By now, I think all dog owners are aware of the risk of giving their dogs treats made in China. They have been linked to hundreds of dog deaths. No need to elaborate, a simple Google search will lead you to numerous articles on the subject.

Courtesy Image: SOMMAI
Courtesy Image: SOMMAI

I am not sure about other countries, but here in the US we look for a label that says something to the effect of “Made in the USA” or ”Manufactured in the USA.” These little markers typically use markings that are red, white and blue – often a flag or stars. To further the USA claim, some companies add an extra layer of confidence by stating the treats are “tested in the USA” as well. This is not as rosy as it seems. In fact, all that has been accomplished is to give pet owners a false sense of safety.

According to dogfoodadvisor.com:

“Here in the U.S., current country of origin labeling laws are either weak or non-existent. They offer little protection to consumers, especially when it comes to the source of a dog food’s ingredients.

For a product to be labeled “Made in the USA” (or for that matter, any other country), regulations require only that the product be “all or virtually all” made in that country.

Nowhere do labeling rules mandate the identification of sources of the individual components that were used to make a product.

So, even though a company reports they manufacture a dog food completely in a U.S. or Canadian facility, there’s no way to assure a consumer the ingredients weren’t sourced from a foreign producer.”

I suggest reading the entire article on dogfoodadvisor.com

I have a real life example –  I was walking through the pet store last week and noticed that a bag of treats had the words “Tested in the USA” written in bold letters, complete with stars and stripes.  A closer look indicated that it was made in China.

The bottom line here: ditch the store-bought treats and try items made from of ‘real food’. If that is not feasible, carefully read the label and do tiny bit of research.