# Another recall



## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

A Philadelphia woman says her dog died after eating tainted dog food treats bought from Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart has quietly pulled the made in China dog treat from its stores. There has been no announcement to the public as of yet. It is also uncertain of how many tainted bags of treats there may still be out among consumers.

Kate Collins said it is hard to talk about. Bella, her two-year-old Chihuahua, died suddenly in July after eating Bestro Chicken Jerky Strips.

Collins said that Bella died within a week after eating the treats. The other dogs did not receive the same treats and are unaffected.

Bella's owner had the animal hospital do an autopsy and they found that Bella died of an infection caused by toxic bacteria.

Find the latest pet news at: http://www.itchmo.com


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Oh my, that really sounds scary. It is so sad that you cant trust what you buy anymore. I say we all build a Havanese compound, grow our own garden & have own livestock!! This way all our babies are safe!!


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

How sad for this owner. I guess the news media & Walmart is not interested until you have a number of deaths.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Sandi - that is a very good point. I have not heard about this in the general news. If these snacks are tainted and there are more to come, this could be worse than the food recall! These big Corporations just done seen to want to get involved and take responsibility unless forced to by the government or media!! :frusty:


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

I posted this under "Chicken Jerkey Caution" the other day. Sorry, I spelled jerky wrong and couldn't figure out how to fix it in the title. I have searched online for a while about this and they are cautioning against any of the chicken jerky made in china. Specific brands that I have found killed or injured dogs are Bestro's sold by Walmart (but now pulled from the shelves) and Waggintrain sold by Costco and some other places. I use Waggintrain so this really scared me. If you check the other post, there are a few brands that we have all found that are made in the USA, but not many.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

So if you are or have used the ones on the recall list, what can you do?? Do you take Brady to the vet just to be checked? Or wait for symptoms? It seems to me that all these pups that were lost all got ill and passed quickly. All this makes me happy my guys are on a very special diet! But I do have to say that there are times your pups could get these without your knowledge. I had to ask the mailman to stop throwing treats on the lawn for the dogs (since they ARE on a special diet) but who knows what he was throwing them! 
Laurie


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

I was going crazy the other night when I heard the story and then started searching online. The Waggintrain have not been recalled. They are still selling them at Costco. I bought a pack the other day that I haven't opened yet, it is going back. I threw all the others away. The stories I read had the dogs getting very sick immediately or very soon after eating them. Many mentioned that the dogs ate one and never ate again. There was kidney failure, vomiting, diarrhea, and bacterial infections. Brady has had an upset tummy lately, but I tried not to panic. He is acting completely normal and his stomach is back to normal, so I think he is fine. I am just keeping a close eye on him. I really got scared when Leslie mentioned that she had been giving little Shadow the Bestro's brand. That made it hit close to home.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Wow! Your mailman was throwing treats? Yikes! That would flip me out. 

Thanks for posting the link. That IS the brand we were buying. It ALL went in the trash yesterday along with the Cadet. I just posted on the other thread how I just dropped $350 for a food dehydrator and accessories. I figure it will pay for itself within a year, and I will no longer have to worry.

I'm going to see if there is some way for me to start making kibble. OR, I'll just feed her homecooked and start taking her to have her teeth cleaned a few times a year.

Times are changing.

Kara


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Yea, very scary for sure. Lexi has been sick for a week, throwing up and diahrea, but I know she did not get anything like that so she is on meds, and eating boiled chicken and rice. Poor Brady - he is probably upset cause he isnt getting his usual treats.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Yes, I came around the house one day and found them chewing on something, had no idea where they got it. Then another day I was watching them outside & he actually got out of his truck & threw them to each of the dogs. I know if was a kind gesture, but I really dont want people throwing food or anything at my dogs!!!!


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

This is so, so, scary. who can you trust? the USA made Cluckers are $95 for 5lbs. http://1242854.estore.networksolutionsdesign.com/cataloglist.html

I guess 5 lbs would go a long way- but Jasper will only eat the Cadet Rabbit. no chicken for him. not sure what I am going today--- the jerky is the only thing he will eat until dinner.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Missy, last night was ROUGH for us! She was VERY whiney and I know it is because she didnt' get her bone (jerky) and then my husband said that word (bone) and she went crazy licking his face 

I tried to play with her w/ the rope toy...but she wasn't fallin' for it.

