Kona's Story
Young Pomeranian Becomes Ill from Chicken Chips from China:
Kona’s Chips was born in 2007, when our beautiful black Pomeranian, Kona, became ill from eating dried chicken breasts imported from China. Only six months old, Kona was the son of many champions—and he was lively and active. He enjoyed eating one slice of dehydrated chicken breast (from the local pet food store) before we left for work in the morning to ease his anxiety. After Kona became “addicted” to these chips, our breeder sent us warning notices about chicken breasts from China. Even though not included in the national recall pet food “scare”, she had been receiving reports about dogs becoming ill from the dehydrated “all natural” chicken breasts from China. We called her immediately and let her know which brand we were using. She told us that if Kona had not yet suffered any ill effects (he had been eating them for about 1 month), then he would be okay.
Cynthia and Kona - Big Sur, CA
Chips from China are Strangely Addicting:
Two weeks later Kona became ill. He began to refuse all food (except for the chips). He was completely listless. We remembered that the lady at the pet food store had said these chicken breast chips from China were highly addicting, especially for small dogs. Kona had no energy and was obviously ill, but would only eat the dehydrated “all natural” chicken breasts from China.
Treatment:
Medically confirmed, we began to treat Kona with Pedialyte and water, forced through a syringe. Baby rice cereal was also given—and no more chicken chips from China! Due to his youth and our care, Kona made a full recovery, and we hope he will not have any long-term effects or organ damage.
Note: If your dog becomes ill, always consult your veterinarian.
Our Search for a Healthy Replacement:
Our search for American-made dried chicken breast for dogs began. We started with our local pet food store and searched on-line. We were not able to find an all-American product which was produced in America, processed in America, packaged in American, and sold to American pet owners.
We began experimenting and making our own, starting with 100% USDA inspected chicken. In a few months, we had a healthy all-American product which Kona was wild about—and we were assured that he was safe.
The Three Little Words — “Made in China”:
Next time you are looking at jerky treats at a pet food store, search the label for the three little words: “Made in China”. Often very small, packaging can be misleading. Appearing as a USA product because the product is imported and packed in the United States, an American company name and address is often displayed prominently. Look very carefully and you will most likely find in very small letters, those three little words: “Made in China”.
When we first began our quest, I asked our local pet store owner if she stocked any dried chicken breast treats which were not from China. “We don’t carry any products from China,” she responded. I took her to her own shelf display and we looked at each package, which if inspected closely, all contained those three little words: “Made in China”. She was amazed!
