The debate around feeding bones to dogs is as old as pet ownership itself. While some pet parents swear by their benefits, others are wary of the potential risks. Understanding What Types Of Bones Can Dogs Eat safely is crucial for every responsible owner who wants to provide their canine companion with both enjoyment and nutritional value. Bones can offer a range of health and behavioral advantages, but it’s vital to differentiate between safe and dangerous options to prevent serious health issues. This guide will walk you through the various aspects of feeding bones, helping you make informed decisions for your dog’s health, while also understanding what foods can dogs eat and cannot eat to ensure their overall well-being.
Benefits of Bones for Dogs
Giving bones to dogs offers several nutritional, health, and behavioral advantages that contribute to their overall wellness.
Nutritional Benefits of Bones for Dogs
Bones are rich, natural sources of essential minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids that are vital for a dog’s diet.
- Protein: Bones contain amino acids critical for maintaining healthy skin and fur, supporting muscle development, and facilitating tissue repair throughout the body.
- Calcium Phosphate: This compound is fundamental for robust bone growth, helping the skeletal system to regenerate and adapt effectively.
- Magnesium: Essential for optimal muscle function, magnesium plays a significant role in maintaining a healthy heart.
- Phosphorus: Crucial for bone structure, cell structure, and the production of cell energy, phosphorus is a cornerstone of canine health.
- Marrow: Within the marrow, you’ll find collagen, iron, and vitamin B. Collagen promotes healthy joints, skin, coat, and digestion. Iron and vitamin B provide the necessary energy for dogs to lead long, happy, and active lives.
- Vitamin D and Glucosamine: These elements work in tandem to support a healthy digestive system, which in turn helps prevent common issues such as leaky gut and poor gut function.
Health Benefits of Bones for Dogs
Beyond nutrition, bones provide tangible health benefits, particularly for dental hygiene and digestive health.
- Healthy Gums and Teeth: Many dogs resist having their teeth brushed. Fortunately, chewing on raw meaty bones and tearing off pieces of gristle and cartilage acts as a natural floss and clean for their teeth, helping to reduce plaque and tartar buildup.
- Roughage: The natural roughage found in raw bones has a cleansing effect on the digestive tract. This encourages healthy fecal motions, which are vital for supporting healthy anal glands and preventing related issues.
- Jaw Workout: The act of chewing and gnawing on raw bones provides an excellent natural exercise for your dog’s jaw muscles, keeping them strong and well-conditioned.
Behavioral Benefits of Bones for Dogs
Chewing is a deeply ingrained instinct for dogs, and providing appropriate bones can significantly contribute to their mental and emotional well-being.
- Healthy Mental Wellbeing: Chewing is a natural dog behavior, and allowing them to express these innate tendencies is crucial for their mental health and satisfaction.
- Happy Hormones: Regular chewing activity has a calming effect on dogs. This is because the action releases endorphins, which heighten feelings of pleasure, making your dog feel happy and helping to reduce anxiety and stress.
Can Dogs Digest Bones?
A dog’s ability to digest bones largely depends on their diet. Dogs accustomed to a raw diet are generally better equipped to digest small pieces of bone due to having lower pH stomach acid, which is more conducive for breaking down bone material.
However, most dogs will struggle to digest large pieces of bone. If ingested, these larger fragments can pass into the intestine, potentially causing constipation or leading to a buildup known as impaction, both of which require veterinary attention.
Cooked Bones: A Strict No-Go
Never give dogs cooked bones. Cooking fundamentally alters the consistency of bone, making it brittle and prone to shattering or splintering into sharp shards. This poses a severe risk, as these fragments can cause significant damage to your dog’s mouth, throat, and intestines, potentially leading to perforations or blockages. Cooking also strips the bone of much of its nutritional value, rendering it less beneficial. Moreover, cooked bone is more difficult to digest, further increasing the risk of intestinal blockage. This is especially critical when considering what table food should dogs not eat from your dinner plate, as leftover cooked bones are among the most hazardous.
If you suspect your dog has ingested a cooked bone, it is imperative to contact your veterinarian immediately for advice and a thorough check-up.
Raw Bones: Understanding the Safe Approach
Always give dogs raw bones with meat attached to eat or chew on. The meat provides a natural cushion and makes the bone less likely to splinter. While there is a small risk of salmonella with raw bones, you can mitigate this by popping the bone in the freezer for a couple of days. This precaution helps to eliminate any potential parasites and inhibits bacterial growth. When sourcing farmed meat from a reputable supplier, the risk of parasites is generally low, but taking this extra step ensures maximum safety if possible. While we focus on bones, it’s also important to be mindful of what are you not supposed to feed your dog in general to maintain their health.