Did you look into getting some rabbit from the italian meat market? Maybe you could just bake some treats for the time being?

I see the reasoning behind the mail man giving treats to dogs on his route, but yikes.

Maybe you could give him the treats you use for your dogs and just tell him that they have allergies...he may be more receptive to that than the China explanation, since there isn't a formal recall on the treats yet. 

Kara


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## jimandjudy4321 (Aug 13, 2007)

We too were buying treats from Walmart when we lost two beautiful dogs earlier this year. Some of them were "O'Roy" products, made in China.....Read those labels carefully.....avoid heartache!


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## kgiese (Apr 18, 2007)

I feed my little guy "Bil Jac" food and treats only. The breeder said this is what she feeds her dogs, and so from day one that's what we have fed Hank. According to their (Bil Jac) website the food is made here in the States. Hank loves both the food and the treats and has never gotten sick. You all might want to give it a try. The treats especially.


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

It's coming to the point that we'll all be home cooking for our dogs.

Here's a link to an Itchmo story regarding dry dog food made by Purina. While I know that NOTHING has been proved in this case, the symptoms that this person's dogs experienced gave me pause because poor Shadow's symptoms were so similar....excessive thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. http://www.itchmo. com/breeder- claims-purina- dog-food- caused-her- dogs-deaths- 2216#more- 2216

Susan


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Here's another article claiming that Purina Pro Plan caused the death of her 3 dogs.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/08/pet_food_recalls63.html

Kara


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## dboudreau (Jan 12, 2007)

I purchased the chicken jerky strips from Costco a couple of months ago. I gave them to Sam 2 or 3 times and he got sick. (vomiting) I ended up giving them to my SIL, her dog loves them and has had no problem. Hard to know what to do any more. He get sick when he chews bully sticks too. Poor little guy has nothing to chew.


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

Thumperlove said:


> I'm going to see if there is some way for me to start making kibble. OR, I'll just feed her homecooked and start taking her to have her teeth cleaned a few times a year.
> 
> Times are changing.
> 
> Kara


Have you tried Pearly Whites for teeth? :brushteeth: :brushteeth:


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

Laurief said:


> Yea, very scary for sure. Lexi has been sick for a week, throwing up and diahrea, but I know she did not get anything like that so she is on meds, and eating boiled chicken and rice. Poor Brady - he is probably upset cause he isnt getting his usual treats.


I hope Lexi gets better soon!


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

Has there been anything made in the US that's been recalled or is everything from China? I'm to the point where I think we should stop allowing products in from there until they can stop poisoning us and our pets.


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## radar_jones (May 6, 2007)

It really upsets me when I read about unwarranted incidents like this. I don't personally shop at Wal-mart unless I need some socks or underwear.....:biggrin1: I seem to notice that we are getting pretty frequent incidents from over there. Someone really needs to do an ISO Audit on the manufacturing processes to get to the bottom of this. How can they be so complacent. These are family companions that are dying because of some improper procedures and they really do need to follow up on getting someone to get something done because of it. I'm not sure if it's always been from China but I really do watch things now. I don't even want to buy anything for myself from there now.

Derek


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## Cheryl (Mar 17, 2007)

I cannot remember a product I purchased at Walmart, but I think the problem is further spread. Where do we as consumers stop buying anything made in China? It begins with reading the label and making a choice.


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## radar_jones (May 6, 2007)

I Agree with that thought. I would have to say that there have been items made in other parts of the world that have not been made in China and have been just as bad for example the "Mad Cow Disease Scare" from the UK I think it was. They are always killing cattle now when the think there is a case for Mad Cow and then they are imposing sanctions on the counrty against importing beef or chicken because of the avian flu I think it is.

Derek


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

We do not have a Wal mart where we live . The county will not allow it - not good for small business ..
We do have a Target & Cosco however .. Fortunately I am no longer tempted and gave up my card . I was spending far too much money on stuff we did not need .. 
I posted this on another thread but I was on Petco yesterday and it is distressing to see so many dog chewies and there is no country source on them . It is buyer beware ..
As to the postman I think it is the in thing . Our postman offers dog cookies or treats as well but he does ask first .
We just say No thanks he is allergic to wheat .. I have the same thing at the bank I had to stop taking them as they give jerky treats but I do not know he source so I now just do not take them ..
The world is nuts and everyhting is becoming fear based and it is not right and it is not fair . 
People need to be accountable and responsible and not just get off with a fine ..
Shame on Wal Mart !!


