A jerky recall has yet to be issued, despite the death of nearly 600 pets, primarily dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds, and another 3,600 becoming sick after a mysterious illness tied to jerky treats made in China, federal animal health officials said Tuesday.
The Food and Drug Administration has not isolated the cause of the illnesses, which has also affected 10 cats, who've consumed chicken, duck, and sweet potato jerky treats NBC News reported.
"To date, testing for contaminants in jerky treats has not revealed a cause for the illnesses," Martine Hartogensis, a deputy director for the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement from the agency, NBC News reported. "Despite these warnings, we have continued to receive reports of illnesses in both cats and dogs."
Federal FDA officials are currently seeking extra help from veterinarians and pet owners in solving the ongoing puzzle, requesting that they send in information about their animal's illness when it is first diagnosed; Vets are asked to send results of blood and urine tests.
The jerky treats reportedly cause gastrointestinal and kidney problems for the dog after consuming the treats. About 135 cases of Fanconi syndrome, a specific kind of kidney disease, have been reported.
"This testing will allow FDA to get a better idea of how many of the suspected cases involve Fanconi syndrome, whether or not the pets display symptoms of kidney or urinary disease," the report said.
According to reports FDA officials are currently uncertain about the source of the problem that has led to reports of illnesses.
"We still are extensively testing treats for a number of things," Hartogensis told NBC News. "We do seem to be getting some leads, but we still have a little bit of a ways to go."
Kendal Harr, a veterinary clinical pathologist who has been tracking the problem, said researchers are checking for the specific compound responsible for the illnesses.
"I think that what it tells us is that the intoxicant is something that we're not used to dealing with as a toxin in North America," she said.
In January, the FDA reported the death of 500 animals and another 3,200 illness, allegedly connected to jerky treats. Nestle Purina PetCare's issued a voluntary "withdrawal" of its Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch products, as did Del Monte Corp for its Milo's Kitchen Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers home-style dog treats.
It's unclear when the jerky treat-related deaths began,but the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) first issued an official warning to pet owners in September 2007 when dogs began becoming sick and dying from chicken jerky treats made in China.
If a pet does become ill after eating the treats, the FDA is asking owners to provide detailed information, including results of a necropsy to test an animal's tissues after death. Officials are currently contacting pet owners who might still have treats on hand to make sure they know about the potential problems.
Pet owners can report problems with jerky treats at the FDA's consumer safety portal.