Monday, March 15, 2010

Dog Deaths and Illness from "Real Ham Bones" Pork Bone Treats, NO Recall

The more things (don't) change, the more they stay the same. Many people have reported their dogs getting sick or dying from these 'treats', yet the company refuses to admit responsibility or pull their product from the market. And the FDA still doesn't have the authority to issue a recall on their own.

Thanks to ConsumerAffairs.com for staying on top of this issue. See full article here
A Missouri pet products company is under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amid reports that scores of dogs have became seriously ill or died after eating the manufacturer’s treats. The company at the heart of the probe is Dynamic Pet Products of Washington, Mo., an FDA spokesman told ConsumerAffairs.com today
...
ConsumerAffairs.com has received several complaints about one of the company's treats -- Real Ham Bones. Pet owners say the 8” hickory smoked pork femur bones -- sold as treats -- have splintered and caused their dogs to become violently ill or even die.“My dog ate the bone and died,” said pet owner Christina N. of Collierville, Tennessee. “The company denied my claim for vet bills. They said I chose to give my dog the bone. This was a very, very painful death for Buddy. Many dogs have died from this product. I had a necropsy done and still they claim it wasn't their product.”
...

An Indiana pet owner told us her dog had to undergo surgery after chewing one of Dynamic’s Real Ham Bones. The dog’s health problems, she said, surfaced ten minutes after it started chomping on the treat.

“I noticed it had broken apart, so I took it away from her (and) a short time later she was gravely ill, trying to vomit but couldn’t,” said Patti S. “She couldn’t even drink water.”

Patti rushed her dog to the vet. “They took X-rays and said she had splinters of the bone in her intestines and she had to go through surgery. Thank God I have a great vet because she is the reason my dog is still alive.”

Patti called Dynamic Pet Products about her dog’s experience. The company referred her case to its insurance carrier, which denied Patti’s claim.

“They would not pay a dime,” she said. “They (said) they were not at fault. They said I was for not monitoring my dog closely enough.

...

The FDA said pet owners can report any health problems their dogs experience with Dynamic Pet Products’ chew bones or treats to the agency’s Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their region.
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Volunteers Needed! Get food off shelves...

howl911.com, itchmo.com, thepetfoodlist.com, petconnection.com, petfoodtracker.com and spockosbrain.com have joined together to ask for your help.
Update 6-10: Recalled food was purchased from a California store on 5-29th – this stuff is still out there!
We need Volunteers to help get recalled food off store shelves. Read this post at Spocko’s Brain for instructions. Print a list (or two) on this site. Visit stores, then report safe stores here at Itchmo.com.

Printing Information:
1. Print the main FDA Pet Food Recall page http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html – this will be handy to show retailers who haven’t heard anything about the recall. (3 pages)

2. Print the list of 14 Major National Brands - it includes flavors and date information where applicable so you can tell if specific products for these brands have been recalled. The brands are: Alpo Prime Cuts, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, Doctors Foster and Smith, Eukanuba, Gravy Train, Hill’s Science Diet, Iams, Jerky Treats, Lick Your Chops, Mighty Dog Pouches, Natural Balance, Nutro, Pounce, Royal Canin. (It’s 7 pages and includes FDA contact information.)

3. Print the List of All Brands – it will remind you what products have been recalled - but it does not give you date and flavor information, there is just too much to put in one document. (7 pages, but the 7th page is links to more detailed information so you don’t need to print it)

If you want, and are going to a store that you know has store brands that have been recalled (such as Walmart), go to that recall information at the links on the summary or at the FDA site and print it out. Some of the information is formatted in ways that make it difficult to read (one of the main reasons for this site), but it’s better than nothing.

Note: The FDA is the official source for all recall information and recalled products. This is an unofficial volunteer effort to help get the word out and get recalled foods off of shelves. We’re doing the best we can but can’t guarantee these lists are completely accurate. Again, here is the official recall site: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html