Family Cautions Pet Owners About Treats After Dog's Death
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65 commentsAn anguished Ohio woman is offering a warning to pet owners after losing a dog to kidney failure caused by contaminated dog treats.
Candace Thaxton said her family was forced to put down their 10-year-old Pug, Chaunsey after feeding their dogs Waggin’ Train Jerky Tenders.
“She started vomiting, she started having diarrhea. I took her into the vet on Saturday, November 12th, and on Monday, the blood tests came back that she was in kidney failure,” said Thaxton.
To make matters worse, just a few days after Chaunsey’s death, their five-month-old puppy, Penny, went into renal failure.
“I feel like I poisoned both of my dogs. I know that it’s not my fault. But I basically handed them poison. Because that’s what I did,” cried Candace. “Although everyone tells me it’s not my fault, it’s sad seeing my pug go through it and then watching my puppy go through it. And I don’t want anyone else to go through it,” she said.
Reports of illnesses in dogs have spiked dramatically since the FDA issued warnings about chicken jerky products made in China, and pet owners are urged to pay close attention to the country of origin when purchasing dog treats.
When will people start taking notice to the ingredients in their food. The majority of stuff will eventually kill you! There is so much bad stuff out there, stop being ignorant! And dont buy anything made in China!
Waggin Train is an American owned company. This stuff is still made in China, manufactured and distributed by Waggin Train LLC, Anderson South Carolina
Are you sure ? it says made in the USA on the bags?I have been feeding these to both my dogs.Please be sure of your information.
Yes ~ this poster is absolutley correct. The bag does NOT say Made in USA is says manufactured for USA. Left bottom corner states Made in China.
Not every thing made or bad comes from China,a lot of poisons come from the USA but is kept a big secrete.One woman died right here in Massachusetts from bad medications but the gov//media blamed it on her taking herbs,I know it was not herbs as they are all natural and I have been taking herbs for many years rather than conventional meds.and I am doing great especially when Dr.s said I would be dead in five years and thankfully it’s been over twenty years. God bless me.
I would still be weary of buying anything from China.. their herbs are not always what they say they are… just heard this from the Dr. Oz show…
Yes, don’t by ANYTHING for your dog that isn’t from the US or Canada. Many dog treats are being made in China now by some name brand companies. Finding raw hides made in the USA is difficult.
You shouldn’t be feeding rawhides! They can cause some serious blockage!
PLEASE DON’T FEED ANY DOG RAWHIDE! My bulldog hemmoraged in his intestines on a piece that was lodged in his intestines – $3k later and near death, he’s still alive – but the emergency hospital doctors said NEVER EVER feed any dog rawhide! I wish someone would have told me how dangerous it was before this.
Pet store people informed me about the dangers. They make veggie hide treats as replacements. They are safe.
I had to perform the Hemlich maneuver (yes, it really does work on dogs!) when she got a piece of rawhide stuck in her throat.. I agree that these treats are potentially dangerous! And every store has the pet products aisle that is LOADED with these products!! I’m glad your bulldog is doing okay!
I NEVER feed my dog rawhide after she had severe diarrhea for days from eating them.
You are wrong, the stuff sent from Canada is China, we do not outright buy from China it is thru menu foods or World foods in Canada who buy from China. Be careful if it is actually made in USA it is on the lable proudly, like Rachel Ray stuff. There are so many ways they manage to word things like printed in small words and USA in big just means the bag was printed here contents still unmentioned. Look for things produced in PA, Alabama TX. They do not have to hide
Menue foods is poison from iams I lost a lot of pets from iams products,iams changes all the names on their products so we the consumers really don’t know what we are buying or the company making these products.Track um down lol the comp.is very valuable and easy to use.
Here is some thing very interesting,I was reading all the ingredients in another dog food called Innova aka Evo aka California natural healthwise aka mother nature aka karma Now where there are that many names for one bag of dog food I would be a bit suspicious.So on the flip side I found this; http://www.petproductssettlement.com/ I believe it’s a law suit. I always go with my gut feelings. when any thing looks that good or even too good to be true? check it out.
very good point – if we dont wish 2 risk poison we need 2 make it
ourselves
Do you enjoy eating skin? Probably not. Why would you think your dog would like it? When offered choices dogs (like people) will sometimes choose junk but they are smart enough to choose a raw bone or a tendon chew over rawhide. Raw hide can swell in your dogs stomach causing a block that can cost thousands of dollars or even kill your dog.
