# This vet says NO homemade jerky or store bought



## JeanieBeth (Jul 13, 2013)

Please read this article and form your own opinion. I for one won't be feeding, making or buying any more jerky until they know for sure what's causing death and illness in dogs
Ask a Vet: The Problem with Dogs and Jerky Treats | Dogster

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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

I'm not buying the homemade jerky. If you use chicken intended for human consumption and dehydrate it, I'm not sure where the issue lies.


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## JeanieBeth (Jul 13, 2013)

You know, I don't either! I wish the vet would have elaborated more but I assume they aren't sure why. Sweet potatoe? Doesn't make sense. I was going to buy a dehydrator today until I read this. Not sure what to do now.

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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I don't know that I agree with him, but I think his point is that since they don't know why, then the best thing is to avoid all of them.
It could be that while chicken is okay, when it's dehydrated its not? Maybe something found in chicken (protein/fat/mineral) is fine but when dehydrated the concentration of that substance is brought to a level that is dangerous to dogs. Sort of by the act of dehydrating, you are concentrating whatever the issue is.
With his grapes example I think they still don't know why they are toxic. Last I read they are leaning towards a mycoplasm that might be involved.
Like I said, I don't know that I agree with him, but I can sort of understand his point.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

You never know what the long exposure to high heat does to the chicken or other foods. It might not be as simple as just removing the water.. Other reactions could be going on too, like when frying potatoes in high heat. Apparently, a potentially carcinogenic compound is produced from frying potatoes. 

I don't feed jerky at all, China or not.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

Here's the text for those of us who like having it in the thread....



> Every once in a while I stop by my local big chain pet store to help keep my finger on the pulse of what's new in the dog and cat product world. My neighborhood store has a large area devoted to bulk treats for dogs. No information on the origins of the treats is offered. I often see people feeding their dogs treats straight from the bulk bins. The store allows and even encourages this. I, on the other hand, am appalled by the sight. Those people could be unknowingly killing their dogs. I often intervene, but I cringe when I think about how common the practice is.
> 
> It's not as bad as the 2007 melamine scandal yet, but it's bad: jerky treats are sickening and killing dogs.
> 
> ...


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

Vhuynh2 said:


> You never know what the long exposure to high heat does to the chicken or other foods. It might not be as simple as just removing the water.. Other reactions could be going on too, like when frying potatoes in high heat. Apparently, a potentially carcinogenic compound is produced from frying potatoes.
> 
> I don't feed jerky at all, China or not.
> 
> ...


That is something i hadn't considered. Here's a comment from the article that I wonder if they are ON to something....



> Sandra says, "I'd like to know how the author feels about this hypothesis given the LOOOONG history of sled dogs consuming what is essentially various types of jerky as part of their normal diets. Fish, caribou, moose, bear, etc have been dried and used as food for working sled dogs for easily hundreds of years. So, is it just "dried meat" that is the concern, or is it something else in the modern commercial process such as salts or other additives?"


Perhaps it is the process in which things are dried out. Manufactured treats must have preservatives. I wonder if this is a SALT TOXICITY problem. Because when I eat jerky, it's typically got a high quantity of salt as a preservative.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

Tayla's Mom said:


> I'm not buying the homemade jerky. If you use chicken intended for human consumption and dehydrate it, I'm not sure where the issue lies.


I was on board with you too, but I think the majority of people are taking a conservative approach. Here's another comment from the article that may shed light into their opinion: 



> RedPandemic C.A. • 12 hours ago
> We are not sure yet what 'in' jerky treats are bad. I think, since it is many brands and all types of jerky (starting with chicken and then expanding to sweet potatoes and beef) they are finding something about the dehydrated food itself is bad. To be safe, until it is found out, I would stay clear of jerky all-in-all until they figure it out.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

While I do like to be ultra careful with my dogs, I think you have to be careful about a cause/effect relationship.
To put it in perspective, over the past 6-8 years about 600 dogs have died. While I grant you that ONE is too many, let's say 100 dogs a year have died. 
The vast majority of those, they believe, had to do with Chinese Chicken Jerkies. 
So some of the other dogs had eaten some other jerky. But can you say that's what caused their death? How many dogs are we talking here? A small handful over 8 years? How do we know there wasn't some totally unrelated cause, and the jerky, which was not chinese nor chicken, was just a coincidence?
Remember, almost all dogs who develop kidney disease and/or liver disease at some point in their life have eaten (fill in the blank with anything you want). That doesn't mean it caused the disease.
I think an abundance of caution is certainly called for, but to say that all jerky, even homemade, is not good for dogs, sounds like overkill to me.
I feed my guys a small piece of salmon jerky now and then. It's USA made, from USA salmon. The only ingredient in it is salmon. No flavorings, colorings, nothing. I will continue to do so.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I'm on the fence about this. I was going to buy a dehydrator but now I'm not sure either.

My experience/doubts comes from my blood sugar results after eating dried fruit. 12 grapes is a serving...so is 12 raisins. One apricot is a serving...so is 2 dried halves. Dried fruit is "smaller" in volume so we tend to eat more than if it was un-dehydrated. I had thought I'd dehydrate bananas but can see how easy it would be to feed the equivalent of a whole banana. Most of us would never feed that much at once. So, I wonder if the dogs are actually getting much more food when it's dehydrated and therefore being 'overdosed'.

