If you’ve been buying bones for Buster, it’s time to stop immediately. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an official warning that processed “bone treats” for dogs - typically real animal bones that have been processed and packaged for sale - have led to illness or death for nearly 100 dogs.

Sixty-eight individual cases have been filed detailing the accounts of 90 canines, 15 of which died during the incident. The dangers related to bone treats include illness, choking, blockage of the digestive tract, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding from the rectum.

These bone treats really are bad to the bone - they “differ from uncooked butcher-type bones because they are processed and packaged for sale as dog treats,” explained the FDA warning. “A variety of commercially-available bone treats for dogs - including treats described as ‘Ham Bones,’ ‘Pork Femur Bones,’ ‘Rib Bones,’ and ‘Smokey Knuckle Bones’ - were listed in the reports.” These bone treats are typically baked or smoked to make them ready for sale, and they may contain additional flavorings or preservatives, some of which could pose a danger.

If your dog passes away, your heart may (literally) break; this holiday season, be sure not to feed your pet these treats. Abstain from feeding them bones from any real animals either - especially any bone that has been cooked - since those can splinter and cause harm.


The holidays also leave your pet prone to consuming fallen table scraps at large family meals. Take precautions that your pet doesn’t eat one of these 12 foods you should never feed your dog.