CBC's Marketplace - Fighting for Fido

[blackshep]

Airs tonight!

Fighting For Fido - Marketplace

"Questions about a popular dog treat and a mysterious illness making thousands of dogs sick

Thousands of dogs are ill or dying across North America and it's been going on for years. No one can say what, exactly, made the dogs sick. But owners say they fed their dogs a seemingly harmless product: a popular chicken jerky treat.

There are warnings on both sides of the border about the treats, which are made in China and marketed by some of the biggest pet food companies. But there is no definitive link between the treats and the illness. And there have been no recalls.

Tom Harrington is on the trail of the mysterious illness, putting the treats to the test, and asking questions about a product that is not regulated in Canada. We ask: when things go wrong, who is fighting for Fido?"

[GatorBytes]

I started a thread about kibble and addressed the jerky treats too.

I have to watch that tonight.

here is a link in my thread that may be of special interest re: FDA and what they are (not!) doing...

Chicken Jerky Pet Treat Update

other info on my thread...re GMO's, AAFCO,
Kibble - Do you "want" to know???

[blackshep]

Yes, I've heard about these treats causing illness in dogs before. I'm very interested to see what they say in this program, I'll be PVRing it for sure!

It's shocking what they will put into pet food/treats. I don't understand it, it's almost like they are deliberately trying to make animals sick.

I'm so afraid of what goes into these things, I only give my pup things where I can understand what's on the ingredient list, and the shorter the list, the better.

[GatorBytes]

I have a dehdyrater and make my dog chicken hearts, beef heart jerky, beef jerky, chicken jerky, and smelts! food from the grocery store... I also bake liver treats - either beef or chicken w/organic spelt flour (used to use chick pea, but started getting ear infections - developed and intolerance), coconut oil, blueberries or mango (looooooves mango!), but I make to medium - soft treat...about to make 4 batches now - sigh...he's a lot of work

[blackshep]

That's a really good idea! I was thinking about getting a dehydrator anyway!

How do you store them? How long can they be stored?

Right now, I really only feed Zukes semi-moist training treats and Benny Bully's liver of freeze dried veggie treats.

[GatorBytes]

Home Depot Deluxe 5-Tray Food Dehydrator Customer Ratings & Reviews - Top & Best Rated Products

This one more durable then salton brand...Salton trays kept breaking.

Store in the freezer...take a handful out every few days and keep in the fridge.

You can do banana chips, mango, apple and use those as treats too...even your own sweet potato jerky (even those are in question re: china).

The chicken hearts take 24hrs (approx.), but the rest 7-8 hrs. fruit/veg you have to experiment with, but will likely come w/abooklet that will give approx. directions

I use eye of round for beef jerky, when it dries, it is easy to break into mini treats.

[Olivers mama]

Crikey! Now I know I'm lazy! I don't use a dehydrator - I take all those yummy foods & either feed as they're meant to be eaten, or chop them & make ice cubes. Keep some @ home & @ work (she comes to work with us).

Lazy-Person's Treats. Her favorite is the banana, peeled - if I didn't peel it, she'd eat that, too. Like a vacuum cleaner with legs...

[GatorBytes]

Too messy for me...also take on walks...and he doesn't like ice cubes...but also gets this stuff raw too