# "FDA Warns Pets Being Poisoned by Treats: Manufacturers Refusing Recall"



## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

Just in case you haven't seen this....there are a couple brands that everyone thinks of as decently good....

"Bella in New York, Chansey, Ginger and Sampson in Ohio, Shelby in Pennsylvania, Sarge in Tennessee, Venus in Washington, Sherma, Tundra, Gracie Mae, Chester and Anna Claire; this is just a handful of victims of the latest deadly danger to pets.

Animal owners are once again at the mercy of pet food companies, as their pets are being poisoned by the very people that they trust to keep them healthy. Once again, claim pet owners, their beloved and innocent family members are dying from eating food items that US companies are importing from China.

Pet owners went through a similar scare in 2007, when the biggest dog food recall in U.S. history came in the wake of thousands of dead and dying pets. That year the FDA received reports of approximately 8500 animal deaths, including at least 1950 cats and 2200 dogs who died after eating contaminated food.

The 2007 recall effected brands ranging from budget labels like Ol’ Roy to top shelf brands like Royal Canin. Eventually it was determined that the contaminant was melamine, a product made in the production of plastics, and that the products had all been imported from China.

This time, there is no recall. The poisoned products are still stocked on store shelves across the country, with no indication that they will be removed any time soon. Dogs varying age from puppies to seniors have been falling ill and dying and the only thing the dogs have in common is that each of them ate dog treats imported from China.

The FDA is aware of the connection and is investigating, but so far they haven’t been able to pinpoint the contaminant.

“FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified a contaminant.”

Because tests by the FDA are inconclusive, pet treat manufacturers are not required by law to recall their products, and none of them have volunteered to do so. But given that the tests have not pinpointed the contaminant does not mean it is not contaminated. The FDA issued a warning to pet owners in November, 2011 in regards to this issue.

The question many are asking is how many dogs will have to die before the products are recalled? It is already estimated that the dead and dying are numbered at more than 500. This number does not count all of the cases that have not made the connection yet between a pet’s illness and the treats. The treats are causing kidney failure and Fanconi syndrome, with some cases resulting in death; others, in chronic kidney disease.

Four months has passed since the FDA warning yet the treats are still being sold, and pets are still dying.

When Purina began to receive calls from customers whose pets had become ill after eating their Waggin Train jerky treats, they initially discussed financial settlements, but when the FDA’s tests came back with inconclusive results, Purina took all offers off the table. Some consumers who have posted about pet’s illnesses on Purina’s and Dogswell’s websites have been banned from posting there any longer.

At a news conference today in Cleveland, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich both petitioned the FDA to step up their investigation. They both called for the Food and Drug Administration to take immediate action to put a stop to their policy that allows dangerous pet treats and pet foods to remain on the market and to put an immediate stop to its continued sale.

If your pet has eaten tainted treats, symptoms may include:

Decreased appetite
Decreased activity
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Increased water consumption
Increased urination

If your pet is sick and you have been feeding it these treats please report it to the FDA.

For now, pet owners who find the current state of this situation unacceptable are urged by animal advocacy groups to take the following actions.

Download the FDA warning here, and print some copies.
If you find products in your store that are from China or have been linked to death or sickness in pets, supply the store with the printed info sheet and ask that they verify the safety of their products."

And the article that this was from: Pet Pardons News | FDA Warns Pets Being Poisoned by Treats: Manufacturers Refusing Recall

ETA:
And this is the list that has since been removed....but I feel should still be in the article:


"So far, the list of brands with treats made in China that are linked to pet illness and deaths are:

Waggin Train
Canyon Creek Ranch
Dogswell
Booda Bones – Aspen Pet
Milo’s Kitchen
American Kennel Club
Hartz
Dingos
Beefeaters
Kirkland
Cadet
Sargents
Ever Pet ($$ General)
Home Pet 360
Walgreen’s new brand – Simple
TheKingdomPets"


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

I'm sharing that article on my facebook page. We've got to get the word out somehow.


