Dog owners warned about jerky treats causing kidney problems

The Animal Health Trust, based in Kentford near Newmarket, said yesterday: “Many of these dogs had been fed dried jerky type dog treats, specifically chicken or duck. While a cause is unknown, all the treats were identified as from China.”

The clinical signs are tiredness, decreased appetite, increased thirst and increased need to urinate and the trust says blood and urine tests indicate a rare kidney disorder.

Dog owners are advised to make an appointment with their vet where they have noticed any of these symptoms in their dog and are feeding him or her jerky treats which are thought to be imported.

Mellora Sharman, AHT internal medicine clinician, said:“Most dogs respond well if the treats are removed from their diet promptly after noticing the clinical signs.

“Some dogs may require hospitalisation and supportive medication but the more extreme cases of this syndrome so far appear to be less common in the UK. This problem has been reported previously in America and Australia.”

For more information visit www.aht.org.uk.