My dog is not just an animal, but a member of my family. So, when I found out only this morning that dogs have been getting ill from treats for over a year and no one is doing anything, I got mad!

That's right, chicken jerky has caused almost twenty-five hundred dogs to fall ill so far. It all started, according to reports, around 2011 when reports for pet owners to the FDA reported pooches getting sick after eating chicken jerky. Over 600 dogs and some cats have died.

There is a link to treats made in China, but amazingly, the FDA has done little to deal with the problem. You would think they would've learned from the 2007 dog food illness outbreak. But, no.

The stories I have been reading vary in most details, except the link to China and that the FDA is not issuing a recall. The agency now is asking owners whose pets get sick from treats to report it to them.

Big deal. The FDA knows darn well that the root of the problem is manufacture in China. So ban the treats made in China! Force the treat companies to be responsible for quality control. The answer is simple, but God forbid that become reality.

My advice to you is protect your pet yourself. Do not buy any food or treats made in China. You will have to read the labels, but there are helpful lists online to go by. And a word of caution, don't expect high end treats to be made here. Many of those are also made overseas.

it was just pointed out to me that we can make our own dog treats. there are hundreds of pages of recipes online. This is a sure way to protect your pup.

It's a shame that not even the government takes our love of pets seriously.

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