Dogs make their own fun

There's no telling what toys Elka will like and play with, and what toys she'll hate.

The Unbreakoball is a great example. It certainly hasn't broken, because she hates it. Hilariously.

She likes squeaky toys now, though. When she was little, she seemed to think she was hurting them, perhaps because of the way we taught her bite inhibition (the yelp 'n' stop playing approach).

Recall: Dogswell Chicken and Duck Jerky Treats

Dogswell has voluntarily recalled chicken breast and duck jerky treats for "antibiotic residue". Products affected are those with a "Best by" date of January 29 2015, and earlier.

(image from Amazon)

The treats are made in China. According to the Dogswell web site, they manufacture their treats in China because:

China is a country where dark meat is more popular due to its inherent fat and flavor. DOGSWELL believes it is less wasteful to obtain our white meat in China where it is abundant, rather than sourcing it domestically, where white meat is less available and held at a premium. Not only do we care about your pet's health by sourcing only the healthiest meat available, we also practice sustainability by reducing as much waste as possible.

Personally, I don't think dogs care if they're eating chicken breasts or not. People who feed raw will feed necks and feet. So really, it seems to me more that their answer is "Making treats in China is cheap." Good spin, though. And really, it could be more sustainable to source the protein in China. I don't know about comparative poultry markets, and that's a fact. According to the Dogswell link above, the chicken is cage free, which I dig. I do know that I no longer buy dog treats or food that are made in China, because there have been so many recalls, and so many problems I've read about.

Granted, it's hard to find safe things anywhere. Seriously, our bagged salad is apparently suspect. But, you do what you can.

The article on Dogster.com mentions that the antibiotic is one that is not approved for use in the United States, but is in Europe. For what that's worth.

Consumers can email info@dogswell.com with questions and concerns, or call 1-888-559-8833

Safe Jerky Treats?

I occasionally go to both Walmart and Walgreens in my town, and of course I peruse the dog aisles. Cheap dog toys are a blessing sometimes. Of course, there's an increasing suspicion of anything Made in China, due to lead levels and other Bad Stuff found in everything from children's toys to baby formula to dog treats and toys. "Safe" is a state of mind, folks.

(pic unrelated. But seriously, remember spring? Summer?

(Not So) Tasty Tuesday March 6 2012

A lot of serious stuff lately....Heidi the Doberman, the fundraiser for the Doberman Assistance Network, and poor lost Blue in South Carolina. Today is another one: the FDA warning on chicken jerky treats.

This isn't a new warning, the chicken jerky thing, but somebody on Doberman Talk linked to an article on Dogs Naturally Magazine that included testimonials of "Waggin' Train Victims", and I thought it would be important enough to talk about. I used to buy Waggin' Train jerky for Elka, so this feels like a near miss for me. Not every dog gets sick from it, but it's still a serious deal. I stopped buying jerky products for Elka because I noticed that most of them are treated by irradiation, which kind of freaks me out. I'm sure it's technically safe, or that's what everybody wants us to think, and I'm not a scientist, just a paranoid consumer, and choose not to purchase such things.