Zesty Paws supplements contain less chondroitin sulfate than advertised, class action alleges

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Zesty Paws lawsuit overview: 

• Who: A pet supplements consumer is suing Zesty Paws.
• Why: The plaintiff says the company’s dog supplements are falsely advertised.
• Where: The Zesty Paws lawsuit was filed in an Illinois federal court.

Zesty Paws sells supplements for dogs that grossly overstate the active ingredients that would support a dog’s health, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Charles Carmen filed the class action complaint against Zesty Paws LLC on Oct. 9 in Illinois federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws. 

Zesty Paws LLC makes and sells nutritional supplements for pets, including Vet Strength Mobility Bites, Hemp Elements Mobility Bites, Ancient Elements Mobility Bites, Core Elements Mobility Flavor Infusions, Multifunctional 8-in- 1 Bites and Aller-Immune Bites, the lawsuit states.

However, according to Carmen, the pet company markets the supplements as more effective than they are and charges a premium for them.

For example, the front label of the Vet Strength Mobility Bites promotes the presence of chondroitin sulfate, an ingredient that supports joint health, he says. 

However, independent laboratory analysis found instead of containing 100 mg chondroitin sulfate, it contained less than 2.5 mg, or less than 2.5% of the amount promised, the lawsuit alleges.

Zesty Pets supplements contain fewer probiotics than stated on label, lawsuit alleges

On other products, including the Aller-Immune Bites and Multifunctional 8-in-1 Bites, marketing material promotes the presence of probiotic ingredients and says the blends contain 250 million colony-forming units of probiotics. 

“However, independent laboratory analysis of the Aller-Immune Bites concluded that instead of containing 250 million CFU of lactobacillus bacteria per 4 g, it contained 72,000 CFU of lactobacillus bacteria, which is less than one thousandth of a percent of the promised amount,” Carmen alleges. 

The products also contain a higher-than-reccomended limit for nutritional supplements with botanicals, he says. 

As a result of the alleged “false and misleading” representations, the products are sold at a premium price of about $42.99 for 90 soft chews, excluding tax. 

Carmen says this is higher than similar products represented in a non-misleading way. 

He is looking to represent a class of Illinois residents who purchased one of the supplements, plus a consumer fraud multistate class of consumers from Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska and Utah. 

Carmen is suing for alleged violations of state consumer laws, breach of warranty, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and unjust enrichment. He is seeking certification of the class action, damages, fees, cost and a jury trial.

A number of popular pet product and food companies have issued recalls and faced class action lawsuits recently, including Bayer, Aldi and Blue Buffalo, among others. 

Have you purchased Zesty Paws supplements for your pet? Let us know your thoughts on this lawsuit in the comments. 

The plaintiff is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates. 

The Zesty Paws class action lawsuit is Charles Carmen, et al. v. Zesty Paws LLC, Case No. 1:22-cv-05529, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. 

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