Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Illegal antibiotics found in chicken jerky dog treats linked to dog
By Sheridan, Robert et al.·Published in Journal of agricultural and food chemistry·2014·New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Determination of six illegal antibiotics in chicken jerky dog treats.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In 2007, some chicken jerky dog treats were linked to serious health issues in dogs, including a condition called Fanconi syndrome, which affects kidney function. Tests on various brands of these treats found six illegal antibiotics, including trimethoprim and enrofloxacin, at levels much higher than allowed. While there’s no direct evidence that these antibiotics caused the illnesses, their presence raises concerns about potential antibiotic resistance. Pet owners should be cautious about feeding their dogs chicken jerky treats, especially those from unknown sources.
People also search for: chicken jerky dog treats health risks · Fanconi syndrome in dogs · illegal antibiotics in dog food
Abstract
In 2007 chicken jerky dog treats were implicated in causing illnesses and death in dogs in several countries. Affected dogs were diagnosed with acquired Fanconi syndrome, which is characterized by kidney malfunction. Known causes of this condition include a chemical assault by various contaminants including certain drugs. For this reason investigations into possible causes of the illnesses included antibiotics that may be used in animal husbandry. Targeted analyte screens of individual imported chicken jerky dog treats using LC-MS/MS detected six illegal antibiotics in imported products of several brands. Trimethoprim, tilmicosin, enrofloxacin, sulfaclozine, and sulfamethoxazole are not allowed in chicken at any level and were found as high as 2800 ng/g (ppb). Sulfaquinoxaline was found in chicken jerky treats as high as 800 ng/g, which is well above the U.S. FDA tolerance of 100 ng/g. Although there is no evidence these contaminants were responsible for the dog illnesses, their misuse could contribute to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24437928/