Recalled Pet Treat Wall of Shame
Here are images of pet treats that have been recalled in the past few years. These are just pet treats, not dog or cat food. The FDA is busy and understaffed. They regulate the eleventy billion drugs on the US market, plus they are busy responding to deadly outbreaks in the "people food" supply. I assume that treats for animals are not the FDA's first regulatory priority. After all, treats should only be consumed in small amounts, so they should be harder for a tainted product to critically harm an animal.
Many of these are Jerky types of treats. Some are raw food items. My Tails of the Cheap advice is save your money and don't serve dog food jerky or raw food treats. Don't buy rawhide or bully-sticks unless you research it like you would a baby's car seat. Typical chemicals used in their production are just too harsh for you to assume it is safe. Don't serve treats that are produced outside of the USA. Ever. The FDA just does not have the resources to screen out all questionable dog treats. Find a domestic dog biscuit company that makes a treat without weird ingredients, food coloring or preservatives. When I can't get to the 3 Dog Bakery for their "by the pound" mini biscuits, I give my dogs goldfish crackers, or tidbits of chicken and ham. How is this saving money? Serving boutique treats or people food? I avoid vet trips and carpet cleanings from dogs getting sick on bad or tainted treats. For a FDA list of recalled pet food and treats click here