Over 3,000 dog deaths may be linked to jerky treats made in China

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- After more than 3,000 reported illnesses and nearly 600 dog deaths, the FDA is still trying to explain the link between jerky treats and thousands of sick pets.

The treat comes out and the dog scarfs it down. For dogs and their humans, it's an exchange that never gets old.

However, lately for some dogs, it hasn't been pleasant.

Since 2007, the FDA has learned about more than 3,500 reported illnesses and nearly 600 deaths in dogs. A common theme is the dogs were given jerky treats made in China.

"The biggest key if you are going to feed jerky treats, and they're really a supplement, so they're not a necessary part of a dog's diet, but you want to use them -- make sure to get ones that are made in the United States," Dr. David Rosene said.

Dr. Rosene says it is almost always hard to determine whether a treat caused illness. That's because the symptoms involve decreased appetite, vomiting and increased urination.

"The problem is all of those things are very non-specific. They can go along with a number of different disease processes -- but especially if you have fed your dog jerky treats, you should notify your veterinarian of that," Dr. Rosene said.

The FDA says there may be a link, but adds it hasn't found enough evidence to conclude Chinese-made jerky treats have caused the illnesses.

"It's definitely frustrating for us, frustrating for pet owners, frustrating for the FDA and the scientists that are researching the problem," Dr. Rosene said.

For now, Dr. Rosene says the best thing dog owners can do is purchase treats made in the United States.

Dr. Rosene says if a dog gets sick and the dog's owner suspects it may have something to do with a treat, it is important to keep the package and any treats left inside because there is a good chance the FDA might want to collect it.

The jerky treats being investigated include chicken, duck and sweet potato treats.