Chicken dog treats made in China may cause health issues

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In a previous NBC Action News investigation, a local vet weighed in the debate over whether flea and tick medications for dogs and cats are safe when used correctly.

However there is something else that could make your pet sick: treats made of chicken jerky.

The American Veterinary Medical Association warns certain kinds of chicken jerky treats can be directly linked to an increase in liver problems in dogs. The products are sold under a variety of brands and are referred to as treats, strips and tenders. But all had one thing in common: they were made in China.

At Fairway Animal Hospital , vets are passing the warnings onto pet owners.

Veterinarian Serena Turner said, “It’s important to look at the labels because they may look like they came from the U.S. but in fine print it may say someplace that the ingredients were imported from China. So there's not one specific brand that's been implicated. There's been multiple suspect varieties but I believe most were someone in China."

An FDA investigation in 2007 failed to uncover the exact contaminants in the chicken jerky products imported from china, but issued several warnings saying pet owners who feed their dogs these products should look for signs of decreased appetite, lethargy or vomiting.