Is it ok to feed my dog raw bones?

Raw bones are a good source of minerals and calcium for your dog. They are also know to help satisfy your dog’s appetite. When dogs chew on bones it stimulates the enzymes in their saliva helping prevent plaque build-up on their teeth and reduce the risk of gum disease. There are a few known risks associated with letting your dog eat raw bones, such as:

Risks associated with letting your dog eat raw bones, include:

• Mouth and tongue lacerations
• Choking
• Broken teeth
• Cuts and wounds in the mouth or on the tonsils
• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Severe constipation
• An intestinal blockage that may require surgery

Dangers of cooked bones for dogs
Cooked bones are a risk to your dogs health. Cooked bones include those that have been  boiled, slow cooked, baked, fried or smoked. They pose a risk as the cooking process makes them weakened and prone to splintering.  These small splinters can cause damage to many parts of the dog’s digestive system. The larger splinters can break off and become lodged anywhere from the throat to the end of the intestines. Another risk of cooked bones are they are notorious for causing chronic constipation in dogs.

Is there anything safe that I can give my dog to chew?
If you really want to offer a bone, choose one that is too large for your dog to swallow. The general thought is find one bigger your dogs head or choose ones that are too large for your dog to swallow. Be mindful that they can cause a choking hazard when chewed into small pieces. Plan ahead, so keep an eye on it and once the bone is worn down to a size smaller that their mouth then throw it out. Once you have the size big enough, ask your butcher to take the marrow out. Marrow has been know to cause significant gastrointestinal upsets.

With your dog’s raw bone selection, steer away from pork bones, they splinter easily and contain significant percentage of fats. Also avoid rib and chicken bones as their small size causes risk. They also can crack easily.

On a positive note
Chewing is a natural dog behaviour and there are safe dog chews and bones available. In fact, dog bones can provide mental stimulation and keep your dog’s teeth clean.