“If these products are dangerous we’re asking (the FDA) to ask these manufacturers for a voluntary recall,” said Brown, adding the agency has received about 400 complaints in the last few weeks.
According to the FDA, hours to days after eating the treats dogs have suffered from decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea, increased water consumption and/or increased urination.
The FDA issued a warning about chicken jerky treats after receiving complaints about them in 2007, according to FDA officials.
The number of complaints dropped in 2009 and 2010, but spiked again in 2011, prompting the agency to issue another warning about the treats in November, according to the FDA.
McCutcheon’s didn’t know about the warnings until Jack became sick and a friend discovered the problem online.
By then, she said she had been feeding her dog, a Goldendoodle, Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch chicken jerky treats for about a year. He suffered from a rash behind his ear and other symptoms, she said.
McCutcheon sobbed Sunday after telling dozens that Jack, a therapy dog that visits schools and nursing homes, could have died if she had continued to feed him the treats.
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