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Despite efforts by dog owners around the country to stop the import of all chicken jerky treats imported from China, a few companies have held firm that their products were completely safe and did not include trace amounts of unapproved antibiotics responsible for the massive chicken jerky recalls of 2012.
One of those brands was Dogswell…
The recall was announced in a letter to consumers at the Dogswell website:
During routine testing of our products, the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets (NYSDAM) discovered that a sample of our Dogswell Happy Hips Chicken Breast Jerky contained trace amounts of an antibiotic residue that has not been approved for use in the United States. It is important to note that this antibiotic is accepted for use in other countries (including the European Union), and there is no evidence that products containing trace amounts of this antibiotic pose a health risk for pets or humans. Since we were notified by the NYSDAM the week of July 22nd, we have made the decision to voluntarily withdraw Chicken Breast and Duck Breast jerky under the Breathies, Happy Heart, Happy Hips, Mellow Mut, Shape Up, Veggie Life, Vitality, and Vitakitty brands that are labeled with a “Best Before” date of January 28th, 2015 or any earlier date. The vast majority of these products were distributed before March 1st of this year. No other products are affected.
Since January, we have been using state-of-the-art testing procedures to ensure that our chicken and duck products do not contain these or other unapproved antibiotics. All chicken and duck breast jerky products with a “Best Before” date of January 29, 2015 and later have been fully tested for and do not contain these antibiotics.
The following Dogswell and Catswell brand chicken and duck jerky products, with a “Best Before” date of January 28th, 2015 have been recalled:
Breathies
Happy Heart
Happy Hips
Mellow Mutt
Shape Up
Veggie Life
Vitality
VitaKitty
If you have a package of any product involved in the recall, discontinue feeding immediately and call Dogswell at 1-888-559-8833 for a full refund.
Then, until Chinese sourcing and manufacturing processes improve, choose only dog food and treats that are not imported from China!
Megan
Jul 13, 2015 at 2:57 am
I am so upset these treats are being recalled!!!! I have had the hardest time finding treats my picky Yorkie likes to eat, let alone is not allergic to – this duck jerky has become his absolute favorite and on top of it all I trusted it! Now I am stuck experimenting with new treats to see what works for him, just today we ran out of those treats and went and bought the new “duck grillers” they substituted the jerky with – and he already has has diarrhea again!!! They are absolutely nothing alike. This just stinks, I am so disappointed!!! We only buy limited ingredient/two-three ingredient treats and he still has issues. I thought I found something that we could buy forever – it was the only thing that didn’t make him sick, and go figure it has been recalled. Crazy. I wish there was a USA made duck jerky treat just like these minus the creepy antibiotic….. I can’t find any!!! Please email me if you have a suggestion! [email protected] thanks
Megan
Jul 13, 2015 at 2:55 am
I am so upset these treats are being recalled!!!! I have had the hardest time finding treats my picky Yorkie likes to eat, let alone is not allergic to – this duck jerky has become his absolute favorite and on top of it all I trusted it! Now I am stuck experimenting with new treats to see what works for him, just today we ran out of those treats and went and bought the new “duck grillers” they substituted the jerky with – and he already has has diarrhea again!!! They are absolutely nothing alike. This just stinks, I am so disappointed!!! We only buy limited ingredient/two-three ingredient treats and he still has issues. I thought I found something that we could buy forever – it was the only thing that didn’t make him sick, and go figure it has been recalled. Crazy. I wish theetreats would make a duck jerky, I can’t find any!!!
Raymond Manning
Jan 19, 2015 at 11:02 pm
If it is made in China I will never buy it
Anna
Sep 25, 2014 at 10:40 am
I want every pet owner to be aware that this company does not care about the quality of their treats. I purchased Dogswell Vitality Jerky Bars “Salmon & Veggies”. My dog started to have diarrhea every evening in the house and occasional vomiting. Our dog never has accidents in the home, therefore, we knew something was very wrong. At first, we didn’t know what was causing this. By the 4th day, our dog had declined. Our vet suggested to do process of elimination with anything new in his diet before this gets worse. Since these treats were the only new product we introduced into his diet, we immediately stopped. By the next day, he was much better and the diarrhea and vomiting had ceased.
