A Prince George veterinarian is concerned about the safety of a doggie treat made in China after coming across two small dogs in a 24-hour period that had trouble digesting the product.
Dr. Cladogh Domegan said the dogs - a Yorkshire Terrier pup and an adult Shitzu cross - were brought into Ospika Animal Hospital in late June after they were given Waggin' Trails Cowboy Steaks.
The snacks are made out of chicken and whitefish pressed into a spiral to look like a steak. The contents raised an alarm for Domegan because earlier the same month, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association issued a warning about dogs in Ontario showing signs of Fanconi syndrome, a kidney-related ailment, after they were fed chicken jerky treats manufactured in China.
The treat didn't go down well for Gimli, a seven-month-old Yorkshire Terrier who didn't eat for three days and suffered "mud butt" - a soft stool coming out of her back end - after he was fed the treat by owner Bella Greene who then took him into Domegan.
The pup has since recovered after a night of fluids and antibiotics but at about the same time Domegan also saw one other dog that had the same trouble after eating the treat, a small adult Shitzu cross. Domegan saw the dog on an emergency basis and it was taken to another veterinarian in town the next day.
The trouble with the Yorky never reached a full-blown case of the Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney-related disorder that can make a dog very sick, although Domegan did notice signs of protein in the dog's urine, a telltale sign.
"At this point in time with the case that I saw, I can't really say that he had Fanconi syndrome but I can say he had a really upset gut and that these treats pose a choking hazard for small dogs," Domegan said.
"They're small enough that they can swallow them but they've got the consistency of tire rubber so they literally don't soften and break down unless they're really well chewed."
She said treats with that consistency should be large enough that the dog can't "bolt it down."
"And these two dogs, in these two cases, bolted down and immediately had problems," said Domegan who emersed a sample into water only to find it would not soften.
COSTCO PULLS PRODUCTS FROM SHELVES
Greene said she bought the treats at Costco in April but waited until late June to feed the item to Gimli and her three other Yorkies after they had perfected a trick. Her oldest dog also had problems, Green added, but not enough to take to the vet.
Greene said that when she went back to Costco to complain, she was told four other owners came in with the same complaint and the product was pulled off the shelf. Costco officials declined to comment when contacted this week.
The Shitzu's owner could not be reached, but Claudette Norbury, another Yorky owner, said she took her dog three-year-old named Ozzie, into Prince George Veterinary Hospital in April and May after he started vomiting up blood and was suffering severe stomach pain shortly after he was fed the snack. Ozzie was successfully treated both time but a cause could not be found.
When the problem emerged a third time in late June, about the same time Domegan saw the two other dogs at Ospika Animal Hospital, Norbury said she was told they have two other dogs in the hospital who had trouble after eating the same product.
She was told to use the anti-vomiting medication she had been given before but decided against it.
"I didn't use it because I thought to myself If there is something that's not agreeing with you, you should get it out, so he continued to vomit all that day and by the next day he seemed to be better," Norbury said.
Norbury also took her concerns to Costco and has since received a copy of a letter the retailer sent to Nestle-Purina, which owns the Waggin' Trails brand, stating Nestle-Purina is responsible for any claims for damages as a result of the product.
Greene said Nestle-Purina has asked her to send a sample of the product she bought and plans to do so.
COMPANY CONTACTS P.G. DOG OWNERS
Nestle-Purina spokesman Keith Schopp said the company has been in contact with two of the consumers in Prince George who lodged complaints.
"We regret anytime a consumer has a less than satisfactory experience with our products and our products are safe," Schopp said.
He also later said in an e-mail that Costco Canada did not pull the product in question. Costco officials in Prince George declined to comment but none of the product was found on the retailer's shelves this week.
Prince George Veterinary Hospital said they could not comment because there was no record of Norbury's June visit to the clinic. Norbury said she was told informally of the cause and did not have to pay a bill for her June visit.
The package states small dogs of 15 pounds or less should not be given more than two treats each day.
