Archive for November 29th, 2017
FDA warns consumers about feeding dogs cooked bones, or bone treats
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning dog owners to steer clear of bones — not just those inside your turkey but those packaged as dog treats and sold in pet stores.
“Bone treats,” such as those pictured here, can be just as dangerous for your dog and can lead to choking, other emergencies and death.
Bone treats are real bones — but unlike those you can get from your butcher they have been been processed, sometimes flavored, and packaged for dogs.
They include a variety of commercially-available treats for dogs, such as “Ham Bones,” “Pork Femur Bones,” “Rib Bones” and “Smokey Knuckle Bones”.
The products may be dried through a smoking process or by baking, leading to splintering, and they may contain other ingredients such as preservatives, seasonings, and smoke flavorings.
In the FDA warning, 68 reports of illness and 15 deaths are mentioned.
According to Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at the FDA, “Giving your dog a bone treat might lead to an unexpected trip to your veterinarian, a possible emergency surgery, or even death …”
Illnesses reported to the FDA included 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 death.
The reports, sent in by pet owners and veterinarians, involved about 90 dogs. In addition, the FDA received seven reports of bone treats splintering when chewed or appearing to contain mold.
Posted by John Woestendiek November 29th, 2017 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animals, bone treats, bones, caution, choking, cooked, cuts, deaths, dog, dogs, fda, food & drug administration, government, hazards, illnesses, obstructions, pet products, pet stores, pets, pork femur bones, products, real ham-bone, rib bones, safety, smoked, smokey knuckle bones, splintering, treats, turkey bones, warning
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