I contacted customer service right away and informed them of what had happened. They took my information and did absolutely nothing about this incident. They said it could have been anything else . . .there’s no proof. They did NOT ask to have the treats sent for testing. I was very suprised for their lack of concern and due diligence. I asked, Leslie, the person of contact, to please have management contact me. Also, I had further researched the company online and discovered that they have had a recall on another one of their treats where many dogs became very ill and/or died. Furthermore, it’s been about a month, after several calls, no management has contacted me.
Anna
Sep 25, 2014 at 10:33 am
I want every pet owner to be aware that this company does not care about the quality of their treats. I purchased Dogswell Vitality Jerky Bars “Salmon & Veggies”. My dog started to have diarrhea every evening in the house and occasional vomiting. Our dog never has accidents in the home, therefore, we knew something was very wrong. At first, we didn’t know what was causing this. By the 4th day, our dog had declined. Our vet suggested to do process of elimination with anything new in his diet before this gets worse. Since these treats were the only new product we introduced into his diet, we immediately stopped. By the next day, he was much better and the diarrhea and vomiting had ceased.
I contacted customer service right away and informed them of what had happened. They took my information and did absolutley nothing about this incident. They said it could have been anything else . . .there’s no proof. They did NOT ask to have the treats sent for testing. I was very suprised for their lack of concern and due diligence. I had further researched the company online and discovered that they have had a recall on another one of their treats where many dogs became very ill and/or died. Furthermore, it’s been about a month, after several calls, no management has contacted me.
Erin
Jul 5, 2014 at 12:11 am
We purchased Happy Hips Jerky Bars 07/04/2014 and gave 2 to our chihuahua and with in a couple of hours her face started to swell she is having an allergic reaction to something in the treats so I doubt that they are all natural. The sell by date on the bag is 2/20/2015… I am seriously beyond pissed this shit needs to be pulled from the shelves..
David
Jul 2, 2014 at 2:51 pm
I realize this is an old blog. I recently gave my dog Dogswell Happy Hip Duck Breast treats. He has vomited twice and the only reason I can think of is the addition of this treat. Does anybody have any information about these treats? I know that I am not giving him the treats anymore. Thanks.
Cheryl
May 28, 2014 at 6:41 pm
I am so tired of our Loving, Innocent, Pets Being POISONED! I will never buy another piece of dog food treat etc. We have to be there advocates. I believe this should be Investigated further. My puggle became violently ill after eating Dogswell Chicken Tender with Flaxseed and Vitamins. (MADE IN USA) hmmmm. This has got to STOP. It is So Sad!
tony smith
May 25, 2014 at 11:47 am
My SIX-YEAR-OLD black lab has been eating these things since she was a few months old! Her health is impeccable.
Melodie Mauldin
May 23, 2014 at 2:47 pm
I purchase Dogswell veggie life happy hips sweet potato jerk treats. I gave them to my black lab mix and she vomited that night wasn’t eating and 2 days later she was in the ER with hemolytic anemia and liver failure which the Vet said was caused by a toxin in something she ate. After 4 blood transfusion multiple medications she died 10 days later. I spent over $4000 in vet bills and lost my 6 yr old dog over what I believe was toxins in dogswell treats which were part if the recall. I’m currently trying to find who to contact in the class action lawsuit. If anyone has any information please reply to my email. Nothing can bring back Kuma and my broken heart but this has to stop!
Rebecca
Oct 20, 2014 at 3:49 pm
Hi, I was just wondering if you still had the bag of these treats. And if you do, would you mind telling me the expiration date/batch number on the bag. On September 3, 2014, we lost our 2 year old dachshund, Mia to hemolytic anemia and liver failure. Just days after we bought the Sweet Potato Jerky treats. Today, I am going to look through every single receipt in my house to find out the exact day I bought them. We didn’t any thing about it being related to these treats, because our other dachshund actually finished the rest of that bag of treats throughout this past month, and he’s perfectly fine. But your comment is really making me think again. I really hope to hear from you soon!! Thank you!
