Dogs really ARE Miracles with Paws!!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Real Ham Bone Warning!

****Edited to add***** This dog is not MY dog, but one belonging to a friend of my sister's. My sister raises show dogs and her friend passed this note on to her from the Show Dog List. I thank you all for your kind words and I will pass the information on to my sister in hopes that this poor woman will get some kind of compensation for all that she has been through. Thanks so much for caring.

This is just plain scary. We always think we are doing the right thing for our four-legged family members. We think we are purchasing treats for them....that make them happy. Apparently, the manufacturers of these products have other ideas. I think it's just disgraceful and I don't know how they live with themselves...selling products that could even potentially hurt an animal. Just awful. This warning is for dogs AND cats.

Cross post far and wide!!!!!

I would like to warn all dog lovers out there to be very careful about the dog treats that you give your dogs. Last week I bought a 'Real Ham Bone' made by Dynamic Pet Products of Missouri from Walmart. The label says it is made with '100% Food Grade Ingredients' and it isn't made from China. I thought that meant that this would make a good treat for my dogs. Boy was I wrong.

Trace, my dog, enjoyed chewing on this bone. It did not splinter or anything, in fact there is quite a large piece of it still left. Then in the evening she started vomiting. She spent the next day at a veterinarian' s office where she was diagnosed with a blockage of the colon. That night she endured a 4 hour surgery at Brandon Veterinary Specialists where the vet picked out small round pellets of the bone, up to the size of about a b-b. The next morning she was moved to Florida Veterinary Specialist critical care unit. Again in the evening she had another 2 hour surgery, because the blockage had caused poison in her body. She passed away at 4:30 the next afternoon.

Everyone who hears this horrible story immediately says 'Well that sounds like a lawsuit to me'. That is what I th ought also. Since then, I have learned that is not that easy to sue on behalf of a dog. The lawyers say a dog is a possession just like a couch. So, so far, all I have been able to do is write a certified letter to Dynamic Pet
Products of Missouri. In it I requested my vet bills to be paid and their product to be relabeled or preferably removed from the shelf. I don't know if I will get a response. If anyone else has any ideas about how I may address this issue, please let me know at djurgens12@aol. com.

In the memory of Trace, please pass this email on to all of the dog lovers that you know. This type of bone is sold in all of the stores under several different manufacturers names. I would assume they all may do the same thing. Even if they don't splinter, they can cause a
blockage.

15 comments:

willowtree said...

That's just sad.

silvieon4 said...

My heart is broken along with yours. May I reprint this on Silvieon4??
As a lawyer I can tell you that the climate is changing. The old chattel concept is being abandoned in many jurisdictions. I suggest you contact some of the rescue groups in your area for legal referrals. Poison is poison and Trace was poisoned. This was a known risk.
My arms around you. Silvieon2

ChrisB said...

I feel so sad for you. How can they get away with it! You need to get this story in the papers because clearly many pets could be at risk. I do hope there is a legal solution, not that this will bring back your beloved Trace but it might stop another dog suffering in the same way. ((hugs))

Brenda said...

Oh No! That is so sad! And it's also sad that one must be so diligent about trusting the pet product manufacturers.

A Spot of T said...

That's incredible and happened so fast. Poor pup :o(

I just had Mushu to the vet today and when I went to get his favorite chewy treats off the shelf, there weren't any. So I asked at the counter if they had any in the back and was told they no longer carry them. Why? Because they have had cases of dogs choking on them....!!!

They said there were enough cases that they just didn't feel comfortable carrying the product any more. Good grief. I came home and threw out the three I had left here. Mushu cried.

Kellan said...

Oh, this is just awful, Jeanne, I am so sorry! I wish I knew what else you can do to address this issue with the manufacturing company and that product should definintely be taken off the market - it is just horrible. Again, I am so sorry for your loss!

Take care - Kellan

Anonymous said...

This just makes me sick. I think I may have purchased one of those years ago.
I still think you should contact an attorney just to check on the liablity of this.
I'm so sorry.

Pamela said...

yes they should be sued... if not for pain and suffering, at least to just get the product off the market.

This is just sad -- and it made me very angry.

Caroline said...

OMG...that is horrible! I wish I knew a lawyer that could help you! I am so sorry about your dog. Please don't give up on this mission...contact every agency and be relentless with the company! Contact your local news agency!!! They love stories like this and probably have an investigative reporter you can talk to that will help. This info needs to get out to the public...I will be sending an email out to all my doggie friends. I am sending you many prayers!

Katya said...

That is so sad, Jeanne.

On my Scottie lists, I have a friend who does Scottie rescue. She DESPISES nylabones. She said a splinter caused the death of one of her Scotties, and yet, people still give their dogs nylabones.

I have also heard that Greenies are not safe.

People tend to think that by giving their dogs things like these, they won't need to brush their dogs' teeth...but, like humans, dogs need a good brushing!

Many people still tend to say that IF you want to give your dog a bone, give it RAW instead of anything processed.....

My Scotties get raw bones randomly and the only treats given are generally Evo natural treats.

I am so sorry for this poor woman. Our dogs are not "just" dogs, but our faithful little companions whom we love just like children.

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

I got a similar e-mail too and it just breaks my heart (being a HUGE animal advocate).

Anonymous said...

It is always sad to lose a pet, but losing one to a defective product is terrible. Hope the company does the right thing.

Hayden said...

Makes me sad, but I wish I was also surprised. When you look at the crap they put in our food supply, nothing surprises me about misrepresentation on animal products. Nothing.

But I'm a curmudgeon on food issues.

dellis said...

I am sorry to read this a year later, it is February 2010. I hope by now there has been some type of resolution. Not that this will help any of the emotional pain, but there should be some retribution by now.

I just fed my dog one of these bones and am hoping the same thing does not happen to my dog!

At the very least they need to list a warning on the packaging!

You should also send copies of these letters to all of the stores that sell this product (WalMart) legal departments. list the cc at the bottom of the letter you send to them and they will have to listen since all of the stores that sell their products will be informed on this terrible event.

My deepest sympathies.

Unknown said...

A familiar story with us but thank god not to the same extent. Our boxers each got one Friday night. Saturday morning, after throwing up atleast 15 times, our eldest boy had to go to the vet. He was so dehydrated from vomiting he received subcutaneous fluids for about an hour, a shot, and is now on meds for a week for gastritis. He was throwing up chucks of splintered bones (even in my car on the way to the doc...)which i took with me to have checked out. He is on a cottage cheese and yogurt diet per the vet for a few days. Hopefully he threw everything up, it is only Monday but seems to feel a lot better. A sick dog and $120 vet bill later, we decided to stick with uncooked bones only! (I'm not complaining about the money for the vet, it's just the principle of it...makes for a costly treat if you ask me!) I'm just so glad that he is ok, and I'm reading about alot of complaints after our incident. I'm sorry to hear about your loss. These should be taken off of the market.