Canine joint support supplements falsely advertised as clinically proven, class action claims

Canine supplements class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Brian Kelly filed a class action lawsuit against FoodScience LLC d/b/a VetriScience Laboratories. 
• Why: Kelly argues VetriScience falsely advertises that its GlycoFlex canine joint support supplements are “clinically proven” to treat all joint problems in dogs and increase hind leg strength.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

Pet supplement maker VetriScience falsely advertises that its GlycoFlex® Plus and GlycoFlex Stage 3 canine joint support supplements are “clinically proven” to treat all joint problems in dogs and increase hind leg strength, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Brian Kelly’s class action lawsuit claims VetriScience never actually clinically tested the GlycoFlex canine joint support supplements, despite allegedly claiming such a test proves they treat all canine joint conditions in dogs and increase hind leg strength. 

“Plaintiff seeks to redress VetriScience’s unfair and deceptive marketing campaign built upon the misleading claims that it makes about GlycoFlex, and to obtain the financial recompense to which Plaintiff and his fellow class members are entitled,” the GlycoFlex class action says. 

Kelly wants to represent a class of consumers who in the state of New York purchased certain GlycoFlex canine joint support supplements manufactured, marketed, distributed and/or sold by VetriScience that it warranted as being clinically proven to alleviate joint issues in dogs. 

GlycoFlex canine joint support supplements not clinically tested, class action claims 

Kelly argues that, rather than conducting a clinical test, VetriScience only examined the GlycoFlex canine joint support supplements via a “self described ‘pilot study’” in 2006 involving only seven dogs who were allegedly ‘subjected to an artificial, surgical and chemically induced ‘stable stifle OA [osteoarthritis] model.” 

“The pilot study observed that only 3 of the 7 dogs “had a significant improvement in lameness” and an average 41% increase in hind leg strength, meaning 4 of the 7 dogs had no significant increase in hind leg strength,” the GlycoFlex class action says. 

Vetriscience then waited approximately eight years to “timidly claim” in 2014 that the GlycoFlex canine joint support supplements were “clinically researched,” before eventually “throwing all caution to the wind” in 2018 by allegedly “boldly” claiming the 2006 study “clinically proved” they were an effective treatment “for all canine joint issues,” the GlycoFlex class action alleges. 

“Obviously, if VetriScience believed that claim, it would have made it soon after the 2006 Pilot Study,” the GlycoFlex class action says. 

Kelly claims VetriScience is guilty of violating New York General Business Law. He demands a jury trial and requests monetary, statutory, actual and treble damages for himself and all class members. 

In other recent news involving pet supplements, Stratford Care USA issued a recall for multiple brands of Omega-3 Supplements for cats and dogs earlier this year over worries they contained potentially elevated levels of Vitamin A.

Have you purchased GlycoFlex canine joint support supplements? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by James R. Denlea and Jeffrey I. Carton of Denlea & Carton LLP and Philip M. Smith of Kravit Smith LLP. 

The Canine supplements class action lawsuit is Kelly, et al. v. FoodScience LLC, Case No. 1:24-cv-06222, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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