Bobbi
May 20, 2014 at 9:28 am
I Just heard the FDA is still investigating chicken tenders for dogs. I have a beautiful 12 yr. old basset hound. He started having gran mal seizures in 2008. My family & I looked at everything he’d been eating. I’ll admit I never paid attention to the feeing guidelines, so the 1st thing I learned is I was giving him too many of his favorite treats. At that time, this was probably a contributing factor. He went on to have about 1 gran mal seizure per month while we continued to try to understand why. About 3-4 months later, it was suggested by a friend that we switch him to a grain-free diet. We tried it. It has done wonders, & For the most part, this change has (literally) been a lifesaver. After this change, he immediately went 6 months seizure-free. Now he maybe has 1 seizure/ year. Although the grain-free diet was of my vet’s idea, I talked w/ him about it & he made a lot of notes in Hank’s chart. He hypothesized that it maybe related to a severe mood sensitivity. (Dog food & treats made w/ the grain corn, for example, are sometimes made w/ corn that has molded in silos & slipped into our let’s food.) What helped w/ this hypothesis is that one of Hank’s seizures that came about a year after the diet-change happened after he found & ate some old moldy bread under a tree outside. (He is a hound, after all.) So, two (2) big lessons for me that I want to share w/ everyone: 1.)read the label to see how many treats are okay for your dogs weight. (To help ,I break Hank’s treats in half on days wen he seems to be asking for snacks a lot.) 2.) watch the expiration date & how your food/snacks are stored & check them for mold. I am disappointed to say that, after about 18 months, Hank had a seizure on Easter morning. Although I will still give him chicken tenders b/ they are a better choice for him than grain (possibly mold)-containing biscuits, I now wonder if it was something in his HappyHips chicken treats. Since that is his only treat, I will be limiting the # I give him until i can make him some from scratch. Sigh…
Penny (mom of Wimpy)
Mar 23, 2014 at 4:20 pm
My ten year old Dachshund, Wimpy, suddenly had all kinds of symptoms including excessive thirst, hunger, panting, lethargy, spaciness. He was bloated and not his trim self anymore. This all seemed to happen over a month. I knew Chinese chicken jerky was bad, prior to him getting sick I went to the local pet store and asked for USA made jerky strips. The girl pointed me to an aisle with about three selections. Happy Hips was one of them, and I was happy because at ten years old, Wimpy tended to snap crackle and pop like a little old man. I did not have my readers with me when I bought the strips, and trusted that the clerk was correct in saying these were USA made. Once Wimpy came down with the above symptoms, the vet ran a battery of tests: and he was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease. She couldn’t believe how fast it came on him. He is now on an $80.00 an month prescription for Vetoryl which only makes his symptoms a little better. I know we won’t have him around much longer, as he looks at me like the suffering is too much for him. I had a sneaky suspicion once this happened, and put on my readers and really had to search the bag as to where these strips were made. Low and behold, on the very bottom of the bag in really small print: made in China. I am mad at myself for not double checking and mad at the clerk for basically lying to me.
C
Mar 11, 2014 at 3:04 pm
I went to the Natural Products West Show in Aneheim this past weekend and Dogswell was there. I spoke to a company representative and told him that my dog diet after eating their treats (the only treats I fed her). He explained that their products were never made in China (even thought it states this on their website) and that they mistakenly got lumped in to this mess and had to hire a PR firm. He flat out lied about the treats and he even went on to say that they are the only company that manufactures in the US. Another lie, they may assemble the treats here but they purchase the chicken from China. I would never trust this company ever. Lies, lies and more lies. I will join the lawsuit.
Val Quale
Mar 10, 2014 at 1:36 pm
I have been feeding my golden retriever dogs well happy hips duck treats for about a week now. Yesterday she would not eat anything and began to vomit. Her stool was filled with bloody mucus. After many hours of the same behavior I decided to take her to ER. She is now on drip fluids and undergoing a rash of tests to try and determine what is going on. Shame on these companies for putting their bottom line above the lives and health of our beloved pets. Can anyone tell me what my vet should be testing for? How can we save my Leah?
kristi
Sep 13, 2014 at 7:24 am
Val, how is your sweet dog doing now??? I have had a similar reaction, first with my giant schnauzer and then two days later with my sweet standard schnauzer. I, too, am furious for missing that these treats are made in China…….I knew all about the chicken jerky being a problem, but never heard the sweet potato was a problem. Just beyond sad and frustrated with myself. Has your sweet dog recovered and what testing did you do?
frank reynolds
Jan 22, 2014 at 2:05 pm
happy hips duck–best by 5/22/2015–add to list of toxic jerky. border collie vomited during night 1/20. this am vomited 5 minutes after swallowing one of the product- same peculiar emesis. Plan to have full analysis this jerky and suspect we will find the same crappy product with an updated best by date. product is new to my dog. total of 4 treats given.
