Friday, May 28, 2010

FDA: Don’t give bones to dogs

Although most pet owners assume it’s safe to give their pets a bone to chew on, the US Food and Drug Administration recently called it a “dangerous practice” that can cause injuries to pets.
“Bones are unsafe no matter what their size,” said Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the
Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA. “Giving your dog a bone may make your pet a candidate for a trip to your veterinarian’s office later, possible emergency surgery, or even death.”
The FDA listed 10 reasons to not give a pet a bone, including broken teeth, mouth/tongue injuries, blocked windpipe and infections.
“There are many bone-like products made with materials that are safe for dogs to chew on,” Stamper said.

1 comment:

  1. An employee at a specialty pet food store told me that it is safe to give dogs raw bones since they don't splinter, as long as the bone is fresh, not spoiled. Is this just as unsafe?

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