Dog Owners Warn These Dog Treats May Be Lethal

If you have a dog in your family, you understand that they are more than just pets.  For many, a dog is like having a child.

You do your best to take care of them and keep them happy and healthy.  You learn to understand their body language, and when they aren't well, we want to care for them and get them feeling better.

Unfortunately, since they can't talk, it can be difficult understanding what hurts them.  Caring for a sick dog can be frustrating or even frightening.

Even though they can't talk, it seems like there are certain things that mean the same for every dog.  For instance, no matter how deeply they may be sleeping, unwrap a piece of cheese, and most dogs will come charging from halfway across your home looking for their piece.

Ask a dog if they want a treat, and you get an instant reaction.

Now imagine giving your dog a treat, and then watching your dog get violently ill or even dying.  It's a nightmare that some dog owners have endured, and they're blaming a popular dog treat that's available in retail outlets like Target, and Walmart as well as online pet supply distributors.  The treats in question are from the DreamBone line of dog treats.

Stacy Carlyle of Atlanta is one such dog owner who blames DreamBone for the death of her dog.  She told WSB-TV at the time, that her veterinarian found a piece of treat still inside her dog, Bella, several days after she ate it.  She was forced to put her dog down.

Concerns about these treats aren't new.  In fact, complaints go back as far as a decade ago, but there has recently been an increased number of complaints.  The number of complaints has garnered the attention of the Food and Drug Administration who told the NY Post:

"The FDA has received several dozen complaints associated with DreamBone, we are continuing to look into these complaints, but we can’t respond to each individual case."

In 2016, two women from California filed suit claiming DreamBones contained a high level of Sorbitol, which is an indigestible ingredient that sits in the dog's stomach.  The suit was settled out of court.  The company agreed to change the label from "99% digestible" to "mostly digestible."

The DreamBone brand is a part of a company called Spectrum Brands, a company that also produces Spectracide Weed Stop, Cutter Skinsations, and more.  They acquired the brand from a New Jersey-based company, Petmatrix in 2017.

Sources: Dog owners claim treats are making pups violently ill — and may have killed one pet (nypost.com), Women warning others after they say popular treats killed their dogs – WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta (wsbtv.com)