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## Sunnygirl (Jun 1, 2007)

I wish it were as easy as reading the packaging to see where a product originates. I was in the store yesterday reading the packaging on some treats for Nico, and while I could usually find a distributor, I couldn't tell where things were made. Similarly, I was going to order some treats from the PetEdge website and there's nothing on there about country of origin either. I'd like to just avoid products made in China, but I can't always figure out which ones they are. I'm quite sure that a "made in China" label isn't doing much for pet food products these days, which is probably why we're not seeing them.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Last night, we stopped by the neighborhood Pet store (small chain) and asked for jerky that wasnt' made in China and the girls that worked there proudly stated "We don't carry treats from China"

So...Hubby and I started pointed out the FINE PRINT (and I mean FINE, tiny, miniscule) on the bags/boxes and you should've seen their face! They were shocked. 

They were wrong!

I made off with a few peanut butter bones, but she isn't getting excited about them. She misses her jerky-bones 

Kara


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

I can tell you that the Ranch Rewards chicken jerky from petedge is made in china. I had the container from when I purchased them before and checked the other day. It still seems that the only way to get chicken jerky made in the USA is by finding someone who homemakes it (like Kara) or the only brand that I can find made in the USA is Cluckers. From what I have found, it looks like a lot of the bullysticks are made in the USA. I searched online and found quite a few brands made in the USA. I had a tough time when I went to Petsmart as well. The containers only say the manufacturers and if they say they are made in china, they say it very small.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Have you checked for the Cluckers on ebay? Maybe someone sells it wholesale there?

I really hope I can make good jerky, and it isn't *rejected*. I'd be pretty bummed if she flipped her nose up at it! lol

Kara


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Laurief said:


> I had to ask the mailman to stop throwing treats on the lawn for the dogs (since they ARE on a special diet) but who knows what he was throwing them!
> Laurie


I wonder how common this is? In my little town, the mailman has treats, the UPS or FED EX does too! OF course both the doggie stores in town give treats, and the vet offers treats. Puppy Kindergarten has treats too. Most of them ask first before handing them out to my dogs--gee I never thought to worry though if they are safe! Lucky for us, I always turn them down because Rufus can't hold his treats on car rides!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Christy - the problem for me is that my girls are on a special vet diet and cannot have treats, or any other kind of food (to ward off bladder crystals) Again, I think it is a nice gesture, he is trying to be friends with them, but it could have bad consequences. Also Santa comes to my house each Dec on the fire truck with dog treats = so you just never know who is going to give your dogs what!!


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## jimandjudy4321 (Aug 13, 2007)

The two dogs we lost earlier this year were eating treats we bought from Walmart. I won't buy anything else fromWalmart in the pet department. We are now giving Annie home cooked foods instead.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

I also just ordered a small food dehydrator from amazon.com. Until it gets here, I'm just giving my boys real chicken (instead of the chicken jerky) and making my own dehydrated sweet potato snacks in the microwave.

I slice up a sweet potato into 1/4" thick pieces, lay them on a plate, and nuke them until they are dried, but not browned (or burned - like my first attempt), and are still kind of pliable. As they cool, they harden. Some are harder/cruchier and some are more soft, but my dogs love them either way. It is hard to get the consistency right, so I think the dehydrator will work better. But this is good for the meantime  Made in California!!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I almost bought one on Amazon! I think they have the best prices! Let me know how it goes! My dehydrator doesnt' get here until Friday! 

I have been giving her Slim Jims! lol The mild-low salt kind.

I know they are *crap* but its only a few days. She won't eat sweet potato, which is too bad...it is SO good for them.

Kara


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

dboudreau said:


> I purchased the chicken jerky strips from Costco a couple of months ago. I gave them to Sam 2 or 3 times and he got sick. (vomiting) I ended up giving them to my SIL, her dog loves them and has had no problem. Hard to know what to do any more. He get sick when he chews bully sticks too. Poor little guy has nothing to chew.