Also Dogs in the wild do not eat all of the skin – only enough to get to the meat underneath.
Please offer your dogs healthier choices like carrots, raw bones, and tendons!
You are mistaken. Feral dogs and wolves do eat the skin, hair, whatever is attached, small whole rodents,etc. But it is not dried like rawhide.
Rawhide splinters…….
You people who think dogs can’t eat “skin” are nuts! What do you think wild canines eat? Domesticated dog are no different. My dogs have been eating rawhides and bones for years along with their raw diet. They have never had any problems with digestion or any blockages. I think dogs that are used to a biologically apprpriate diet handle things much better. People tend to humanize things regarding their pets diets way too much. Wild canines will and do eat heads, guts, feathers, feet, nothing goes to waste. We coddle our domestic dogs too much and Vets make a ton of money on the problems created by kibble and all of these horrible treats filled with corn, wheat, sugars etc. Canines are not designed to process those types of foods.
they have them at Target-Boots & Barkley brand-NOTE–they have 2 different kinds-one made in the USA and one is not! the USA made ones are a littl emore expensive but well worth it!
Food for pets is a big industry and we have to realize that even in Canada and the U.S. a lot of the stuff sold is not great-meat byproducts as the first ingredient in cat food is a warning that this is not high quality protein, there is also far too much filler used in meat foods-cats are obligate carnivores (needing far more meat protein than dogs) and things like wheat and corn used as filler in meat canned food is not natural for a cat–a lot of inexpensive dry food can cause kidney damage if feed exclusively over the years. Just because the food is made here is not a guarantee of quality. For cats, chicken, fish or beef should be the first ingredient in canned food and not meat byproducts. Do your own internet research on this topic to find about the threats to pet health on our own doorstep!
does anyone know if this is just wagon train products or is it other brands to?
Hi anonymous,
Wagon Train has been involved in numerous recalls. From personal experience, I can tell you that ‘Milo Chicken Jerky’ and ACA 100% Natural Chicken Tender Breasts to should be avoided. My terrier mix, Joey, was near death from them! I only hope he continues to improve and my other pups don’t have any residual affects. Better to be safe than sorry and give only biscuit like treats and not from China! The majority of pet food companies don’t give a rat’s arse about our pets and only care about the money!
Ok People, I posted a few months ago about the JERKY TREATS and CHINA what must happen here is all DOG and ANIMAL LOVERS need to band togeather and bombard all these COMPANIES that are using CHINA to make our PET FOOD and TREATS in CHINA and tell them that as long as the continue to have their PRODUCTS MADE IN CHINA we will no longer buy them I myself FOSTER DOGS for Cascade Beagle Rescue in Portland OR and have fostered 38 in one year and I was giving them the Waggin and Milo treats ( CHICKEN) but just as soon as I found out about the DANDER they presented I stoped and all the treats made in CHINA were destroyed by fire,nothing else was going to be endangered by me throwing away these treats and I also e-mail the two companies and told them that as long as they had their products made in CHINA I would not be buying them anymore.(” but I am just one person”) it will take a whole( USA PET LOVING COUNTRY) to stop this, if everyone stops buying and everyone lets these COMPANIES know that they will not buy anything Made in CHINA them maybe these COMPANIES will bring their Factorys back to the USA where they belong and as for the people that have LOST a BELOVED PET to these Producte band togeather and file a class action law suite against these Companies that will get their attendion you have to hit them where it hurts and that is (MONEY)” PET LOVERS UNITED” Yhanks Hazel & Ed
This problem with contaminated chicken jerky treats has been going on for years! There have been so many dogs sickened by these things, it is outrageous (including one of mine!). Even the so-called “good” companies that sell these things, you have to be careful of. I thought that “Wellness” brand was okay, but it turns out that their chicken is also from China. They had posted a letter on their website stating that their chicken was okay, even though it is imported from China. Right!
