Women put out warning, to sue company after they say popular treats killed their dogs Two women, who are preparing to sue a company that sells dog treats, are trying to warn pet owners after their pets died.
Two women, who are preparing to sue a company that sells dog treats, are trying to warn pet owners after their pets died.
Stacy Carlyle, of Hall County, told Channel 2 anchor Sophia Choi that a treat killed her dog, Bella, and nearly killed her twin sister, Bailee.
She said her veterinarian found a piece of treat still inside Bella, several days after Bella ate it in September 2019. Carlyle had to put Bella down.
She is now planning to sue the company along with Jennifer McConnell, who lives in Texas. She had a similar experience in October 2019.
McConnell said her English bulldog, Titus, ate a DreamBone treat, and his legs started to buckle.
“I put my hand – I mean, my hand was basically in his stomach, and (the treat) was lodged,” McConnell said. “To have my dog die in my arms like it did. I don’t want that to happen to anybody.”
The treats are found in several grocery and pet stores. We spotted some at a metro Walmart. They come in a variety of flavors.
The two women say lots of people are buying them and have collected hundreds of similar complaints.
“They should be investigating and doing something to where I’m not getting three emails a week on somebody’s dog dying or getting sick,” McConnell said.
Channel 2 Action News spoke to Dr. Sara Gonzalez, a veterinarian from the University of Georgia, who said the treat could sit in a dog’s stomach, or worse, get stuck in its intestines.
“The farther down it moves, we probably have less chances of seeing vomiting, while still possible, and would be more likely to see things like abdominal pain, not wanting to eat,” Gonzalez said.
Choi obtained a copy of a lawsuit filed by two women in California. In it, the lawsuit states the product contains “a large amount of indigestible ingredient.”
It points out “sorbitol” as the third listed ingredient and that “sorbitol is indigestible, and is widely characterized and classified, including by the FDA, as an indigestible sugar alcohol.”
The products remained on the shelves with a slight change. Instead of saying more than 99% digestible, it now says highly digestible.
“I mean, it’s hard; you can’t pull it off. And they said in order for anybody, a dog or human, this has got to be able to chew off,” McConnell said.
Spectrum Brands now owns the company that puts out DreamBone treats. It sent Choi a statement, saying:
“The health and safety of all dogs who enjoy our DreamBone products is our highest priority. We believe there is no merit to these allegations and we stand behind the quality and safety of our DreamBone products.”
The Food and Drug Administration regulates dog treats and puts out warnings and recalls for pet foods. We are still trying to get the number of complaints filed with the FDA related to the dog treats.
“Before taking action regarding a product, FDA must fully investigate complaints submitted to the agency – performing tests, inspections, and interviews before we have enough information to verify whether there is a public safety concern.”
“Make sure that they are chewing it responsibly and not just swallowing it whole,” Gonzalez said.
As for Carlyle and McConnell, Spectrum Brands offered them a settlement, but they’re determined to take this case to court.
“You know, you’re just trying to make them happy, and the next thing you know, something you did took their life,” Carlyle said.
The women said their attorneys fired them, saying they saw no benefit of going to the media with this story.
The women came to Channel 2 Action News, and there was no pressure put on them to do this story.
They said they wanted to get the word out about the treats now to save dogs and pet owners some heartache.
I checked all the ingredients, and there wasnt anything out of the ordinary that would have been harmful – the ONLY thing I saw that he is not normally accustomed to was kelp and chlorophyl. I looked all over the internet to see if DreamBones had any complaints, recalls or lawsuits, and found nothing.
I know seizures can also be caused by epilepsy, brain tumors, tick bites, and other toxins. I just found it highly coincidental that this happened so quickly after consuming this particular pet snack, which he had never had before. We monitored him closely over the next 24 hrs, and he is totally back to normal, as if nothing ever happened. We threw these snacks away and will never use them again. We will continue to pay careful attention to him, and if it happens again, we will then be faced with taking blood and urine samples to check for other issues. I really hope that the DreamBones was our actual problem, and this never happens again. Related Stories
Has anyone had any problems with a dog snack called “DreamBones”? I bought them at Martins Grocery Store (a.k.a. Giant). They are supposedly a healthier alternative to rawhide. They are supposed to be 99% digestable, and instead of being made of rawhide, they are made out of plants (mainly kelp), and had a chicken filling.
I gave this to my 3 yr old dog who is strong as an ox, and has never had any medical issues – and within 30 minutes of consuming it, he went into a seizure. It scared the crap out of me, I thought he was dying right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Then about 10-15 minutes after the seizure, he was back to normal. He went outside and had a normal bowel movement, and dinner later in the evening and had another normal bowel movement, so that told me he didnt have a blockage. I can only assume there was something in the ingredients that he had a severe allergic reaction to.
DreamBone’s Brand
DreamBone was founded in 2008 with the intention of providing safe and healthy treats for your dog. They claim to be “revolutionizing pet chews” and take monitoring their products for quality control seriously. Best of all, their chews are rawhide-free, highly digestible, and made with vitamins and minerals to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Reviews & Rating
DreamBone may sound like the products of your dreams, but let’s take a look at some reviews and see how their products have held up to the company’s promises. While there are mostly positive reviews, some customers have claimed that the treats don’t last very long compared to rawhide products. Others have reported that there is a white residue from the treats left on carpets, furniture, and beds.
While DreamBone is a healthier alternative to other rawhide products, there doesn’t seem to be any larger chews for bigger dog breeds. However, if you have a smaller dog and don’t mind the treat disappearing a little faster than an unhealthy alternative, DreamBone is a great fit!
I give DreamBone four stars out of five because even though there are some minor setbacks to having a product that isn’t one-size-fits-all, it is still a healthier alternative to rawhide products.
Even though the brand doesn’t offer sizes that cater to large dog breeds, it does offer a variety of different shapes, sizes, and flavors! DreamBone has a variety of different tasty treats and I picked out the top five in order to give you an overview of what the brand has to offer your pup. Remember not to overfeed your dog treats; she can start to gain weight.
FAQ
Can I give my puppy dream bones?
Does DreamBone make dogs sleepy?
Do Dream bones have rawhide?