The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a consumer health alert listing 10 reasons why giving a bone to a dog is a bad idea.

Although some people think giving a large bone, like a ham or a roast, to a dog is safe, veterinarian Carmela Stamper at the FDA said all bones no matter what their size are unsafe for dogs.

The FDA said chewing on bones may:

1. Cause broken teeth
   
2. Cause mouth or tongue injuries from sharp slivers of bone
   
3. Cause bone to be looped around the dog's lower jaw
   
4. Cause bone to get stuck in the esophagus, causing dog to gag
   
5. Cause bone to get stuck in dog's windpipe - an injury that requires immediate veterinary care
   
6. Cause bone to get stuck in a dog's stomach
   
7. Cause bone to get stuck in a dog's intestines
   
8. Cause constipation due to bone fragments
   
9. Cause severe bleeding from the rectum
   
10. Cause peritonitis, a difficult-to-treat bacterial infection due to perforations in the dog's guts

Many raw food advocates emphasize the benefits of feeding dogs raw, uncooked meaty bones but the FDA is not among them. To quote the veterinarian: "There is no nutritional value in feeding bones, whereas the risk of illness and death is very real."

There. You can believe the FDA and veterinarians who actually have education and training in dog care or you can listen to the anonymous posters in dog forums throughout the Internet.