Hello everybody.   
      
   What dog doesnt like chewing and then hiding a bone?   
      
   But a growing number of vets across the country are raising concerns about a   
   popular dog treat that they say is injuring, even killing some pets: Cooked   
   pork bones.   
      
   Most dogs chew on rawhide bones, which shred to harmless fiber when chewed.   
      
   But many stores are now selling pork bones, and dogs love them. Some people   
   feel they are better, as they more resemble natural bones.   
   But a growing number of online complaints list all sorts of injuries that   
   owners blame on these bones.   
      
   Gene Balzer believed the packaging, which said the pork bones were good for   
   his dogs Bella and Reggies teeth. But then his dogs started getting sick, he   
   said.   
      
   It was actually in the vomit, Balzer said. There was little pieces of the bone   
   in there. They were still sharp.   
      
   What the Experts Say   
      
   We found dozens of complaints from owners who spent thousands in vet bills,   
   and even lost their dogs, after giving them pork bones. And x-rays show   
   several images of where those pieces can end up lodged inside a dogs body.   
      
   So we put them to the test. It took just seconds to send a pork bone   
   splintering into shards.   
      
   Emergency vet Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald sees these kinds of injuries on a weekly   
   basis.   
      
   I am an expert, Dr. Fitzgerald said, and in 30 years Ive seen a lot of   
   problems with this type of food. Many of these sharp ones can cause   
   perforations or lacerations as they go through.   
      
   He says brittle bones are among the most dangerous because of how dogs eat.   
   Theyre gorging, theyre grabbing, theyre gonna swallow things in one gulp, he   
   said.   
      
   Regulations are Weak   
      
   The FDA investigated and recommended that processed and cooked bones never be   
   given to dogs.   
      
   So why are these potentially dangerous bones still in stores?   
      
   We found the industry is largely self-regulated. The FDA requires pet food   
   products be pure and wholesome and truthfully labeled.   
      
   But these federal regulations apply only to the ingredients, not product   
   safety.   
      
   Its something pet owners like Balzer want changed. I really want to get this   
   out there so other people dont feed their dogs pork bones, Balzer said.   
      
   Stores selling pork bones for dogs say they stand behind their products, and   
   say theyre safe. But if you have any doubts about a product call your vet,   
   before you give it to your pet.   
      
   That way hes safe and you dont waste your money.   
      
      
   from: http://www.thedogfiles.com/2012/03/06/vets-warn-about-popular-dog-bones/   
   Matt   
      
      
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