Nestle Purina Petcare Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are facing a class action lawsuit from a pet owner who says his 9-year-old Pomeranian died from eating chicken jerky treats.

Illinois resident Dennis Adkins sued over Nestle Purina’s Waggin’ Train Yam Good dog treats after his canine companion Cleopatra became ill and died of kidney failure after consuming a Nestle Purina treat from Wal-Mart each day for three days.

Adkins said he did not change anything about Cleopatra’s diet other than the addition of the treat. His other 9-year-old Pomeranian, Pharaoh, was not fed the treat and did not become ill.

In the lawsuit, Adkins said he incurred more than $2,300 in damages, including the value of his dog and veterinary expenses.

The lawsuit claims that Cleopatra died from eating chicken jerky treats that Nestle Purina and Wal-Mart both knew posed a substantial risk of illness or death.

An Illinois man has sued Nestle Purina Petcare Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., saying his dog died from eating chicken jerky treats that the defendants knew posed a substantial risk of illness or death.

In November 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning about chicken jerky treats imported from China, saying it had received a number of complaints from pet owners after their animals had become ill after eating the treats.

FDA officials are on the ground in China, actively investigating complaints of canine illness associated with chicken jerky products imported from China.

Anamaria Castiglia, DVM, veterinary medical officer with the FDA, told veterinarians at the AAHA Yearly Conference in Denver that the FDA is working to investigate the source of the illnesses.

"We have some boots in China going to the firms to evaluate," Castiglia said. "It’s not a clear situation. It’s not clear at all."

In 2011, the FDA saw an increase in the number of complaints it received of canine illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China.

Chicken jerky products have been on the FDA’s radar since 2007, when it issued a cautionary warning to consumers about the products. In 2008, the FDA issued a Preliminary Animal Health Notification, but complaints about the product began to drop off during the latter part of 2009 and most of 2010.

Those complaints started to rise again in 2011, prompting the FDA to release another cautionary update about chicken jerky products imported from China.