I don't suppose it's a good idea to give him old socks, tied in a knot? Or old rags, tied the same way, witha knot in the middle? I ask because Sammy LOVES to chew on fabric and leathery things, but then we dont' have young kids around leaving stuff on the floor - well, the 3 kids do DO that, but they close their bedroom doors so it's relatively safe.

I had old leather moccasins that I almost threw out, but at the last second realized I could cut them up for chews for the boys. Ricky isn't a chewer at all, but Sammy is our little beaver. Those pieces of old slippers are his favorite of all his toys. Go figure ! lol


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Jane, I LOVE your idea!! *"I slice up a sweet potato into 1/4" thick pieces, lay them on a plate, and nuke them until they are dried, but not browned (or burned - like my first attempt), and are still kind of pliable. As they cool, they harden. Some are harder/cruchier and some are more soft, but my dogs love them either way. "* I MUST try that!

Our dogs dont' seem to like sweet potato either, but I've only tried it raw. I'm trying this out for sure.

Did you mention this in the "chicken jerky" thread? There are a few tips on microwaving meat in there, so I'm sure it will be helpful to others if you post your 'recipe' for sweet potatoes. If you haven't already that is....... thanks!


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## arlene (Jul 28, 2007)

This is my first post on this forum . . . I apologize in advance for its length . . . but I just needed to share my thoughts . . . release some emotions and even release some guilt.

I wish I had read this thread or the chicken jerky thread last week . . . at the moment I am so upset I can hardly think. I have been feeding my guys the Waggin Train Chicken Jerky. I thought it was a reasonably healthy treat.

My family and I went away this past weekend to Watkins Glen NY in a motor home - Hubby, daughter, son, Javi & Phoebe (2 havs) and Hershey our 13 year old lab. Hershey was always very thin. In the past 6 months or so she has been struggling with stairs off and on . . . some days worse than others and has been slowing down. We all jumped into the motorhome on Thursday evening and Hershey just about dragged me down the driveway. We drove for 5-6 hours and they had jerky treats during the ride. When we arrived, Ashley took the dogs for a walk. Hershey came back in and drank an entire bowl of water and then vomited it back up. I attributed that to her drinking too quickly and the drive in the motorhome. Thursday night, Hershey was making everyone crazy . . . she wouldn't settle down. She had gas and then a bout of diarrhea. She came back in and paced in circles for about an hour. She couldn't get comfortable. She finally evicted the pups from their soft crate and took up residency. Havs didn't mind, they just climbed in bed with us. About 6 AM on Friday, I took the dogs for a walk. We were walking around in a field for about 5-10 minutes when Hershey dropped her head to the left, circled left and dropped to the ground. She couldn't get up . . . couldn't even hold up her head. I was with about 300 of my closest friends at the race track at Watkins Glen and there is usually at least one vet present . . . there was not. We carried her and laid her down on her bed until we could figure out what to do. We located a computer, googled for a vet and called the closest vet who suggested that we take her to the Cornell Emergency Hospital which is about a half hour away. On the ride there, she actually gathered up some strength to try to sit up . . . she got her front end up and then collapsed again. Vet at Cornell was very nice . . . they ran some bloodwork and examined her. I may get some of the details wrong here as I am still not thinking too clearly. Her heart rate was 180, should have been 80. She had an extra or irregular heart beat which could cause instant death. She was in shock. They thought she might be bleeding internally. She was not getting enough oxygen to her brain and they were not sure that she even recognized us. They thought she might be in liver/kidney failure and/or have cancer. They thought that she perhaps had cancer that had spread to her lungs thus causing the poor oxygenation. They believed that her collapse was more likely to be from not getting enough oxygen thus causing her to faint/pass out, rather than some type of seizure. They put her on oxygen and an IV for fluids. They said her abdomen was distended and painful. They asked a lot of questions about whether she could have eaten anything toxic. I was sure that she hadn't. My choices were not good. I could have admitted her to internal medicine, intensive care and have them run an estimated $3K-5K in tests. They said in all likelihood we would find out that she had cancer which had spread to multiple organs. I know that I was at a wonderful facility but they didn't know me or Hershey and I really wanted to just pack us all up and get back to my own vet in NJ. The vet said that she really didn't think that it was a good idea as she didn't think that Hershey would last very long or be comfortable without the oxygen. We asked to see her so that we could think about what we should do. They brought Hershey down with a mobile oxygen cart . . . she could barely move or hold up her head but she did manage to get her mouth out of the oxygen mask. It was like she was barely conscious. While I would like to think that she recognized me, her eyes was just dark blank pools. I just couldn't see putting her through all the tests. Both of my parents passed from cancer . . . they both suffered horribly for months and months. All I could think of was my mother in a drugged state begging me to find a hit man. While I couldn't honor my mom's request, I was virtually looking at a hit-man who could help Hershey pass. She had a happy life, grew up with kids and other pups and I could not see her suffer a long and painful passing. I stayed with her . . . I hope she knows I was there for her. 