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

ciaBrysh said:


> I'm sharing that article on my facebook page. We've got to get the word out somehow.


Ive been sharing it since R & K's breeder shared it in our group...and I agree......news NEEDS to get out there!!!


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

I added the list of offenders so far....it was removed from the article to help pet parents do their own look up....but I feel like it should still be shown to everyone!!


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

The most important reason I feed PMR along with health benefits...all meat sources are products of USA and human grade. Also, we do not feed treats any longer except for homemade dehydrated chicken.

ETA: will send in a mass email to friends and family


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

Yeah it should! I know a few people who feed Milo's Kitchen treats... can't believe we are going thru this once again!


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

*Additional information from Snopes*

Companies that may or may not have been mentioned in the aforementioned FDA recall:

snopes.com: Menu Foods Pet Food Recall


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

Menu Foods is the worst!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

SubMariner said:


> Companies that may or may not have been mentioned in the aforementioned FDA recall:
> 
> snopes.com: Menu Foods Pet Food Recall


This is current right?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

ciaBrysh said:


> This is current right?


I believe it's the 2007 recall.


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

Yeah just saw at the bottom it was updated august 2011


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

Honestly, it's stuff like this that makes me think why the hell I ever fed kibble in the first place! Clearly you cannot trust dog food companies since they are all out for the money and nothing else.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Here is the FDA list of recalled pet food products - the problem with this page is you can't see by date, just by product name. 

And, it doesn't tell you why the food was recalled.

Pet Food Recall Products List


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## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

I'm so glad I got my dehydrator.. Absolutely zero commercial crap to worry about.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Rodeo said:


> I'm so glad I got my dehydrator.. Absolutely zero commercial crap to worry about.


yes, I know people like to think they can trust these companies to not kill their pets - but all it takes is once. And so many of these contaminations never make it to a recall! 

There is just not enough oversight on pet food and I do believe it's killed many many thousands of our pets.

I'd much rather take my chances with human grade food or farm raised meat from the US.


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

xellil said:


> Here is the FDA list of recalled pet food products - the problem with this page is you can't see by date, just by product name.
> 
> And, it doesn't tell you why the food was recalled.
> 
> Pet Food Recall Products List


lol according to that Diamond pet products have been recalled!


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

Rodeo said:


> I'm so glad I got my dehydrator.. Absolutely zero commercial crap to worry about.


Not ot totally go off course, how much did you pay for your dehydrator?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

ciaBrysh said:


> lol according to that Diamond pet products have been recalled!


yes, quite a few of them.


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## greyshadows (Jan 30, 2012)

You can go to fda.gov under the animal/veterinary section and sign up for email alerts. I did this back in October and I have been getting at least one or two a week about chicken jerky from China. You can also do this for human grade food but be prepared, your email box will be busy! It is also frightening how many surgical and veterinary drugs are recalled. Those you feel really hopeless about because you have to have complete trust in your vet.
You can get a dehydrator for $70 or less online..I use mine all the time for chicken jerky for the dogs, I also bought a meat slicer to slice the meat very thin.:smile:


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## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

xellil said:


> yes, I know people like to think they can trust these companies to not kill their pets - but all it takes is once. And so many of these contaminations never make it to a recall!
> 
> There is just not enough oversight on pet food and I do believe it's killed many many thousands of our pets.
> 
> I'd much rather take my chances with human grade food or farm raised meat from the US.


Exactly. I was feeding one dog blue buff wilderness when it got recalled, and quickly just went raw with all of the pups. It's scary to think about how any people never even hear about a lot of the recalls. 



ciaBrysh said:


> Not ot totally go off course, how much did you pay for your dehydrator?


I think it was around $40? Totally worth getting. I LOVE homemade jerky and I haven't bought a single dog treat since.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

xellil said:


> yes, I know people like to think they can trust these companies to not kill their pets - but all it takes is once. And so many of these contaminations never make it to a recall!
> 
> There is just not enough oversight on pet food and I do believe it's killed many many thousands of our pets.
> 
> I'd much rather take my chances with human grade food or farm raised meat from the US.


