Hau-Hau Champion dog chews undergo further testing amid health concerns in Finland

In the coming days, additional test samples of Hau-Hau Champion dog chews will be sent to the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto) amid concerns that they may be linked to health issues in dogs. The cause of these symptoms remains unknown for now.

The light rolls produced by Prime Pet Premium Oy were pulled from shelves in August due to suspected product defects. CEO Timo Pärssinen stated that the company is still investigating the potential product issue. Preliminary test results received last week showed no anomalies in the product. New samples will soon be sent to the Food Authority, and the company has also conducted its own tests at Finnish laboratories. Furthermore, the products are slated for more specialized analyses in foreign laboratories.

Pärssinen hopes to identify the reasons behind the symptoms reported by consumers, expressing concern that the worst-case scenario would involve the laboratories finding nothing, leaving doubts regarding the product.

In recent weeks, the company has received hundreds of inquiries related to the situation, with most being concerned questions about product safety. A number of reports involved suspected health issues in dogs. Yle received similar complaints from dog owners in August, noting symptoms that included neurological issues, panic attacks, respiratory problems, and diarrhea.

Pärssinen has discussed these cases personally with customers and believes the conversations have been constructive, emphasizing that the primary concern for both consumers and the company is the health of pets. However, he highlighted that in some instances, dogs have been given significantly more chews than recommended, which should only constitute a small portion of a dog’s daily energy needs. He noted that some medium-sized dogs were reported to have received four or five chews daily, which is excessively high and could pose digestive issues, as beef hide can be difficult to digest.