On January 9th 2013, Nestle Purina pulled two of their chicken jerky dog treats off the shelves of pet stores. The Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brands are now being taken off the market. Milo's Kitchen is also recalling its Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers dog treats.
U.S federal regulators have been investigating claims of illness in pets as a result of eating these chicken jerky treats from China, and recently the New York State Department of Agriculture detected antibiotics in the treats that are not approved in the U.S. This means that there are chemicals in the treats that are not regulated or well known in North America - so there is no guarantee that these affected treats cannot harm your pets and make them sick.
The problem with feeding your dog treats that are made in China is that there is no guarantee that they are safe. Regulations for pet food and treats in China are very different from the strict standards followed in North America, which means that not as much care and concern for pet health is exercised in China when manufacturing pet supplies.
So how do you keep your pets safe? Make the decision to feed only treats made in North America from local companies with a strong reputation. There are many amazing companies from the U.S and Canada that make healthy, safe dog treats. By doing this, you ensure that the treats your pet consumes will be safe due to strict guidelines for quality in North America.
If this article and the recent recalls have encouraged you to shop local, consider dog treat companies such as Orijen, Crumps Naturals, Northern Biscuit, Zuke's, Purebites and Darford. A lot of these treats can be purchased on Amazon if these healthy local brand names are hard to find in your area.
Interested in changing your dog's life through diet and nutrition? Visit my nutritional consultation page or contact me for more information.
Angel
Dog Nutritionist / Dog Trainer / Dog Blogger
K9 Instinct
www.k9instinct.com