Unfortunantly, commercial pet food companies are in it for the money, not the welfare/health of pets.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

That's so scary. Yes, best make your own treats. I feel like if there was a recall on say, chicken breasts, it would be done a heck of a lot faster if destined for human consumption.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Has dogswell jerky been recalled? I havent seen anything posted on their site because they're always defending the fact that its made in china and they enforce strict protocols.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

None of these brands have been recalled since the FDA can't find what's making the dogs sick so a recall isn't going to happen unless it's voluntary. I think the list was just the brands that people reported were making dogs ill.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

So sad! Not again!Good Lord these companies! Why do they cheap out and do these horrible, horrible things ! My sister in law feeds crap food to her poor dog cant convince her otherwise shoot and she buys treats from My God Menards UGH! Thank you for posting this I am sending it with a warning alert red flag alert to her! And yes thankfully dehydrators are a great find and great use for both humans and their companions! Love mine!


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## Love my lab (Dec 9, 2010)

thanks for the thread. I know a couple who feed a few of those for treats. I will pass this info along. Makes me so happy that I feed PMR and make my own jerky treats. People may make jokes or remarks about the way I feed my dog, but you can bet that my choices will never poision her, yet so many live in the ignorance is bliss world. When will people wake up?


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## greyshadows (Jan 30, 2012)

Is so sad and makes no sense! How could a company have poor ingredients and quality and not care about their products! I mean it could cost them a boat load in monies if they got sued. The bigger companies can absorb the loss I suppose but the smaller ones (blue buffalo, natural balance etc) must take a terrible hit. I can't even imagine working for one of those recalled companies. How can they make a product knowing it could be bad? Or reading reviews about their products?


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I posted on Dogswell's Facebook fall yesterday and this was their response:



Oh...umm. They deleted my post after answering it! Luckily I do have the response saved in my email cause I sent it to someone:

We make our jerky treats in China because it is more sustainable to source white meat from China where dark meat is more popular. Regardless of the country of origin, DOGSWELL treats are COMPLETELY safe. We guarantee the safety of our products. We consistently monitor the facilities and have not been implicated in any of the recent dog illnesses. That article simply names every brand that sources their chicken breasts from China, only a handful of brands have made dogs ill and DOGSWELL is not one of them. We continue to feed our own dogs chicken jerky and would not do so if we didn't completely trust in the quality and safety of our product. We test extensively at multiple steps in the manufacturing process and make sure every DOGSWELL product is healthy and safe. Please check out our website where we post our safety test data.

Quality Assurance


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Unosmom said:


> Has dogswell jerky been recalled? I havent seen anything posted on their site because they're always defending the fact that its made in china and they enforce strict protocols.


I would not feed dogswell, no matter how much they defend their use of China sourcing. They are on the list of treats that are harming animals and are NOT recalling.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

meggels said:


> I posted on Dogswell's Facebook fall yesterday and this was their response:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


LOL. I would bet it has much less to do with "sustainability" than to cut corners and save money.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

I had two of those foods. Bridget only had a few treats from each. She liked them but...I just got a bad feeling about them so I stopped giving them to her. Now they are in the trash.

Milo’s Kitchen and waggin trail.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Caty M said:


> LOL. I would bet it has much less to do with "sustainability" than to cut corners and save money.


Right. Dadgum it, just can't find any white meat chicken here in the US.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

greyshadows said:


> Is so sad and makes no sense! How could a company have poor ingredients and quality and not care about their products! I mean it could cost them a boat load in monies if they got sued. The bigger companies can absorb the loss I suppose but the smaller ones (blue buffalo, natural balance etc) must take a terrible hit. I can't even imagine working for one of those recalled companies. How can they make a product knowing it could be bad? Or reading reviews about their products?


the thing about poisoning people is we can sue for all kinds of mental distress and punitive damages. With dogs, in most states you can sue for vet bills and the value of the pet. And I think maybe you can't sue for vet bills that are MORE than the value of the pet. Or something like that.

