Don't Give a Dog a Bone

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated February 17, 2009)

In the movies we always see the dog chewing on a nice, hard bone. It just seems natural that dogs eat bones and that a dog should always have a bone. This is a delusion! It actually is not healthy for your dog to have a bone and you should avoid it. There are severe health issues surrounding the "traditional" dog bone and once you know the safety precautions, you'll be good to go with keeping your dog safe and sound.

The thing about bones is that when the dog is chewing on them, the bone could shatter, leaving bone splinters inside the mouth, cutting the tissue, and maybe even choking the dog. That is not a good thing. This cardinal rule of dog bones applies primarily to cooked bones. When you cook the meat on the bone, you weaken the bone, making it more pliable, and therefore easier to break. Instead, you should buy your dog a rawhide chew or similar at the pet store.

Raw bones are more acceptable. Raw bones are typically more durable and don't pose any significant threat to pets. (You should be aware that larger breeds are more capable of swallowing the bones, in which case, bones are definitely not a good idea). Raw bones are actually pretty good for dogs, even tiny puppies; pups fed on raw bones will be far less likely to chew up the house, plus, they grow slower and do not get obese as easily as dogs fed on commercial foods. Raw bones are also great for teeth, cleaning like no rawhide chew ever will.

You should approach all kinds of bones with a degree of caution, to prevent any problems with your canine. Check with your vet about what is best for your dog, and you might want to do some research on your own to make sure that bones are an acceptable treat for your particular dog breed.

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

MORE FROM DORIS

Organizing Recipes

Updating your favorite recipes does not have to be a time-eating experience. Streamlining your recipes to your needs is ...

Discover More

Garden Compost

Garden compost can be one of the greatest additions to anyone's garden. Whether you are interested in organic gardening ...

Discover More

Planting Roses

Without a doubt, roses are one of the all time favorite plants of gardeners everywhere. This is due to how beautiful the ...

Discover More
More Pet Tips

Never Give Dogs Chocolate

You often here to not give your dogs chocolate, but you may not know why. Learn the reason behind the advice, and you'll ...

Discover More

Helping a Runt Get Food

Runts don't always get the best lot, you know. While it may be in the course of nature for the runt to lose out, as a pet ...

Discover More

Making a Disposable Pet Bowl

You have an on-the-go life, one that is hard to stop in its tracks—I understand. There may be times when you have ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two more than 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)