Annette
Nov 25, 2013 at 6:22 pm
Alex only 2.46lbs. On November 8th he weighed 3.08lbs. I gave Alex and my other dog Chloe Dogswell Chicken treat for skin with flax seed.on November 21st. On November 22nd they both start to have diarrhea. On November 23, the diarrhea turn to pure blood. Chloe recovered but Alex has not. He is currently at the Veterinary Hospital on IV’s with about 6 ailments found through blood work. His kidney’s are failing.He is suffering. I don’t think he will survive today. He is dying senselessly.
Please open this link and read. This may have already thousands of our furry loved ones. Please do not ignore.
I may lose my Alex today. I purchased this at Target. Target did not pull this item off their shelves after reported recalls. This is irresponsible by Target which reflects no regard for animals. All to make a couple extra bucks. They obviously have no regard for animals or think little of them!!!!!
Please pass this link!!!!! I really don’t want this to happen to your loved one. I want as many people to know about this as possible. Something needs to be done!!!!!!! Please send this to people you may know out of state so it can circulate.
Lily
Nov 14, 2013 at 5:21 am
I have a recalled batch. We bought them at the store but they weren’t taken off shelves despite the recall! Tonight our healthy pug pup started vomiting everywhere about four hours after having this ready. She’s never done this before. I’m debating taking her to the ER. She’s never been sick. I’m scared for her health. I’m calling in the morning to this company. Is there a way to alert the FDA? Or anyone?
Cheryl
May 28, 2014 at 6:36 pm
I also have put a couple of calls into Dogswell. Kristin did leave me a message but I called back and no answer. My dog became violently ill after eating vitality chicken treats with flaxseed and vitamins.
Sloane Harris
Nov 9, 2013 at 11:50 pm
My German Shepherd suddenly fell over and died on July 18th, 2013. He was healthy prior to this. We were on vacation when this occurred so we opted not to an autopsy. This was just 8 days before Happy Hips recalled the jerky products. I am devastated to think that this could have been prevented and what killed him is something that I thought he would enjoy. I have wondered every day what killed him and then I came across this information. Any updates on a class action lawsuit?
Sandy Schoon
Nov 7, 2013 at 2:28 pm
Does anyone know if the Happy Hips Salmon & Veggies Jerky Bars are a problem or have been recalled? I bought my first bag for my little dog that was born with a liver problem. We give her LD prescription food. A treat with Salmon & veggie occasionally is the only treat she enjoys. Thanks.
Joe
Nov 5, 2013 at 11:42 am
Got call back from Dogswell that earlier representative mistakenly stated that there was a recall on the 06/20/2015 “best before”, and that those products are in fact not recalled.
Kara
Nov 4, 2013 at 9:49 pm
My Yorkie Poo loves these treats, she is also a very picky eater so I was so happy when she enjoyed these- she also needs to the glucosamine for her luxating patellas. On Thursday of this week she threw up and had diareaha, the diareaha has continued until today – Monday. I took her to the vet this morning and they told me about the recall on these treats. I was horrified to know that these have been recalled. The package I have is after the recalled date but Im still super worried. She goes in for blood work first thing in the morning. I pray everything is ok and I am so sorry to hear all the other owners that have lost their pets due to this. I am definitly looking into making my own treats. Fingers crossed and prayers that my Lulu is not affected by this brand.
Joe
Nov 5, 2013 at 8:42 am
Just got off the phone with Dogswell and, according to them, they voluntarily recalled Vitality Chicken Treat (Flaxseed and Vitamins) with best before date of 06/20/2015.
