The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning dog owners to refrain from treating their pets to bone treats.
Many dogs go crazy for the treats, which are often smoked or baked, and the agency has warned about the dangers they pose since at least 2010.
This past Tuesday, the FDA updated its statement alerting the public to 68 reports of dogs dying of getting sick in connection to bone treats. Some of the incidents reportedly involved more than one dog.
In total, 90 dogs have been hurt by the bones; about 15 have reportedly died.
An FDA spokeswoman told Huffington Post that while the statement targets bone treats, pet owners are also warned against giving dogs turkey or chicken bones because they can splinter in a pet's mouth.
“We regularly update the numbers around this time of year because some pet owners cook poultry and toss the bones in the trash at holiday dinners, where their dogs can sometimes access them,” the spokeswoman said in an email.
The warning does not specify a particular brand of treats, just the category including ham bones, pork femur bones, ribs or knuckle bones.
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