Giving your dog a bone can be a rewarding experience, offering essential minerals and nutrients while satisfying their natural urge to chew. Chewing on bones stimulates saliva, which plays a crucial role in preventing plaque buildup and gum disease, thus maintaining your dog’s oral hygiene. Furthermore, this activity can deter undesirable behaviors like excessive scratching or licking. However, the question isn’t just “can dogs chew bones?” but rather “should dogs chew bones?” and more importantly, which bones are safe and how to provide them responsibly.
Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Dog Bones
While bones can offer benefits, it’s crucial to understand the potential dangers associated with them. Both raw and cooked bones can splinter, leading to injuries in your dog’s mouth and digestive tract, and in severe cases, can even be fatal. Some of the risks include lacerations to the gums and tongue, cuts to the throat, damaged or broken teeth, choking, vomiting, diarrhea, severe constipation, intestinal blockages, perforations of the intestines, and rectal trauma with bleeding. Therefore, an informed approach is necessary when considering bones as part of your dog’s diet or chew toys.
What Bones Are NOT Safe for Dogs?
Certain types of bones pose a significantly higher risk to dogs and should be avoided.
Cooked Chicken and Turkey Bones
Cooked bones, especially those from poultry like chicken and turkey, are brittle and highly prone to splintering. These small, sharp fragments can easily lodge in a dog’s throat or esophagus, causing severe internal damage.
T-Bones
The unique shape of T-bones can be particularly hazardous. They can become lodged in a dog’s throat, with one end down the esophagus or trachea, leading to severe swelling that can obstruct the airway and prevent breathing.
Small and Circular Bones
Any bone that is smaller than your dog’s mouth or easily splinters presents a choking hazard and the risk of trauma to the mouth and intestinal tract. Circular bones are also problematic as they can become stuck in a dog’s lower jaw, causing distress and often requiring veterinary intervention, including sedation, to remove.
What Bones Are Generally Considered Safe for Dogs?
When choosing bones for your dog, opt for raw, meaty bones that are appropriately sized and sourced from reputable butchers. Generally, a safe bone should be about the size of your dog’s head and possess bulges or lumps on both ends, making it less likely to be swallowed whole.
Raw bones are considered a safer option than cooked bones, but they are not without risk. Potential issues include broken teeth, cuts to the gums, or bone splinters. Excessive chewing can also lead to constipation. It’s advisable to refrigerate raw bones before offering them and discard them after a few hours of chewing.
General Rules for Bone Safety
To ensure a positive and safe experience when giving your dog a bone, adhere to the following general safety rules:
Do:
- Serve raw meat bones: These are less likely to splinter than cooked bones.
- Supervise closely: Always monitor your dog while they are chewing on a bone.
- Remove and refrigerate: After 10 to 15 minutes of chewing, remove the bone and store it in the refrigerator.
- Discard after a few days: After three or four days, the bone should be discarded, as it can harbor bacteria.
- Offer large bones to large breeds: Bones should be appropriately sized for your dog’s breed and size. Large breeds like German Shepherd Dogs, Bloodhounds, and Mastiffs can handle larger bones.
- Be an educated consumer: Understand the types of bones that are safe and those that pose risks.
Do Not:
- Give your dog the wrong type of bone: Avoid small, brittle, or cooked bones.
- Give your dog cooked bones of any kind: This is a strict rule due to the high risk of splintering.
- Allow your dog to chew any type of bone into small pieces: If a bone starts to break down, it’s time to take it away.
- Give your dog a bone if they have stomach problems: A compromised digestive system increases the risk of complications.
- Share bones between multiple dogs: This can lead to competition and potential aggression or injury.
Providing your dog with appropriate chew items is essential for their dental and mental well-being. While bones can be a great option, safety should always be the top priority. For more in-depth advice on keeping your dog healthy and happy, contact our Smokey Point vets today to book an examination for your four-legged friend.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet’s condition, please make an appointment with your vet.