We all miss her terribly . . . Javi and Phoebe have barely eaten since Friday. Thankfully I have not given them any more of the chicken jerky. They seem to be okay - active but their appetites are off. I'm sure they miss her terribly . . . especially Javi who liked to tease Hershey all the time . . . 

Does anyone think this episode could have been caused by the Waggin Train chicken jerky? I feel so guilty thinking that I could have prevented this somehow . . . that I could have / should have known enough to tell the vet exactly what she ate . . . it just never occurred to me that the jerky could have been the problem.

My daughter(24) was with me at Cornell. While she originally wanted to stay with Hershey for the procedure, the vets graphic description of what might happen when she passed sent my daughter running in tears from the room. I was really pretty emotional so I said no to an autopsy . . . so I will never really know what happened. 

How could I have missed signs of cancer? How could this have happened so suddenly? Did I miss signs that she was ill? I have had many dogs in my life including 4 dalmations that all lived to be 16-18. They all declined over a period of time and all but one passed in their sleep. One had cancer which we tried unsuccessfully to treat . . . but she had signs of illness.

I've wrapped up all the Chicken Jerky but haven't disposed of it yet . . . Perhaps, in a couple of weeks when I can think more clearly, I will write to the company. I am contemplating calling the vet at Cornell to ask if she thinks the Jerky could have contributed to Hershey's episode. 

Sorry again for this long post . . . 

Arlene


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Arlene, I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved Hershey. I can't imagine what you're going through and I'm sure that it came as quite a shock to you for her to get so sick that fast. However, although I am not a vet so this is just opinion, I doubt that her illness was caused by the chicken jerky. I only say this because both of your Havs were eating the jerky as well and the chances of only one piece of jerky in a whole bag to be contaminated are very slim. It would be a lot more likely that all your dogs would have gotten sick. In fact, there are some cancers in dogs which are not noticeable until it's too late (one of which is gut cancer - and gut cancer does show all of the symptoms you have just described).

I hope you understand that I'm not trying to belittle your loss, just that it is possible that it wasn't the jerky. Even if it was, please remember that this is NOT your fault, and could not have been prevented by you as there was no way you could have known if your jerky was contaminated.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Arlene,

I am SO very sorry for your loss  I know nothing can ease the pain of the loss, but if you suspect the jerky treats, then call Waggin Trails and tell them! They haven't issued a formal recall, as far as I know Walmart has pulled them off the shelf, but the company isn't required to pull all of their jerky unless X amount of people claim illness/death injury. I'm not sure on the exact #

Cancer? I just dont' know. Maybe. Has he been sick for months? Or was it sudden onset? I would think that you would see the symptoms of cancer before it was to the "fatal" stages, but then again, I'm not a vet and don't know if animals have different symptoms than people.

I also feed another brand of jerky (Cadet) from China, but have decided to eliminate ALL treats from China from here on out. I'm just not going to take the chance and gamble on a life 

hugs,
Kara


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

Arlene,
I am so sad for you and your family. I don't know if the jerky would have caused this, or if the vet could have been correct in his assessment. I am glad to hear that your havs are well. I would think that they at the very least would not be feeling well if the jerky was tainted. I am attaching a link for you. When I searched regarding the jerky from Waggintrain (this is what I was feeding my hav too), this is the link where I found a lot of information. Perhaps when you are feeling up to it, you will want to read it and see if Hershey's symptoms mirrored any of the dogs the owner's mentioned on this site. Again, I am so sorry for your loss! There are comments regarding both Waggintrain and Bestro's.

http://www.epinions.com/msg/sec_~forums/show_~threads/cat_id_~25/id_~5220/forum_id_~247/pp_~4#posts


