Pet owners must avoid Chinese made pet food for the sake of their animals

1,000 dog deaths linked to ‘toxic jerky treats’

NEW YORK (MYFOXNY) -

More than 1,000 dog deaths may now be linked to toxic jerky treats according to the Food and Drug Administration.

And the agency says since 2007, there have been almost 5,000 complaints of pet illnesses related to the treats.

The majority of those illnesses were of gastrointestinal or liver disease and about a third were linked to kidney and urinary disease.

“It's something I worry about in general just because it seems to keep recalling dog foods,” said dog owner Colin Fisher. “They don’t know what's in them.”

In fact, not even the FDA is sure of what exactly is sickening the pets...

They say a common thread in the reported illnesses is that the pets ate a chicken or duck jerky treat, or a jerky-wrapped treat.

And most of the questionable treats came from China.

Several brands voluntarily pulled their jerkys last year but complaints have persisted.

Dr. Jonathan Levine, an associate veterinarian at Blue Pearl says owners should always check the labels of whatever they feed their pets.

“Always be aware of what you're buying and where it's coming from,” Dr. Levine says.

But even that is not foolproof.

The FDA says products that are stamped 'Made in the USA' could still contain ingredients sourced from China or other countries.

Dogs may have specific signs of sickness including vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.

Levine says if your dog has any of those symptoms contact your vet right way.

Another dog owner we spoke to, Miriam Bouchma, says after reading about the toxic treats, she's stopped feeding store bought jerky to her dog Baily altogether.

“I've started making my treat at home in terms of the jerky strips, it's not that hard to do” she said.