The Latest on Chicken Jerky Pet Treats from China

[Omaha Steve]

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/06/08/toxic-chicken-pet-food.aspx

June 08 2012 | 10,000 views

By Dr. Becker

There’s an ironic twist in the ongoing problems with pet food, pet food ingredients, and especially treats made in China.

Chinese pet owners who can afford to are arranging to import American-made pet food and treats to avoid tainted products made in China. This, while pet owners in the U.S. continue to wait – for nearly 5 years and counting -- for the FDA and retailers to ban potentially deadly China-made chicken jerky dog treats from store shelves.

At least a dozen pet food manufacturers in the U.S. currently export their products to Hong Kong to meet the demand of well-to-do Chinese pet owners who don’t want to risk giving the family dog or cat food or treats made in their own country.

U.S. pet food companies have even been instructed not to translate their formula ingredients to Mandarin because it could make Chinese consumers suspicious of the real origin of the ingredients.


FULL story at link.

[2on2u]

1. Gotta get those poisonous supplements that threaten the medical industry off

the shelf first.

[BlueJazz]

2. My sweet doggie LOVES his 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin Treats

(although his paws are starting to look like crab-legs)

[Honeycombe8]

3. I've been giving these to my dogs for years with no problems.

I can't find any that are not made in China.

A few times I've made them myself. I'm going to try to do that more often.

Until then, I'm not too worried because I haven't encountered any problems.

[Texasgal]

4. I used to also

until this mess came up.

I just do not want to take any chances. The bad thing is that my babies LOVE those things! You can find some stuff made in the USA, you just have to read the labels.I think Smokehouse brand is made in the US and has jerky treats.

I find myself giving them less and less in treats anymore, too scary.

[Honeycombe8]

6. You can actually make them. It takes time, but it's easy.

It's pricey, but the ones you buy are pricey; I haven't compared the cost of homemade vs bought ones.

My dogs actually liked the homemade ones better. No surprise there, I guess. I couldn't cut them to be as long as the commercial ones. But my dogs didn't seem to care. And they don't have all the chemicals in them. They are a little chewier, but maybe I needed to leave them in the oven a bit longer. I got the frozen breasts, let them thaw somewhat but not all the way, so they'd be easier to cut. Then I sliced them with sharp knife, making them as thin as possible. I put on a greased tray, one next to another. Put in warm oven (about 180 degrees, I think), and left them there overnight. There are recipies for this on the Internet.

Chicken jerky is a gold treat for my dogs. The treat they get in the morning when I leave for work. I call them in from outside, "Crate!" (I don't crate them....I just use that as the word to call them in). They come running and go to their assigned rooms where they stay during the day and wait for their gold treats. No problem getting them inside for those treats!

I should try to make more of these homemade, I guess. I changed jobs, so I have more time, now.

[MOMFUDSKI]

5. Homemade is best

I started making chicken jerky treats for my dog last November when another scare about the chinese-made happened. I got lucky enough to buy a dehydrator from a neighbor ($3 at her yard sale!). I cut the chicken breasts into 1/4" strips and dry them for about 18 hours. I originally cut them thinner but then they just broke into crumbs. My dog just loves them and I am free of worry. Give it a try.

[Honeycombe8]

8. I tried it in an oven. What do you think the difference is from a dehydrator?

Does a dehydrator emit heat? I did mine in 180 degree oven overnight, but I think I should've left them in a bit longer.

The dehydrators I saw online were pricey. You were lucky to find one at a garage sale!

[magical thyme]

7. I just give my dogs bits of chicken cooked for me

Luckily I can't afford those treats, so it's never been an issue here.

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. China - stop making processed food

[awoke_in_2003]

10. US stop buying it...

as long as food stuffs, whether for human or animal consumption, is marked with country of origin labels, do not buy food from China. They poison their own people, and have no problem poisoning ours. Of course, one day they will spend enough money in congress to get those labels removed, then we are all screwed.