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Arlene, I am so sorry for your loss of Hersey = you were a good Mom and did what you needed to do for him. I would think that if the treats were tainted, then your Havs would also be sick, but I would not give those again! I am glad you have joined us and look forward to hearing more about your pups when you are feeling up to it! We are planning a NJ playdate for 10/14 at my house, if you are interested. Look up the thread for NJ Playdate.
My heart goes out to you!
Laurie


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## YesYvonne (Jun 29, 2007)

*on missing signs...*



arlene said:


> This is my first post on this forum . . . I apologize in advance for its length . . . but I just needed to share my thoughts . . . release some emotions and even release some guilt.
> <snip>
> 
> How could I have missed signs of cancer? How could this have happened so suddenly? Did I miss signs that she was ill?


Hi Arlene,
Sorry to hear about your loss of Hershey -- and, too, your understandable dismay, wondering about the cause of the problem. Besides sympathy, wanted to offer you a story that might possibly be somewhat consoling?

Three Junes ago, way before I knew about Havs, and way before we had Bounder, we had a nine year old mutt, picked out as a pup at the pound, named Kenzi who was part yellow lab and maybe part German Shepherd, a big girl, 95 lbs. She was happy and seemed healthy until that June when we brought her home from the kennel where we always took her when we needed to travel. She liked it there and never had a problem there previously, but this time when she came home she refused to eat. I thought at first she was pouting for having been left there a little longer than usual, but when I checked with them, they said she had eaten there just fine. So took her to the vet and, long story short, ended up deciding to deal surgically with the cancer that was diagnosed by xray. The vet said the surgery might or might not solve the problem; all he could do was his best; he'd try to get it all. Afterwards he showed us the huge tumor he had removed -- it was football sized! And up until she stopped eating, there was no sign of it; it was sufficiently hidden within her abdomen.

I'm just saying, sometimes dogs hide what's going on for them. I think it's instinctual -- they don't want to seem vulnerable. So there may not have been advance clues...

Don't berate yourself; remember the years of love, good care, and companionship. If it were me, I'd probably still want to be in touch with the Cornell docs to see if they think there still might be a connection with the jerky... but there might not have been.

Kenzi recuperated amazingly quickly from the abdominal surgery and happily moved with us from our house on ten acres in the Sierra foothills to a much smaller apartment in Berkeley for me to attend seminary. She did great there for about two months, and then one day, a few weeks after her tenth birthday, she lay down on the polished wood floor of the apartment's small hallway and wouldn't get up for anything. Not for treats, not for water, not for the walk she was always eager to take. Over the next 24 hrs she refused to move from there. The vet said the cancer had likely metastasized, the surgery hadn't gotten it all, and it was time to let her go.

So, again, she hid any clues until there was nothing more to be done.

Some dogs are just like that. And it is so hard to say goodbye, so I certainly sympathize with you on that score. But sometimes it's what the deepest love requires of us, letting go. I am with you in spirit, hoping you can take the time needed to remember, and to grieve. And if it feels productive to follow up with the Cornell docs, go ahead and do it. What's to lose?

Yvonne (and Bounder)


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Brady's mom said:


> Arlene,
> 
> http://www.epinions.com/msg/sec_~forums/show_~threads/cat_id_~25/id_~5220/forum_id_~247/pp_~4#posts


Karen,

Did you read the links on irradiated food that were posted there? It is even considered a potential cause for cancer...  As well as kidney, liver and other organ failure.

Kara


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

No, I didn't realize that. I skimmed through a lot of it. Scary!!!


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Hello Arlene,

I am so very sorry to hear about Hershey's sudden decline! I was crying while reading your post and then Yvonne's. How sad to lose a companion and not know exactly why. I can understand your frustrations and sense of guilt, but there isn't much more you could have done by Hershey. You did the best you could and he must have sensed that. Dogs can sense a lot more than we give them credit for. 

It's surely difficult for you and your family to deal with the loss and your Havs are feeling it too. I'm sorry! 

