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In a new consumer class action lawsuit, a woman from California claims certain PetMatrix dog treats aren’t as digestible as the label says they are.
Plaintiff Charlotte Docken says PetMatrix LLC of New Jersey falsely represents its Dream Bone dog treats in an effort to get sales from consumers who wouldn’t have bought the treats otherwise.
Docken says the label for PetMatrix Dream Bone treats says the product is “99 percent digestible.” The packaging also features a picture of a small dog, implying that the product was safe for small dogs to digest, she argues.
In fact, Docken alleges, PetMatrix Dream Bone contains many indigestible ingredients. She says the third ingredient listed on the ingredient list is sorbitol, which according to her is not digestible. Docken claims sorbitol is widely used as a laxative, and she says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies it as an “indigestible sugar alcohol.”
Docken claims other ingredients in PetMatrix products were placed there to function as a laxative, to give pet owners the illusion that the overall product is more digestible than it really is. She believes PetMatrix has known since it first started making Dream Bone treats that the product contains a large proportion of indigestible ingredients.
Docken says she purchased PetMatrix Dream Bone dog treats at a Walmart in California. After giving a Dream Bone to her dog Maxie, she says, Maxie didn’t respond well to it. Docken says Maxie began showing symptoms of a digestive blockage, including vomiting, avoiding food, and bloody discharge.
X-rays at her veterinarian’s office revealed a large obstruction in Maxie’s abdomen. After surgically removing the object, the veterinarian discovered it was a large piece of a dog chew that matched the Dream Bone Docken had given the dog earlier.
Docken says that the Dream Bone was the only new food item she had introduced to Maxie shortly before the surgery. According to her veterinarian, had they not quickly performed the surgery, Maxie would have died.
Docken now argues that PetMatrix’s conduct violates several provisions of California consumer protection law. Her PetMatrix class action lawsuit raises claims for unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business acts and practices, misleading and deceptive advertising, and untrue advertising. She also includes one claim for violation of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.
The plaintiff seeks to represent a nationwide Class of all persons who purchased PetMatrix Dream Bone dog treats since May 2012. She also proposes a subclass consisting of all Class Members who purchased Dream Bone treats in California. She anticipates both the Class and subclass will number in the thousands.
Docken is asking the court for certification of the proposed Class, damages, restitution, disgorgement of profits, attorneys’ fees and court costs. She also seeks a court order forbidding PetMatrix from continuing the conduct she complains of here.
Plaintiff’s counsel are Todd M. Friedman and Adrian R. Bacon of the Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman PC.
The PetMatrix Dream Bone False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit is Charlotte Docken v. Petmatrix LLC, Case No. 8:16-cv-00994, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
UPDATE: PetMatrix Dream Bone False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit was dismissed on February 23, 2017.
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101 thoughts onPetMatrix Class Action Says Dog Treats Are Dangerously Mislabeled
my chihuahua loves these dream bones and the package says small dog 1 or 2 daily but now she is extremely sick and I will never buy these ever again !!!! prayers for my baby!!!
My precious little dreamer my chiuaha dachund mix loved these he was my baby and my best friend he had diarrea and got sick alot now he passed away he had multiple organ failure bless his heart i suffer everyday from missin him i want to know if these things contributed to his death if they are can i take any legal action if i cant then i hope god takes his wrath out on them at judgement
I lost my English Bulldog today from choking on a DreamBone snack. I am trying to start a class action lawsuit if one has not already started. My cell 214 755 2960 please contact me.
I have a 125 lb Akita – I’d been giving him Smart Bones for about 3 years – pkg. said made in “China” until end of 2017. He was fine w/them when it was the pkgs from China. When I began receiving the pkgs. made in “Vietnam” at end of 2017 – he began to get SEVERE diarrhea. I didn’t relate it to the SmartBones right away because he had never had a problem w/them. Vet put him on several rounds of antibiotics – changed his food to Royal Canin – and after 3 mths of diarrhea Vet said it seemed like pancreatitis and asked me to check the country of origin on those treats. It finally made sense – we stopped the treats and he finally got better. Months later I tried one of those SmartBones again and immediately the diarrhea resumed! For months I had been going through 1/2 a roll of paper towels daily cleaning up his diarrhea! I kept telling my husband we should invest in Bounty! I’m stuck w/a case of SmartBones – don’t dare give them to anyone else for fear they’ll make another dog really sick! Gonna call the Company I was on auto shipment with to see if they’ll take them all back!
My 10 month old puppy is hospitalized sectret surgery for bladder stones, it’s the only thing i give him besides food royal canin. He’s been eating them for the last 7 months. I saw some amazon reviews that state the same issue one from a veterinarian. I just threw them all away and discontinued my subscription for them from amazon. This puppy had a long family line that is not predisposed to these issues.
Yes my dog got really sick eating dream bones!
The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!
Is there a class action lawsuit against DreamBone? My English Bulldog choked and died on this treat today. I am devastated and extremely upset that this product is being sold.
My dogs love the way this brand tastes however the Dream bones Dino Chews made my three pugs SICK! One of my pugs got severe diarrhea and he had facial swelling and hives… and the other two had the runs bad. I know that it was these because I waited and tried them again a month later to be sure (with no other new things introduced in their diet) and as soon as they ate these they were sick as can be! I have learned over the years MOST of these types of treats cause gastrointestinal problems and lead to pancreatitis. The only thing that I have seen success with is bully sticks and for some reason those cost a fortune these days! Anyways, DO NOT BUY THESE!
We had been giving our dog, an 86 pound shepherd/healer mix dream bones and He got really sick with diarrhea and vomiting for 2 days and my vet said to only feed him boiled chicken breast and rice and he ate very little. By the 3rd day his poop started to get a little firmer and he was feeling better and then my daughter gave him a dream bone and he had diarrhea and vomiting immediately but this time he had blood in both. So we realized that it was the Dream bone treats and haven’t given him any since. But we still have to give him chicken and high dollar dry dog food or he gets the runs with anything else. It’s hard to believe that these treats are still on the shelf!
I have a Yorkie and he loves dream bones…..But now he is sick he won’t eat he shakes and all he will do is lay there….. i’m disgusted by this product! I’m going to have to take my dog to the veteran and I hope that he makes it!
DO NOT PURCHASE THESE TREATS. I have a yorkie and it has made him incredibley sick. This is a piece of shit product from Vietnam. He won’t stop shaking or throwing up. Took him to the vet and got him some meds. Just now realized it was from this stupid treat! Praying my little man will be ok :(
Was it stones?
Bought my dog Dream Bone stuffed twistz after he ate only half of one he became very sick his feet were ice cold he was shaking all over wouldn’t eat or drink didn’t want me to touch him I pray he makes through the nite