FDA Encourages Dog Owners to Stay Away from Bones and Bone Treats

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is once again encouraging dog owners to avoid giving their pet real bones or bone treats as they could lead to serious health problems, or worse.

This isn't the first time the Administration has issued this warning. They first shared reports of complications in 2010, followed by a full-blown report in 2015, based on information and data received from pet owners whose pets experienced issues after chowing down on bone they had been given.

According to the FDA, "bone treats" are different from pork or beef bones you may get from a butcher, or discard from a steak or roast you make at home. The treats are often labeled as “Ham Bones, Pork Femur Bones, Rib Bones, and Smokey Knuckle Bones," and are created through a smoking or baking process with other flavorings and preservatives added.

Pet owners who have given their dogs these types of treats over the years have reported instances of "Gastrointestinal obstruction (blockage in the digestive tract), choking, cuts and wounds in the mouth or on the tonsils, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding from the rectum," and in some cases death.

For more information on this warning, as well as tips on alternatives you could give your dog for being such a good boy or girl, visit the FDA website.

[Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration]