Vets issue warning over ham bone treats following pet death

VETS have issued a dog treat warning after a pet died and another was seriously injured by splintering ham bones.

Pet owners are being warned of the dangers of giving their dogs ham bone treats after one dog was killed and another seriously injured. Picture: TSPL

A Staffordshire terrier had to be put down in North Yorks after shards from a hame bone cut through her intestines.

And a labrador in Glasgow narrowly avoided the same fate after splintering a similar treat.

The incidents are so serious that one manufaturer has withdrawn their product from sale.

Earlier this month, 13-year-old Mia, a rescued Staffordshire Terrier, was given an Armitage ham bone treat by her owner in Harrogate.

Shorter afterwards she was rushed to the vets and died as a result of bone shards cutting through her intestines.

Jeanne Thompson, founder of Miss Mollies Rescue, who found Mia a new home, said: “The pieces of bones were literally slicing through her intestines. She was in so much pain.

“The vets were trying to get her to pass it naturally since an operation would have been too much for her. They were pulling shards of bone out of her bottom.

“Blood was everywhere. She had to be put on very strong painkillers.”

Despite their best efforts, Mia died during the night and the charity was left with a whopping £1,600 bill.

After raising her concerns with Armitage, who stock a range of treats and toys across the UK, they removed the products from shelves and paid for the expensive vet bill.

They also donated £250 to the charity, and sent a bunch of condolence flowers to Mia’s foster carer.

In Govan, Glasgow, earlier this month, an 18-month-old Labrador named Stanley was taken to the vets after being given a Webbox ham bone.

Owner Iain Garrity, 40, said: “The next day he had diarrhoea and was throwing up blood. The vets did an x-ray and could see shards of bone in his intestines.

“He was in a lot of pain but luckily managed to pass it all out. I think being a bigger dog helped him survive, though he was very ill.”

Webbox offered Iain their condolences but said the product displayed “several warnings” and was very clear on the associated dangers with feeding a dog a real bone.

Veterinary surgeon Kirsten Fawbert, who x-rayed Stanley when he was brought to the vets, said: “When Stanley arrived he was on the borderline of needing surgery, which would have been very serious.

“He was in a lot of pain, I’ve never seen anything like it before.

“With these bones there is a risk of fracturing teeth as well as splintering and causing tummy upsets.

“We don’t recommend them. The dental chews are the better option.”

A spokeswoman for Webbox said: “We had a discussion with Glasgow Trading Standards as a result of this incident and they were fully satisfied with our investigations and that the product label carries clear warnings and cautionary statements associated with a natural bone product.”

A spokesman for Armitage said: “We are very sorry to everyone involved for this sad incident. We are not selling this product any more.”

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