Cheryl
May 19, 2014 at 8:08 pm
My dog has been vomiting all day long after having vitality chicken treats with flaxseed and vitamins. I put a call into Dogswell but no answer. If this is making my dog sick this has got to STOP Now. I feed my dog homemade food and buy jerky treats supposedly made in USA to give occasionally. Our Pets are being Poisoned.
Cheryl
May 28, 2014 at 6:33 pm
I also have put a couple of calls into Dogswell. Kristin did leave me a message but I called back and no answer. My dog became violently ill after eating vitality chicken treats with flaxseed and vitamins.
Camille Sherwood
Oct 28, 2013 at 7:01 pm
Have been reading and searching for information about how vets are treating those affected. Our Pom has been in the hospital since a week ago Sunday with high Creatinine, BUN and liver enzuymes. Came home for 2 days and returned with higher levels on Firday. Currently on IV fluids and just starting to eat again. Any info anyone has about how their little friend was successfully treated would be greatly appreciated.
Kathie Wilhelm
Oct 28, 2013 at 11:54 am
I have been giving Schatz our Doxin Happy Hips Duck Breast for about 2-3 years because of the Glucosamine and Chondroitin in it. All of a sudden 3 weeks ago she had a Massive Grand Mall Seizure then went blind immediately took her to Vet and Liver test were bad. Put her on Med and still not much better she started having more seizures put on meds she couldn’t take now on another. She is at the Animal Hospital today all day as he is trying different test to find out what is causing all of this. Will continue after talking to the Doctor. Her bills are definately adding up
Sandy
Oct 23, 2013 at 3:33 pm
I have been feeding my dog Dogswell Happy Hips and Vitality for a few years now. He’s healthy; however, is a fussy eater and wants to eat grass and vomit often. The treats I have right now are dated 5042015. I tried calling Dogswell’s 866 number several times and the initial message says to press a specific number to reach customer service or a representative and the initial message merely repeats itself. These are the only treats my dog LOVES so now I’m going to make my own. I feel for those who have lost their animal family because of this. Sigh….it’s too bad so many products come from China. We try to buy USA made only. Hah!
Mary Ann Ceccarelli
Oct 10, 2013 at 9:10 pm
My wheaten Gracie is currently at the specialty hospital on IV’s because of an enlarged liver and all of her enzymes and vitals off. The only treats she gets are sweet dogs well vitality and I noticed loose stool and then she didn’t want to walk. We have suspicions that the treats have poisoned her from the antibiotics in them. I wii definitely get in on the law suit if someone gets me the info. My cost today alone was $4500.00
Ronda
Aug 11, 2013 at 10:25 pm
We were giving my Fred started with loose stool for a about a week and Thursday with blood in it. Called our vet and we thought it was just an upset stomach so we took his food and treats from him for a day to let his stomach calm down. The next day was somewhat better and we gave back his food, later that evening we gave him a chicken jerky from Dogswell, Happy Hips and he later started vomiting and the diarrhea continued. We are now taking him to the vet early in the AM as we are worried to death for our baby.
Julie
Nov 1, 2013 at 5:36 pm
I have given my Bordie Collie and my Mini Dauschund the Happy Hips Chicken Breast Jerky Treats for a while now, my border collie didn’t want them anymore so I changed to the Sweet potato and she started having problems
one day she was a little off, tired, the next she was throwing up blood with clots in it and could barely stand to drink water, she was laying down drinking, didn’t want to eat anything. Rushed her to the vet and they took xrays, blood tests checked her thoroughly and said she had an ulcer and it was leading to her being anemic. Put her on steroids and basically a doggie version of Omaprazole to fix the ulcer and keep her from throwing up. I recently found out about the recall and sent them an email with the information about the treats I bought since her symptoms match the problems others have had and am waiting to see what they have to say. Have you heard how the dogs are recovering? She isn’t throwing up anymore but still just not back to her old self. So very sad to see!
ddos vps
Aug 4, 2013 at 11:34 am
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barbara morrissette
Jul 31, 2013 at 7:36 pm
The issue with the chicken jerky treats is complicated because some dogs have no
problem with the treats, but some do. This is because the illegal antibiotics used by the Chinese, only effect aprox 7% of the dogs that eat them! It has to do with a specific allergic reaction, often unexpected and fatal, confusing dog owners and vets. If you want more in-depth info, please read Mollie’s post on poisonedpets.com, July 29 2013.