Safely Feeding Bones to Your Dog
For your dog to safely enjoy a bone, a few critical guidelines must be followed:
- Supervise Your Dog: Always watch your dog closely while they are eating bones. This allows you to intervene quickly if they encounter any difficulty, such as choking or breaking off a piece that is too large.
- Choose Raw, Fresh Bones: Only offer raw, fresh bones that are still covered with flesh. As mentioned, cooked bones (whether store-bought or leftovers from dinner) are brittle and can shatter into dangerous fragments during chewing.
- Select the Right Type of Bone: The type and size of the bone must be appropriate for your dog’s size, age, and chewing habits to prevent injury and digestive problems.
Can You Leave a Dog Alone with Bones?
Never leave your dog alone with a bone, regardless of how often they have safely eaten bones in the past. Even experienced chewers can encounter unexpected issues. Depending on the size of the bone, your dog might attempt to swallow it whole, or a piece could snap off and become lodged in their throat or digestive tract.
If a part of the bone is coming away or getting too small, be prepared to gently take it away from your dog. To prevent resource guarding, offer a high-value treat in return. Your dog might naturally walk away from the bone once they feel they’re done with it. If the bone appears to be in good condition, you can wrap it in a food bag and store it in the fridge for another gnawing session in a couple of days.
From What Age Can Dogs Eat Bones? Is It Safe for Puppies?
Once puppies begin developing their teeth, they can be introduced to an appropriately sized bone. Soft, chewable bones like chicken wings and the necks of chickens or ducks are generally recommended for young pups. Initially, they may only mouth them, but they will still derive some nutritional benefits and crucial developmental advantages. Chewing on these bones is also excellent for developing their eye-mouth coordination and teaching them proper chewing techniques.
When a puppy reaches approximately six months of age, adult teeth start to develop, and they can then be given a more rigid bone. However, extremely hard bones, such as a cow’s leg bone, can cause significant damage to their developing adult teeth and gums, so these should be avoided.
What Types of Bones Are Safe for Dogs?
The ideal type of bone for your dog largely depends on their size, as this dictates what they can safely chew and digest without risk.
- Small Dogs and Puppies:
- Chicken necks
- Duck feet
- Chicken wings
- Medium Dogs:
- Duck necks
- Chicken thighs
- Turkey wings
- Chicken carcass
- Large Dogs:
- Lamb ribs
- Lamb neck pieces
- Venison ribs
- Extra Large Dogs:
- Venison neck
- Turkey neck
- Chicken/Duck carcass
- Lamb ribs
A happy dog is enjoying a raw bone, chewing contentedly on a grassy surface.
It is essential to remember that while these bones are generally safer, supervision is always key. Ensure the bone is appropriately sized, preventing both choking hazards and the risk of ingesting pieces too large to digest.
Dangerous Bones to Avoid
While some raw bones are beneficial, several types are distinctly unsuitable and dangerous for dogs.
- Weight-Bearing Bones: Bones such as cow and pig leg bones are designed to support the immense weight of these animals and are extremely dense and hard. Chewing on these can easily lead to broken teeth in dogs.
- Bone Marrow Rings: These large, hollow bones are often seen in pet shops. While the marrow is highly nutritious, once it’s ingested, the remaining ring can get painfully stuck in the teeth of smaller dogs. Larger dogs can damage their teeth trying to bite through the hard ring.
- Sharp-Edged Bones: Bones that come from a butcher or supermarket may have been cut with a sharp blade. This can leave dangerously sharp edges that could cut into your dog’s mouth, throat, or digestive tract.
Risks of Feeding Bones to Your Dog
Even with safe bone choices, certain risks are inherent in feeding bones to dogs. Being aware of these can help you manage them proactively.
Cooked bones and small raw bones can be a choking hazard for dogs. Always ensure the bone you provide is appropriate for your dog’s size. Extra hard bones can also cause dental fractures and damage to your dog’s mouth, highlighting that the structure of the bone is as important as its size.
Some dogs may experience dry, crumbly stools or develop constipation a day or two after eating a bone, primarily due to the high calcium content. If your dog becomes constipated, you can include extra insoluble fiber in their diet from sources such as steamed leafy vegetables or pureed pumpkin or squash to help soften their stool. If you know your dog tends to get constipated after bones, you might replace some of their usual food with plain mince on days they receive a bone. Beyond bones, general knowledge of what foods can dogs not eat list is crucial to maintaining your pet’s overall health and avoiding other digestive upsets.