I have a phobia when it comes to artificial flavorings, preservatives, colors, excessive salt and stay away from most processed food. I'm a bit at a loss as to what to use for Mr. Darcy's training treats. Not sure Cheerios is the option I want to use this time.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

It is really scary, especially too with string cheese also being recalled. I use Pro Plan Slices sometimes, though usually K9 Green Tripe Cookies from Clean Run and Bowser Buffalo Bites.


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## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

I make and sell chicken jerky and (perhaps predictably) I am not happy with this vets opinion. It reminds me of the recent opinion of a local (Ann Arbor) vet saying that she had seen hundreds of dogs with and many dogs die of Circovirus last month. There is NO evidence that American made and American sourced chicken jerky is harmful for dogs.

There are some dogs that jerky will not agree with. Lamb does not agree with my Selli so I don't feed it to her. That does not make lamb a bad food, simply not one for us. Owners also need to know that a little bit of chicken jerky is actually a much larger piece of chicken and they should feed it accordingly. If your dog is a gulper, you will want to break the jerky into smaller pieces since the jerky will expand once it is in the stomach.

My jerky is sold at a local store owned by a vet who specializes in nutrition and she LOVES my product. To each their own.

I guess I should also add that I have never had any complaints in the four years I have been selling jerky and I only use human quality chicken and dehydrate at 160 degrees.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

I see no harm in homemade jerky... it is no different than the chicken from my refrigerator.....


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Most jerky products contain a great deal of sodium or other sodium compounds which are needed to cure the meat during the drying process and prevent spoilage. Most dogs do not need added sodium in their diets and for a small minority of dogs it can be a real serious problem.


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## Shellbug (Nov 14, 2013)

There is no sound evidence of this. I still make jerky for Thor with meat intended for human consumption. The meat actually comes from a farm close by. I don't buy store bought jerky though. 


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## Shellbug (Nov 14, 2013)

Swampcollie said:


> Most jerky products contain a great deal of sodium or other sodium compounds which are needed to cure the meat during the drying process and prevent spoilage. Most dogs do not need added sodium in their diets and for a small minority of dogs it can be a real serious problem.


That's most likely the main issue 


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

no need to feed those junky treats. Carrots, apples, broccoli, there are many other healthier choices out there.


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## Huddle (Dec 26, 2013)

Eh. Dogs don't keep food in their stomachs anywhere near as long as humans do, so I plan on making small batches of jerky that is on the less tough side while leaving out the immense amounts of salt. But there is a lot of hooplah out their from bored researchers and scientists looking for ways to pacify themselves and spend tax dollars. We don't give dogs enough credit for their abilities to defend against bacteria, etc. it's meat! Dogs have canine teeth for a reason. Pun intended.


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## Trevor K (Feb 3, 2014)

*UPDATE: May 19, 2014*

*UPDATE: May 19, 2014*
This is a newly published (May 19, 2014) article by The Huffington Post regarding jerky treats.

*Toxic Jerky Treats Responsible For More Than 1,000 Dog Deaths, FDA Says (May 19, 2014)*
Toxic Jerky Treats Responsible For More Than 1,000 Dog Deaths, FDA Says

It states, "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued another warning about toxic jerky treats, and it seems the poisonous pet snacks are still a problem."

*FDA Provides Latest Information on Jerky Pet Treat Investigation (May 16, 2014)*
FDA Provides Latest Information on Jerky Pet Treat Investigation


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an update on its ongoing investigation into pet illnesses and deaths in animals that ate jerky pet treats. This update includes the latest information about complaints of illnesses, FDA’s collaboration with the CDC on a new case control study, and new findings revealed through the agency’s testing. Unfortunately, FDA has still not been able to identify a specific cause for the reported illnesses or deaths.


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## Henry's Mum (Nov 6, 2013)

I buy sliced liver and bake it in the oven, chop it into pea size bits and freeze it. It isn't jerky, but is there any harm in the baking? It is a high value treat for Henry and he loves it.


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## B&K (Feb 10, 2013)

Interesting read, i thought i was safe buying these treats from "Only Natural Pet".


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

We dehydrate the same chicken that we (and Summit) eat. We marinate it in orange juice (& garlic), as a preservative, add nothing else, and keep it in the freezer, but it doesn't sit around for long anyway. No one who's ever tried it turns it down


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## Tennyson (Mar 26, 2011)

My butcher makes Deaglan jerky from beef, chicken and veal.
Every 3 months I get a shipment of wild Alaskan salmon and he dehydrates that for us. Small pieces = high value treats in Deaglan's mind.
Never a digestive problem.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

I have wondered whether baked meat or possibly even dehydrated meat is really all that safe, due to the acrylamide created by cooking it without water. Acrylamide causes cancer. Stewed meat has little or no acrylamide, and poultry has less than beef.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Dehydrated meat isn't cooked so acrylamide shouldn't arise.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

I make dehydrated chicken breast, nothing added usually, but sometimes a sprinkle garlic powder and dried parsley. 
It's the only treat he can tolerate, I would hate to think homemade jerky is also not okay for him. :/

What about dehydrating chicken and then grilling it so the meat is completely white and fully cooked?


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## DogOwner (Jul 30, 2015)

What about bully sticks?


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