Basically, if you don’t make the treats yourself, you can be guaranteed that 99% come from China, regardless what it says on the package.
Nancy Reel
Jul 31, 2013 at 4:37 am
Do u think the US would tell you the truth ? I love my country, but i believe
they do what they want to, mistakes can be made anywhere, but owning up to
it is the problem, here, there and everywhere, they are all the same, deny , deny !
sandra
Jul 29, 2013 at 2:31 pm
i’m wondering if happy hips contributed to the early death of my daughet’s sheltie? he was healthy til i started giving them to him. a few months later… he was outside and suddenly couldn’t use his right front leg. got him to the vet… less than 24 hours later… he was dead. vet said it looked like blood clots to the shoulder and the lungs cause he couldn’t use his leg and he was having difficulty breathing. i now only buy treats for my dog that i call the manufacturer and ask where the meat they use comes from and if it’s not from the usa, i won’t buy it.
Michael
Jul 27, 2013 at 2:50 pm
Could this have caused the sudden death of my Labradoodle? Does anyone know where I could get info? Her liver enzymes were quite elevated. We used to feed her Mellow Mutt.
Debbie
Oct 23, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Michael
I recently lost my labradoodle. I had been giving her this brand of treats for a couple weeks but I’m not sure if it was Chicken or the ones with sweet potato because I threw them away. She got bloat. Could this be related?
Rebecca Hester
Jul 27, 2013 at 10:59 am
I give my dogs chicken jerky by Meijer’s. Does anyone know if these are in the recall?
Morgan Griffith
Jul 28, 2013 at 12:45 pm
With all the info on chicken jerky treats I would just not chance it. Who knows if this brand just hasn’t been named yet? I make my own treats so I know what is in the treats. Make for my neighbors too so they know they are getting good ingredients. Can even make treats for those dogs on specialized diets.
Mary DiBlasi
Jul 27, 2013 at 10:39 am
I didn’t buy much jerky treats to begin with – they look kind of gross to me. But when they started talking about the problems, I didn’t buy any from anybody. With all the kinds of treats there are out there I figured my dogs didn’t need them. It’s a shame they left them on the shelves so long. I even went to the manager of my Giant store and told him that some of the brands of treats he was selling (I’ll leave them unmentioned) contained the bad ingredients from China and should be recalled and taken off the shelves. He looked surprised and said he’d look into it, but I don’t think they were taken off the shelf.
I’m really sorry for the dogs that were poisoned. It’s so hard to know what’s safe anymore.
Morgan Griffith
Jul 28, 2013 at 12:43 pm
I was proud of my local Ralph’s grocery store. I saw the chicken treats that were the source of so much misery for dogs on their shelves. I told the store about them and they all of them are now off their shelves.
bindifry
Jul 27, 2013 at 7:19 am
its far cheaper & fresher to dehydrate your own fish & meat. i do my own yams as well-sam’s yams are far too expensive. put oven on lowest setting, prop door open a smidge & dehydrate 8 hours.
Maris
Jul 27, 2013 at 3:10 am
It’s about time. 2 of my dogs re being treated for kidney issues and this was the only treat I was giving them on a regular basis. If there is a class action lawsuit against the companies distributing them, I will join it. My vet bills are horrible!
Kaly White
Jul 27, 2013 at 4:41 pm
Maris, join the Facebook Group “Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China” – there is a class action law suit going on. Say Kaly sent you.
Marge
Jul 28, 2013 at 11:44 am
Me too! Duke had numerous seizures after eating these treats. Vet bill @ 2 thousand as of now and he is now on Phenobarbital for the rest of his life. Please share the class action information if you get it. Thank you!
Kimberly
Jul 28, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Go Get’em, Maybe if there were more class action LAWSUITS, maybe somethings would be checked more for us as Americans, and our Pets. This makes me so furious, and I’ve never been so more vigilant in my life in making sure what my pets eat. I won’t buy anything unless I see that it was MADE IN THE USA.