Throwing your dog a bone could be deadly

By Jennifer C. Kerr
Associated Press Writer
The Food and Drug Administration issued a reminder to consumers Wednesday to toss out bones from their meals rather than feed them to their pets.

“Some people think it’s safe to give dogs large bones, like those from a ham or a roast,” said Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA. “Bones are unsafe no matter what their size.”
The FDA spelled out 10 reasons it’s a bad idea to give doggie a real bone.

Among them: broken teeth, mouth or tongue injuries, bones or fragments of bones getting stuck in a dog’s esophagus or even its stomach, which might require surgery. Bone fragments also can cause constipation.

Worse, it could be deadly. Giving your dog a real bone could cause a bacterial infection of the abdomen, called peritonitis, when fragments poke holes in a dog’s stomach or intestines. “Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian because peritonitis can kill your dog,” says the caution from the FDA.