LOS ANGELES – Bones which have been cooked have had all the moisture drained from them, thus they become dry and brittle. As they move down a dog’s intestinal tract, they splinter into tiny pieces as sharp as needles and thus can perforate the esophagus or scrape, puncture or block the stomach and intestines. This is how a dog may find itself in a threatening situation. Many people feed their dog various different scraps of food when they’ve finished a meal, without realizing the harm they could be causing. Read more about which foods you can and can’t feed your pooch here.

Turkey bones – whether they have meat on them or not – are the ultimate splintering bones, and should never be given to dogs! Any sharp point on a bone can scrape and cut your dog’s gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus down to the rectum, causing damage on its way in or out. A sharp bone can even cause perforation or get stuck and cause a blockage that does not allow food to pass.

If you have fed your dog cooked bones and never had an issue you have been fortunate so far! Although we don’t recommend human food for your pets – if you want to give your dog a treat, sharing a small amount of gravy on potatoes or veggies are left over is a safer alternative. Sometimes we get scraps of turkey but not too much…we are not THAT spoiled and we NEVER EVER get cooked bones. Please tell your co-worker that dogs love mashed potatoes, gravy and veggies and just give him that for a Thanksgiving treat. NO MORE BONES!