Dog’s and their love for bones is prevalent since the times dogs become our companions.
But is it okay to give bones to your dogs?
It it healthy for them?
Or are there any particular kinds of bones that can be given to your dog?
These questions are kind of overwhelming, aren’t they?
Well, I’ve done some research and I’ll use this post to share my insights with you.
During my research, I discovered that there are different schools of advice that exist on the internet about this whole dog and bones scene.
But as a dog owner, it is worth being informed about anything that has anything to do about your dog’s health.
You see, dogs find bones to be an amusing object to interact with but at the same time bones can be extremely dangerous (Even life threatening) for them.
That is why bones are considered dangerous treats for your dog.
If you ask about my opinion; I would entirely abstain from giving anything to my dog that has any known risks associated to it.
You might say aren’t bones helpful in fighting plaque, tartar and better smelling breath?
Yes they are, but we have alternatives that work just as fine and are not risky for my dog.
But for any reason you want to give your dog a bone to play with, or you are just curious, keep reading.
If you follow a simple dos and don’ts, for sure, you can make sure that it is a safe and even beneficial for your dog.
What are those rules?
Let’s start with don’ts:
Cooked bones/Antlers
You should not give your dog cooked bones because of their extreme density. And because of this hardness there is increased risk of dental injury.
Cooked bones are one of the the biggest reasons that causes tooth extraction in dogs.
Large chewable that are too soft to break but also hard to digest.
It goes with any treat that you can find in your local pet store, that your dog can chew on.
The problem with these treats that if your dog swallows big enough piece of it. It can cause digestive or obstruction issues.
Rawhides
The risk associated with rawhides is directly related on your dog’s chewing habits. For some dogs these are entirely okay, but for some, it may cause problems.
If your dog would just gently chew on rawhides then it’s okay but if your dog breaks into large chunks and tries to swallow them, it can be a problem.
Now don’s out of our way, let’s talk about do’s:
Raw Bones
This is one of the most common conception among dog owner’s that feeding your dog with raw bones is not suitable for your dog.
But according to some studies, raw bones are far more softer than cooked bones.
If you chose the right size, they can easily chew through it and they may clean their teeth very thoroughly in the process of eating it.
By chewing raw bones, your dog would eat these tiny pieces of bones that can be digested way better than cooked ones.
They can absorbed some good quality from these bones.
But giving your dog raw bones comes with precautions associated to it.
- Don’t let them play with raw bones more than 2 hours because after that bacteria might show up one bones, which is not suitable for your dog.
- No chicken Bones because they may splinter and can choke your dog.
Of-course there is more to it and covering everything would make this post pretty long and tedious and I don’t want that.
If you feel I haven’t answered your question, please feel free to use the comment box and I will get back to you.
God Bless You.