UPDATE AS OF JANUARY 19, 2012: FDA has now issued new information regarding these treats. Again, the Skylar who goes to Carmichael dog park was not involved. For updates on this, and all dogfood and dog medicine related issues, go to:SPECIFICS OF FDA RECALL
For GENERAL FDA regulatory information, go to: FDA Animal and Veterinary Information

The below information was posted around September 2011.   Please always check out the validity of chain mails before forwarding.

There is a "chain" type of email circulating stating that a dog named Skylar was poisoned by Waggin' Train chicken dog treatswith "updated" info from the FDA.

There is no evidence that this dog is Skylar who frequents Canine Corral, or even that this is a recent incident. I believe, from my research, that this incident is at least 4 years old and the "updated" info is from 2008.

FDA on Chicken Treats

The manufacturer has a web page with FDA-required disclaimers, posted after some allegations of illness. The link follows, but the pertinent bits are here:

• Recommended feeding of treats:
• Small Dogs (5-10 lbs.): 1 treat.
• Small-Medium Dogs (11-25 lbs.): 2 treats.
• Medium Dogs (26-50 lbs.): 3 treats.
• Large Dogs (Over 50 lbs.): 4 treats

• It has been widely accepted that dog illnesses and any association with chicken jerky is likely the result of dogs (mostly small) consuming treats in excess of normal or recommended levels. Extensive testing performed by public and private laboratories has not uncovered a contaminant or specific ingredient as the cause of illness.

  Other factors identified as possibly contributing to signs of illness include sudden alteration of diet or imbalances in total nutrition.

  Waggin' Train treats FAQs

  Sept 2011 Pet food recalls from FDA

   

  To research all FDA information yourself, go here: All the FDA dog food info and recalls

   

  Any time you hear of a potential threat to animals, please do the research before forwarding the emails. Naturally, we want to know if there IS a problem, but panic and misinformation are just as bad as not knowing.