I really don’t get why we need to import chicken. It’s not like we have a shortage here!!
Hazel and Ed; There are more company’s right here in the USA with poison cat/dog foods way too many to count or even write to,iams is the biggest poison making pet foods through out the whole planet & the USA,iams has merged with Proctor & Gamble as well as Palmolive they also do animal severity lab tests on all animals.I never once hesitated to write iams about this; and their response was they used to do this type of thing but they have cleaned up their act since Peta bust the door down and saw how bad the animals looked.But guess what? iams never changed any thing they just are securing their lab tests and experiments on more animals.Iams is a multi-billion dollar racket.I do a web search to see who the owners of certain cat/dog foods are.I found Taste of the wild and chicken soup for the soul to be great so far.I buy at Agway,be ware because there are many iams products sold there as well,also hidden names maybe iams.A lot of not only my pets but millions lost their pets from renal failure from iams.Good luck
Mylo Chicken Jerky from China is involved also , my dog got sick on that one ,and right after I researched and sure enough, lots of deaths and illnesses from it.
I stopped buying ANYTHING made in China for my dogs. Just because there’s a recall on chicken Jerkey treats doesn’t mean other items arn’t contamintated too. I feed my dogs apples, pears, tomatoes, carrots, roasted peppers, cucumbers anything that they like and is a treat. I did find a company from Texas that makes dog treats and found the products at Pet Smart. Merrick is one of the companies but if you search the internet, I’m sure there’s a lot more American companies out there. We AMERICAN pet owners should be purchasing our pet product from AMERICA
Roasted peppers are no good for animals the can choke on the skin because its hard for them to digest,and any other thin skinned veggie,apples should be peeled,etc.
Please check the back of any brand of chicken jerky treat (or any treat for that matter!). Even the higher priced, “all natural” brands are often imported chicken from China.
If you need to know the company’s name of your dog or cat food look on the label or look it up on the comp. I go to search engine of my choice and type what company owns wagon train ? try to re-word it if there is no suitable answer. good luck
How sad. I’ve been sharing the FDA warning about this product, but I know not everyone has seen them. I don’t feed my dogs anything that is made in China or has ingredients from China at all anymore. You just can’t trust them.
These treats are truly dangerous. I do wonder how many animals need to die before they are pulled from the shelf. Like others here, I am very careful to weed out products and ingredients sourced in China. It’s not worth the risk.
The way packaging is marked these days, how can you determine where the product itself is made? Like with my makeup it may say Belgium on the box but it’s actually referring to the packaging and not the product which is made in the US. Like the package of dog treats may say China on it, but how do I know it’s not talking about the sack and not the product inside.
we cant trust anything – buy made usa; organic if poss & cook th rest
That’s what got me, too, Cathey! I bought Milo’s Chicken Breast Tenders and another type because the packaging said 100% natural, only chicken breasts … But when one of my pups became ill, I took a more cogent look at the packaging …. Low and behold – Made in China! I wanted to vomit!
I purchase only from companies I know don’t import ingredients from outside sources – Wellness, Halo, etc.
Our good old Walmart has way too many “good” quality treats for dogs, but in small print there is CHINA. You really have to look closely. I am so sad this retailer has some of these products, must have to complain to them directly. I have seen at least they are “trying” to have better products, such as 3 dog bakery, etc., but it just takes the public demand and refusal to buy Chinese products to get them off the shelves. Meanwhile I make my own dog treats…..and it’s not that hard to do.
sweet potatoes or dried chicken jerky….just look online for instructions.
Otherwise, be super careful about the origin of any dog treats.
And why would you feed your dog junk food if you care at all?
I also happen to fed my Grayhound these CHICKEN TREATS AND my dog got badly sick. She started having LIVER problems. $3500 dollars later she doing much better. How a have learn to buy US made dog food.
Please be careful, These “Waggin Train” treats are manufactured and distributed by a US company in anderson South Carolina. In very small print it says on the bag made in China, but you think you are buying US,. It even says US patent pending on the bag.
