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This warning blasted across the internet in 2011: In response to reports of illnesses in pets associated with the consumption of jerky pet treats (primarily manufactured in China), over the past several years the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued several advisories to consumers: one in September 2007, one in December 2008, one in November 2011, one in September 2012, and another in May 2014. For example, an FDA advisory released on 14 September 2012 chronicled 2,200 reports of pet illnesses associated with jerky treats: By May 2014, those numbers had swelled to encompass 4,800 complaints: In response to this information, in May 2014 the national chain of Petco retail pet stores announced it would stop selling Chinese-made jerky treats in all of its stores by the end of 2014: However, the FDA still has not definitively established a causative link between pet illness and the consumption of jerky treats, stating that although they continue to receive complaints of dogs experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products ... to date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses: At best, the FDA has so far been able to perform necropsies on a few dozen dogs whose deaths were attributed to jerky treats. That agency found half that those deaths did not appear to be related to jerky pet treats, and the causes of death in the other half may or may not have been linked to the consumption of jerky treats: On 22 October 2013, the FDA released a Progress Report noting that the rate of complaints associated with jerky pet treats dropped sharply after several well-known brands were removed from the market in January 2013, but reiterating that the FDA has not yet identified a cause for the reported illnesses: The FDA also explained the difficulties it faces in trying to determine the specific cause behind pet illness reports: Pet owners who believe their pets have become ill from consuming jerky treats should observe the following steps to assist the FDA in its investigation: For additional information, check out the FDA's website and this episode of CBC's Marketplace.
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