If my dogs keeled over dead, I would get zero for them if i sued because they are rescue dogs and have no monetary value.

If we ever change the laws where we could sue for lack of companionship, mental distress etc. for dogs, those pet food companies are in big trouble.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

xellil said:


> the thing about poisoning people is we can sue for all kinds of mental distress and punitive damages. With dogs, in most states you can sue for vet bills and the value of the pet. And I think maybe you can't sue for vet bills that are MORE than the value of the pet. Or something like that.
> 
> If my dogs keeled over dead, I would get zero for them if i sued because they are rescue dogs and have no monetary value.
> 
> If we ever change the laws where we could sue for lack of companionship, mental distress etc. for dogs, those pet food companies are in big trouble.


Not totally true. On top of suing for the cost of the dog you could also sue for any training cost.


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## Mondo (Dec 20, 2011)

I fed Waggin' Trail Chicken Jerky treats for years. Then last fall, Tuffy started having some bladder issues on occasion. A light went on and the link to jerky treats was made (he didn't get them often). Toby was unaffected. I did some googling and found dogs getting really sick and some dying from this. I posted on facebook about Tuffy's issues and a link to an article. One person expressed concern, while two others were like "Oh my dogs love those! No issues here .." 

Yeah. Roll the dice. Mine had no issues for years. One of mine still didn't. But obviously there is something in them that is poison. The replies just shocked me. 

I'm off of facebook now for various reasons. Which is tough in ways, because a lot of people newer to computers don't know any other way to communicate. Email is just too complicated ..


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## werecatrising (Oct 15, 2010)

I have a bag of Milo's Kitchen treats and they say made in the U.S. I tossed them anyway.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

werecatrising said:


> I have a bag of Milo's Kitchen treats and they say made in the U.S. I tossed them anyway.


I'm not sure, but I think they can say "made in the US" if they are packaged in the US even if the meat comes from somewhere else. I could be wrong about it, but I think there's a difference in packaging and sourcing.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

Can you sue them for YOUR emotional distress after seeing your pet die due to their incompetence and refusal to issue a recall?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Caty M said:


> Can you sue them for YOUR emotional distress after seeing your pet die due to their incompetence and refusal to issue a recall?


Unfortunately, no. The law sees it in the same light as if they broke a chair. No emotional distress. I'm sure they think the few lawsuits they would have to pay are well worth not doing a recall because so many people won't make the connection (or can't prove) to the treats.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

Caty M said:


> Can you sue them for YOUR emotional distress after seeing your pet die due to their incompetence and refusal to issue a recall?


You can try. I don't know of anyone who has had success doing this. Trying and failing wouldn't be a waste because at the very least the case will raise more awareness. Hopefully you'll never have to worry about doing this because all of your pets will live long healthy lives. 



werecatrising said:


> I have a bag of Milo's Kitchen treats and they say made in the U.S. I tossed them anyway.


Mine said made in China in smaller writing elsewhere on the bag.


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

xellil said:


> Unfortunately, no. The law sees it in the same light as if they broke a chair. No emotional distress. I'm sure they think the few lawsuits they would have to pay are well worth not doing a recall because so many people won't make the connection (or can't prove) to the treats.


See...I think getting PETA involved could help in a situation like that lol


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

ciaBrysh said:


> See...I think getting PETA involved could help in a situation like that lol


I dislike that animal hating company. Could they? Or would it only give them a success story that they will use to get even more followers so that all animals in the world may suffer by the hands of peta. I swear their foresight is so low I'm amazed whenever they manage to do anything at all. I suppose even a monkey would get something right if you let them try long enough. 



xellil said:


> Unfortunately, no. The law sees it in the same light as if they broke a chair. No emotional distress. I'm sure they think the few lawsuits they would have to pay are well worth not doing a recall because so many people won't make the connection (or can't prove) to the treats.