Occasionally, dogs might throw up bile containing bone fragments if they consume more bone than they can comfortably digest. If this occurs with your dog, try feeding smaller bones or limiting the time they have access to a bone. You can swap the bone for a high-value treat when you feel they’ve had enough. For dogs with specific food sensitivities, it is recommended that the ground bone included in their meals comes from the same animal as the meat in that meal.
What Should I Do If My Dog Is Choking on a Bone?
Recognizing the signs of choking and knowing how to respond quickly can be life-saving. Your dog will begin to choke when something becomes lodged in the back of their throat, blocking their airway.
If your dog’s airway is partially blocked, they will typically exhibit these signs:
- Retching or gagging
- Pacing anxiously
- Paw at their mouth
- Blue gums or tongue (indicating lack of oxygen)
If the airway is fully blocked, they will struggle to make any noise at all.
To help a dog that is choking:
- Mouth Sweep: If safe and your dog is responsive, open their mouth and gently sweep the back of their throat with your fingers to try and remove any visible object. Only attempt this if your dog is not agitated, as there is a risk of being bitten.
- Heimlich Maneuver: For an object lodged further back in the throat, you may need to perform the Heimlich maneuver:
- If the dog is lying on its back: Place your hands over the widest part of their chest and perform a quick, strong thrust to dislodge the object. Immediately check the back of the throat to remove the object if it becomes accessible.
- For larger dogs: Position yourself behind your dog, lift their front legs off the ground so they are standing on their back legs only. Make a fist with one hand, place your other hand on top, and push firmly up and forward, just behind the rib cage.
If the object does not come loose, contact your veterinarian immediately and transport your dog to them as quickly as possible.
Integrating Bones into Your Dog’s Raw Food Diet
Many commercially prepared raw dog foods, like those from Bella & Duke, already contain a carefully balanced amount of ground bone. For example, their raw food composition is typically 80% human-grade meat, offal, and bone, combined with 20% superfoods and seasonal fruits and vegetables. This blend is meticulously balanced to provide your best friend with everything they need for a happy, healthy, and active life, so there’s generally no need to add additional bone to your dog’s pre-prepared raw food meals.
However, you can still offer bones to your dog as an occasional treat or as a calming chew toy, especially if they are feeling anxious.
How Often and How Much Bone Can You Give Your Dog?
When incorporating bones into a raw food diet you prepare yourself, it’s generally recommended that bone makes up about 10% of your dog’s raw food diet by weight. If you are feeding a whole bone with a substantial amount of meat attached, this can account for approximately 30% of a dog’s diet, as both the meat and the bone are consumed together.
How Bella & Duke Utilize Bones in Their Meals
At Bella & Duke, bones are an integral part of their species-appropriate nutrition. Their beef and lamb meals contain ground animal bones, ensuring a natural source of essential nutrients. For their chicken and duck meals, bones are incorporated by mincing whole birds.
Their meals are crafted from naturally sourced ingredients, and this includes raw, ground bone as a crucial source of calcium and phosphorus, along with necessary proteins and other ingredients. This holistic approach ensures that their meals deliver comprehensive, species-appropriate nutrition to support your dog’s overall health.
Alternatives to Bones for Dogs
If your dog isn’t keen on bones, or if you prefer not to feed them bones due to concerns, there are other excellent options available that can provide similar benefits.
Chew toys specifically designed for dental health can help keep teeth clean and satisfy chewing urges. Additionally, bone broth is a fantastic alternative. If you have a bone you no longer wish to give your dog, you can make bone broth from it and use it as a flavorful food topper. Alternatively, you can easily add ready-made bone broth to your next order. Packed with vitamins and minerals, bone broth is a tasty addition to your dog’s regular raw food, and it helps support their bone structure, digestive system, and immune system without the risks associated with solid bones. For a broader perspective on canine and feline nutrition, you might also be interested in what do cats and dogs eat.
Conclusion
Feeding bones to your dog can be a highly beneficial practice, offering a wealth of nutritional, dental, and psychological advantages. However, it requires careful consideration and adherence to safety guidelines. Always prioritize raw, fresh bones appropriate for your dog’s size and age, and strictly avoid all cooked bones due to their splintering hazard. Consistent supervision during chewing is non-negotiable, and understanding the risks, such as choking or digestive upset, empowers you to act quickly if an issue arises. By making informed choices about what types of bones can dogs eat and how to feed them safely, you can provide your beloved canine companion with a natural and enriching part of their diet. When in doubt, always consult with your veterinarian to ensure the best and safest practices for your unique pet.