I just came across this page & not sure what to do. I just read the info about Wagon Train brand treats the thing is our dogs have had them for a couple of years & haven’t had any problems with them. I have finicky dogs & they will only take certain treats & they love Wagon Train. We have tried many treats & the only ones they will eat is Busy Bones, the Pedigree Jumbones, Milk Bones, Meaty Bones, Wagon Train drumettes, & chicken sticks. They get tired of the Milk Bones & Meaty Bones after a while. I’m just not sure what to do about treats. Our Husky is so picky that he won’t even eat real chicken sometimes & Busy Bones get expensive. What does everyone else give their dogs as a treat?
Their are many good treats that are made in the USA. I prefer all my treats from NURTISOURCE, PURE VITA treats , tried and true and great dog food. Check out their web site!! I have Siberians as well and some are fussy, I wish u the best.
TASTE OF THE WILD……..greatest dog/cat food yet or even chicken soup for the soul sold at agway,I haven’t found it in any other store.
It is so easy to make your own chicken jerky treats. We buy chicken tenderloins and pop them in the food dehydrator. Presto…clean fresh safe chicken jerky. Our dog loves loves loves them. We started noticing the Made in China in small print on the back of commercial packages years ago and that’s when we started making our own.
I do not and have not fed my dogs anything made in China. If the origin is not on the package – do not buy it!!! These warnings have been going around for quite awhile. Time for folks to pay attention!!
Read this below too!
We bought some Canyon Creek treats (jerky/rawhide) because it says on the front “made in USA” but if you read closer, it says “manufactured in Japan for USA.”
http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/FDA_Chinese-Made_Pet_Treats_Making_Dogs_Sick_134347048.html?storySection=comments
I had a yorkie that I feed wagon train chicken jerky too that died back in november. None of my other animals became ill tho… I’m somewhat worried now about the others.. Any advice?
Take a look at this article, it will make you think twice about treats and food. I now make ALL my own dog cookies, yes, it takes time, and its a bit more expensive, but my best friend is well worth it!
The article is here -> http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?more=1&p=359
The Players
The pet food market has been dominated in the last few years by the acquisition of big companies by even bigger companies. With $15 billion a year at stake in the U.S. and rapidly expanding foreign markets, it’s no wonder that some are greedy for a larger piece of the pie.
Nestlé’s bought Purina to form Nestlé Purina Petcare Company (Fancy Feast, Alpo, Friskies, Mighty Dog, Dog Chow, Cat Chow, Puppy Chow, Kitten Chow, Beneful, One, ProPlan, DeliCat, HiPro, Kit’n’Kaboodle, Tender Vittles, Purina Veterinary Diets).
Del Monte gobbled up Heinz (MeowMix, Gravy Train, Kibbles ’n Bits, Wagwells, 9Lives, Cycle, Skippy, Nature’s Recipe, and pet treats Milk Bone, Pup-Peroni, Snausages, Pounce).
MasterFoods owns Mars, Inc., which consumed Royal Canin (Pedigree, Waltham’s, Cesar, Sheba, Temptations, Goodlife Recipe, Sensible Choice, Excel).
Other major pet food makers are not best known for pet care, although many of their household and personal care products do use ingredients derived from animal by-products:
Procter and Gamble (P&G) purchased The Iams Company (Iams, Eukanuba) in 1999. P&G shortly thereafter introduced Iams into grocery stores, where it did very well.
Colgate-Palmolive bought Hill’s Science Diet (founded in 1939) in 1976 (Hill’s Science Diet, Prescription Diets, Nature’s Best).
So correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I read that the FDA is warning people to pay attention to the Country of origin when buying their loved ones (pets/children) a special treat. Here’s a thought, how about the FDA NOT allowing products from the country of origin that they want us to pay attention to be allowed to enter our Country and stop jeopardizing our lives and the lives of our pets.
how abt signing my petition re ur post – it will go to congress & senate – at least it’s something – so far, no one on my page has signed it – if anyone is w/me then go 2 my fb page @ there’s a link 2 sign my petition to STOP importing food & products from CHINA – jackke friend @ facebook & i’l ‘friend’ u so u can sign
I’d like to sign but can’t find u on Facebook
i’m on fb (jackke friend)
We will be more than glad to sigh your petition. We have learner a very expensive lesson!
