given that, I would say that palatability for Jerky Treats must be very high.

The daily feeding guide advises dog owners to feed between 1 and 10 Jerky Bars to their dogs per day, depending on the dog’s size. This may be a way to encourage dog owners to feed these treats every day. However, at 32 cents apiece, I don’t think I would be feeding 10 per day to my two 75 lb dogs (that would cost $194 per month). So, since this is not intended to be a dog’s main source of nutrition, I would probably just feed these occasionally as a tasty and nutritious treat, rather than putting my dog on a feeding schedule of treats.

Overall, this is a well-thought-out, well-made, nutritious treat that’s shelf-stable, yet not cardboardy. Our test dogs found them yummy and easily digestible.

Manufacturer: Dogswell

Retail Price (15 oz/about 40 pieces): $12.99

Buy them at: A variety of websites and stores. Find a store near you by searching the Dogswell store finder, or Google “Dogswell Jerky Bars” to find an online retailer.

Click on our coupons page for a coupon for $1 off a bag of Jerky Bars

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