It has a chance of working. If there was no chair like yours and it broken when you set it because of a wood treatment you used that was suppose to restore the chair then you _might_ have a chance. You'll just have to find a lawyer good enough to prove the ill effects of losing the chair. It isn't a case your likely to win. But I'm sure crazier lawsuits have ended with success.

Edit: I have nothing against monkeys. I do have a problem with humans trying to get animals to do human like things to prove intelligence.


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

The thing is with PETA is that they can do something huge. It's get people to listen. Honestly, that is all they are good at. They scare the crap out of the government so if they begin rallying about the "abuse of the animals caused by the food companies" etc they could get them to take action.

The goal is to use your enemies


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## trikerdon (May 14, 2011)

meggels said:


> I posted on Dogswell's Facebook fall yesterday and this was their response:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I purchased some DOGSWELL liver treats. After I got home I saw the made in China label on the package. That was the same response I got from them. I don't buy any dog treats made in China no matter what they say.
When I took them back to the pet store in Silverdale, WA they wouldn't take them back. I was surprised that they even sold products made in China. I double check the packages now.


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## Mondo (Dec 20, 2011)

trikerdon said:


> I purchased some DOGSWELL liver treats. After I got home I saw the made in China label on the package. That was the same response I got from them. I don't buy any dog treats made in China no matter what they say.
> When I took them back to the pet store in Silverdale, WA they wouldn't take them back. I was surprised that they even sold products made in China. I double check the packages now.


I've seen packages with big Canadian flags here. Then upon reading it says "quality assurance" in Canada, and on the back "Imported by". One of them says manufactured in China, QA in Canada. Another .. I could not even find where it was made. Just "Imported by". 

All for $$. I mean wouldn't all of us pay more to buy stuff that doesn't poison our dogs?? In the long run won't this hurt their bottom line? I sure hope so!


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## Cliffdog (Dec 30, 2010)

Haven't read the whole thread so if somebody already said it I'm sorry for the repetition, but just FYI, the brand Kirkland is on the list by *MISTAKE!* and has been REMOVED from the list. Kirkland treats are safe.


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

Cliffdog said:


> Haven't read the whole thread so if somebody already said it I'm sorry for the repetition, but just FYI, the brand Kirkland is on the list by *MISTAKE!* and has been REMOVED from the list. Kirkland treats are safe.


Can you share your source for this please? I cant find anything online stating where kirkland treats are made, or where their products are from....


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

this is so crazy! It makes me wonder why people dont just feed their animals home made treats. I started making my own chicken jerky purely because i couldnt see spending $14 for 20oz of it! I could buy 9lbs of breast for $10 and make it myslef with a little effort and have a whole bunch more (5-6times as much, if not more) for $14.


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## Cliffdog (Dec 30, 2010)

Pet Pardons News | FDA Warns Pets Being Poisoned by Treats: Manufacturers Refusing Recall



> *Editor’s Note:* _A previous version of this article listed Kirkland as one of the companies currently being targeted by pet owners over the recent wave of pet deaths and illness and has since been removed. The information collected regarding Kirkland was from a 2007 recall that was erroneously included due to confusing dates on the FDA site that can be found here. We regret any confusion this may have caused and have removed Kirkland from the current list._


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

Cliffdog said:


> Pet Pardons News | FDA Warns Pets Being Poisoned by Treats: Manufacturers Refusing Recall


Ah, thank you...I still wish they listed WHERE they were made somewhere...but thank you, that one wasnt there last time I checked!!


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## Cliffdog (Dec 30, 2010)

Yeah, they keep updating the page, which is good I guess, but easy to miss something!

It doesn't say online but I'm sure it says on the bag. I buy Diamond Naturals dog food for the half-kibble part of my dog's diet and after the recall they began using USA only ingredients. (I assume that includes their treats such as the Kirkland treats in question.)


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