Thank you for sharing your story, though, Arlene. It teaches us all something, as do all the stories we share here. I hope you find comfort in knowing your boy is no longer suffering. ((hugs))


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

Arlene, I am so sorry for your loss. Don't blame yourself. So many things in our lives are not in our control. Know that you gave him a good life and he will live in your heart forever.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Arlene, I am so sorry for your loss. 
About 4 yrs ago, we were in the Bahamas. When we got home, my daughter greeted us at the door and said Buffy was at the vet. It was an emergency. She was fine when we left and up until the day before we got back. She started vomiting and them bleeding. I immediately went to the vet's office and saw her. By looking at her, you wouldn't think she was sick, but she was in such distress because of the bleeding. They couldn't do the tests they wanted to because she wasn't stable enough. I think she just waited for me to get home, because she didn't make it through the night. Just like that, with no signs up until then. She was never sick. The only good thing was that she lived a long life - she was 17 yrs old.

So it's nothing you did or didn't do. And we have to make hard decisions sometimes. Don't beat yourself up about it.


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Arlene,
I'm so sorry for your loss. I know how hard it must have been for you. Our previous little dog Maggie had a cancerous growth removed from her gum during a dental cleaning and the vet said it might or might not come back so we had her checked every three months. She seemed healthy and happy and we were thrilled. One night, in April of 2004 she woke up vomiting. She may have aspirated some because her breathing was shallow. We took her to the emergency vet at 11:30 PM. After x-rays it was discovered that she had an enlarged liver, pancreatitis and a couple of other things and likely the cancer had mestasasized. She was euthanized two days later. We never knew she was sick again, so long story short, she hid all her symptoms from us. I'm grateful for the extra six months we had with her but sad that we didn't know she had been sick. Had we known we would have moved heaven and earth to make her well.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. 

Susan
As an aside, our little McKenna was born just 10 days before Maggie died and although we knew nothing of her existence at the time, I like to think she was destined to be ours in order to heal our hearts and perhaps little Maggie sent us her way.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Arlene,

We just lost our precious little Shadow on Aug. 4. Like you with Hershey, we don't know what it was that made her so sick. She had been eating the Bestro's brand jerky from WalMart. Some of her symptoms were similiar to those mentioned. Most of the dogs who died from the tainted jerky had kidney failure. Shadow's symptoms were more like liver failure. Unfortunately, we didn't know about any of this until about 2 weeks after she passed. Was it the jerky? The vet doesn't think so but, he said without an autopsy he can't completely rule it out. 

I know exactly how you're feeling, I'm feeling like that, too. I can tell you that you will not find more caring, supportive and loving people than those on this forum. They continue to help me get through each day. I come here to read about and see the pics of their furbabies. I laugh, I cry, but it is all helping to ease the pain of losing my little one. I hope you can find the comfort here that I have found.

I am so sorry for your loss of your precious Hershey. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.

God bless


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

Just on the news....WalMart has pulled the chicken jerky, which we knew, but now it is in the news.....


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Judy A said:


> Just on the news....WalMart has pulled the chicken jerky, which we knew, but now it is in the news.....


GOOD! I was hoping it would make the news soon! Just think of all the pet owners out there that are still feeding the jerky 

Kara


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## arlene (Jul 28, 2007)

Thank you all for your kind words.

I have read some of the other sites on the issues with chicken jerky. Hershey did display some of the same symptoms. It is also possible that Hershey was the only one to eat the jerky while we were driving. I was driving the motorhome. The Havs are often so excited to be going on an adventure that they may have left their jerky unattended for Hershey to gobble up. 

I have contacted the Cornell Vet Hospital and according to their computers, Hershey has not yet been cremated. I told the receptionist that Hershey had eaten Waggin Train Chicken Jerky and I am expecting a return call from the doctor who attended her. Perhaps I may still get a definitive answer. 

I will keep you posted.

Thanks for your kindness and support.

Arlene


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## whitBmom (Nov 27, 2006)

Wow, scarey stuff. It is hard to know what you can trust nowadays. It seems too many companies are cutting corners to find the cheapest way to manufacture animal foods/treats. I think I may have to resort to drying my own chicken breast to make treats for Oreo.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Arlene, So sorry to hear about your beloved Hershey. It is hard enough to lose a loved one let alone having the whole tragedy compounded by the confusion surounding these recalls and corporate greed. I hope you are able to get the answers from the vet you need.


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## Olliesmom (Sep 29, 2006)

http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/wal-mart-quietly-pulled-dog-treats/20070821072509990001

Here is the article...so sad for you who have had such trauma.


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