Better Business Bureau receives complaints about dog treats

Complaints are piling up against a Missouri company that distributes dog bones.

The Better Business Bureau in St. Louis has received 49 complaints about Dynamic Pet Products' Real Ham Bone, produced and sold by Frick's Quality Meats of Washington, Missouri, said Joey Keys, regional director of Better Business Bureau Cape Girardeau Regional Office.

Of those 49 complaints, six involve dogs that have died because of illness their owners believe was brought on by the bones.

"Forty-nine is a good amount of complaints on a product like this," Keys said.

Dogs showed symptoms ranging from vomiting and diarrhea to seizures and pieces of bone lodged in their bowels, according to a news release from the Better Business Bureau.

Consumers in San Diego recently filed a class-action lawsuit against Dynamic Pet Products and Frick's, alleging fraud and negligent misrepresentation in their distribution of the bones.

Dr. Christi Foutz of Skyview Animal Clinic in Cape Girardeau said the facility has not had any complaints against Dynamic Pet Products' Real Ham Bone in particular, but said many of the symptoms reported by consumers are what she would expect to see if a dog ingests such an item.

"Anything that's high in fat like that potentially could cause pancreatitis," Foutz said. "Ham being high in fat is going to predispose them to pancreatitis ... or hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, which is usually caused by eating something that they're not used to getting ahold of, and that can cause the bloody vomit and the bloody diarrhea."

Foutz said the involvement of a bone can complicate the issue.

"Anytime they chew up pieces of bone, they do end up with a pretty severe constipation" that often requires an enema, she said.

She said Skyview recommends avoiding giving any type of bone to a dog.

"Any type of bone potentially can cause the splintering where you have the problem with the big constipation," Foutz said. "... Worst-case scenario, you could even end up with a bone fragment that punctures through the intestine, and that's when you're in big trouble."

Aside from avoiding the product, Keys recommended consumers protect themselves by writing to their elected officials.

"We sent the bones to all 100 U.S. senators ... hoping to get them to ... look into the bones more closely, and dog bones in general," Keys said. "So if anyone is concerned, they could write their senators. Or, if they've had an issue, they could bring it to the attention of their senator, as well."

Keys said the Better Business Bureau sees the issue as a matter of ethics.

"A business' customers are telling them that their products are causing death or injury; they [have] an obligation to try to help their customers."

kwebster@semissourian.com

388-34646