AMEN….my thought exactly!
Well I check and buy nothing from China including shrimp for my family. You gotta read where everything come from
Hope the stores will monitor their products more closely and stop buying products from China!!
We learned to cook, can, and to bake…what’s stopping us from making our own dog and cat treats…perhaps a couple of month’s worth at a time. Even if a a couple of kitchens got together and made some for several people…at least we would be able to trace the ingredients and still have some variety, depending on what we supply for the cooking kitchens. Just a thought.
I had bought a little book on dog treats, and am slowly going through the recipes. My first dog was finicky so she did not really like ‘cookies’. THIS one, woah! So I baked up a batch made with human grade foods, and my dog, the neighbor’s 2, and a friend’s GSD went bonkers for them. Makes the perfect gift. I had not baked them all, so brought the rest to the neighbors (my oven went on the fritz), and included the baking instructions. Yes, it takes a bit of time, but it CAN be a lot of fun. Get bakin’
what about BEEF EATERS Lamb Cuisine? also rawhide treat made in china. is it also dangerous?
Pull these dog treats off the shelves in stores.
How many more dogs must die before the FDA does this????????
My daughters poor dog, Kasie went thru some horrible things from the Waggin Train Treats and almost died. It was so sad to watch her being sick and she had stiffening of her legs, vomiting, fever, etc.
TAKE ALL CHINA PRODUCTS OFF THE SHELVES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our dogs are like our kids and we love them!!!!!!!!!!!
At the Petsmart I currently work at, we constantly have people specifically asking for products not made in China or made in the US. We associates are often careful to watch and buy such products for our own pets. Unfortunately, there are many, many customers who, no matter how I ask or suggest it, will grab the cheapo bag of Chinese crap treats or food over any healthier aka more expensive. Thus, a market exists for these products, regardless of the articles like this one and our personal warnings (and constant suggestions to partner with more American-based manufacturers).
I’ll be honest, it’s products like this that sometimes make me ashamed to admit that I work for a company that promotes their sales…
u hav a lot of guts 4 speaking 2 us. thanks, sweetie – how ’bout signing my
petition on SignOn.org?
I have to admit, though, after owning dogs for years that it has become a very expensive proposition to own even one dog (I currently own four). I can go to Petsmart and buy the “good” stuff. I was spending over $250 a month on dog food and treats, and that does not include toys, leashes, grooming, dishes, etc. It is a racket and don’t even get me started on veterinary care.. My dogs get excellent care from their vet, but prices have gone up for simply shots and a yearly exam by 100% in the past 7 or 8 years! I found out just the other day my veterinary clinic makes over 2.5 million dollars a year and it’s just a small hometown clinic! I can’t afford to have any more dogs and probably will not after my dogs pass on.. Sad but true, and issues like even what to feed them so they don’t get sick and die because of crap products that have toxins in them have become an issue that I never thought I would have to face. Sorry to get slightly off the subject here, but who can we turn to as pet owners for reliable information we can trust? Certainly not the pet food companies, veterinarians don’t really know about nutrition and even Petsmart employees are forced to be ashamed of what they sell..
Makes me wonder what has China has against us??
I’m sorry it has come to this point that we have to check out “really” just who makes our pets foods and treats. Someone here asked what does China have against us? Well, we have about the same size country but, far less people, far better air to breathe (remember the Olympics, everyone wearing masks to breathe). Now, to get on Wal Mart. When Wal Mart opened it’s first store in West Palm beach they had massive sized signs saying ONLY AMERICAN MADE Products! Once they lured in all the new customers they changed everything and now practically NOTHING is American made!!! Everbody is after the buck and they do NOT care how they get it! They do not care if your pet dies or even if you die. Check all the preservatives, artificial flavors, the extra vitamins and more calcium in the food that you eat, now, do you still wonder where cancer comes from?