Is your pet constantly falling? It may be that Fido is overweight or just experiencing some age related joint problems. Whatever the causes for your pet’s joint pain Dr. Frank’s pain relief spray promises dog and cat owners some peace of mind. If you’ve watched the infomercial you’d see different dogs that are either obese or have hip problems moving around with great difficulty.
But with six sprays of Dr. Frank’s homeopathic joint pain relieving spray into your pet’s water bowl you’ll immediately notice a change. Miraculously, your pet is cured and feels no more pain as the ingredients find their way to your pet’s pain. And while there’s testimony to support Dr. Frank’s pet pain relief spray on both his website and other sites there are just as many naysayers stating that this drug is just another sham.
So, what’s the deal? Can you cure your ailing pet with a few squirts of this joint relieving, pain freeing wonder drug? Well on August 6, the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council for the Better Business Bureau (CBBB) had some interesting findings to report based on Dr. Frank’s pet pain spray advertisement. The NAD serves the public – as a national advertising watchdog – to review the truthfulness, credibility and accuracy of advertisements.
The NAD recommended that Dr. Frank change or stop advertising particular claims for its joint pain relieving remedy for dogs and cats. The Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc filed the request with the NAD to challenge Dr. Frank’s credibility. The NAD’s investigation found the following problems with Dr. Frank’s advertising:
Broadcasted claims included:
- “You spray, your pet drinks, and the pain stops everywhere – it’s that simple.”
- “Never before have these nine homeopathic ingredients been combined to stop inflammation, pain and stiffness.”
- “Now with Dr. Frank’s spray, you can stop their suffering … stop your pet’s pain.”
- “I’m Dr. Ken Frank and I guarantee that if you spray this natural and safe formula in your pet’s water bowl daily – it will stop the pain.
- “You spray, your pet drinks, and they live pain free.”
- “… spray away your pet’s pain in days … put an end to your pet’s pain.”
Website claims included:
- “Dr. Frank’s Joint Pain Relief for Dogs & Cats is specially formulated to stop joint pain.”
- “Relieves mild to [severe] chronic joint and muscle pain.”
- “Works for all joint pain – no matter what the cause.”
- stops the pain of your dog or cat …watch them run up the stairs, run on the beach and stop limping.
(Watch Dr. Frank’s pet pain relief infomercial now.)
The NAD concluded that the evidence provided to support Dr. Frank’s joint pain spray for pets did not hold up to “the advertiser’s specific performance and efficacy claims.” With the NAD’s report, it appears that Dr. Frank’s pain relieving spray may be making some “paw-posterous” claims.
And that’s not all some users of the product have not only complained that it doesn’t work but that there are also being charged for additional bottles that they haven’t ordered. While the privacy statement from the website provides guidelines on the use of customers’ personal information, some people are still report unauthorized charges and having difficulty getting their money back.
Dr. Frank’s line of products are not limited to pets alone, here are items being sold for your health woes: Joint and Muscle Pain Relief, Allergy Relief and Silent Snore. One blogger put the pain relief spray to the test with The No Pain Challenge. It was an experiment to determine if Dr. Frank’s no pain promise for people actually worked. The blogger, who called himself The Disgruntled Chemist, found that in the end Dr. Frank’s spray did not help ease his chronic pain.
And Dr. Frank’s homeopathic pet spray seems to have no effect as well. Despite Dr. Frank’s claims that the ingredients in his products are recognized by the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, consumers must realize that the FDA doesn’t apply the same standard to homeopathic drugs as it does other drugs. Dr. Frank actually gives a breakdown of the ingredients in a bottle of his pain relieving pet spray on his website. The site mentions ingredients such as Rhus Toxicondendron, which comes from poison ivy, Ruta Graveolens, which can potentially cause indigestion and Mercurius Vivus which is mercury. But, he quickly claims these ingredients are diluted so much that they are virtually harmless to your pet. So, if these are watered down version of the active ingredients, I’d just like to know how they actually help relieve joint pain in pets.
Whether you believe this spray is a miracle drug or scam, I believe that the difficulty in getting hard evidence to back up Dr. Frank’s claims and the lack of support from pet experts is enough to convince me that this product falls short of its curative goals. But, don’t rely on my opinion get a glimpse into the doctor himself. He left a comment for The Disgruntled Chemist at the time of this experiment. Only after taking the time to liken himself to Galileo did Dr. Frank challenge all to call him directly and find out more about this “amazing cure.” Before closing he was sure to mention, that just like Thomas Edison, he too was an innovator who worked at night and slept in the day so be sure to call him during the evenings with your questions. Uh, okay?
Before you go dialing, I must say I had a hard time finding sound research to support Dr. Frank’s claims. And if it’s that hard to find information from experts in the field recommending the product then how valuable is it to your pet’s well being.
When it comes to your pet follow your instincts and your veterinarian’s advice it can save your pooch or kitty from unnecessary pain and time spent on a product that you’re not certain is even going to work in the first place. And when it comes to you pet that shouldn’t be a chance you’re willing to take.
Sources: http://www.mypetspainrelief.com/formula.aspx,mhttp://www.nadreview.org/DocView.aspx?DocumentID=6912, http://www.homeowatch.org/policy/pharm.html
