What Bones are Safe to Give to a Dog?

By Sandra Petersen

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Overview

Owners have fed their dogs bones for years and delighted in seeing how their pets seemed to enjoy their treats. However, questions have recently arisen over whether raw bones are safe or if dogs need bones at all.

Significance

If the dog chews off large chunks of bone, swallows them and has to have surgery, it can cost the owner hundreds of dollars in veterinary bills.

Types

Proponents of the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, or Bones and Raw Food) diet believe a dog can have raw beef bones. Some veterinarians say a dog should have no animal bones, but allow for synthetic bones made of rubber, nylon or rawhide.

Considerations

According to Dr. William Fortney with the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Kansas in Manhattan, the owner should consider whether his dog is a chewer or a large chunk swallower.

Misconceptions

An owner may think a raw bone gives her dog some nutrition, but the bone itself and the collagen in the bone cannot be digested, according to experts at petcenter.com. Dogs do not require bones for good dental health either.

Warning

Bones from poultry can splinter and lodge in a dog's throat or cause internal tearing in the digestive tract. Pork chop bones have sharp ends which can do the same thing. Round steak bones can accidentally slip over a dog's lower eye teeth.

Comments (15)

Aug 9, 2009 nmeza84

Ya I think its better not to give your dogs any bones so you wont have problems.

Aug 13, 2009 Saul

i agree because i have bullies and if u give them any bone they could get constipated

Aug 15, 2009 kidzrule551

I thingk is ok to give your dog bones from the pet shop

Aug 15, 2009 Shadowmonkey

Raw hide bones seem to be just the ticket for my lab. The nyla-bone makes a mess in the house and patio.

Sep 2, 2009 Wally2007

Well, dogs have eaten bones for centuries w/o any problems because it's natural! and recently vets decided they should not... Give me a break! It is more to push people to buy expensive chemical-made fake bones then increase their margin, more than to care about our dogs' health, I think. My 2 dogs have a beef bone once a week. I boil it before just to kill any germs or whatever, and they love it!

Oct 27, 2009 Vichka

This article is so full of crap! Dogs evolved eating bones! Just because they live in houses and sleep on couches does not mean they need to eat processed food laden with chemicals! You tell me that a Nylabone is better for my dogs then a chicken back! My guys have been eating raw meat and bones for over a year and the diet has done wonders. Not every bone is appropriate for a dog. The marrow bone are indeed bad for the teeth, but raw chicken, turkey, rabbit and some others are wonderful. All the talk about how dogs can't eat bones is just an marketing scheme full of lies to get you to buy a crappy product that does nothing but harm to your dog! Then once the dog is sick, it is taken to a vet, so in the end, the pet food/toy/chew manufacturer is happy and so is the vet - they only losers are you and your poor dog! Also, almost every kibble/wet food fed dog develops dental issues by the age of 2 - This is horrible! Appropriate raw bones clean the teeth like no other artificial bone ever would.

Dec 2, 2009 Ashleyalice

i think the only the bones that id give my dog are always from the pet shop.

Dec 13, 2009 Brigite

Well!Well. What ever all of you dicide to give bones or not it's all up to you. Even if you never give your dog a bone it will not be less then what it is. My dogs don't get bones and they are not misable. They are there unconditionaly.

Dec 15, 2009 DogoMama

My dog has a sensitive stomach. Although he loves to chew rawhide bones, he throws them back up hours later. He throws up ALL bones. He's a large-chunk swallower too. I have to get him smaller bite kibble 'cause he tends to scoop & swallow. One woman told me that raw bones were better than cooked/dried ones because they don't splinter as bad. I've given up on giving him bones in general, his stomach just can't handle it. Surprisingly though, his stomach is okay with bullysticks and moo-tubes, snouts & ears. Go figure. BTW, anyone who says that a synthetic, rubber or nylabone full of chemicals is better than a natural one, has got to be out of their mind. Seriously, that's like saying food from a vending machine is better for you than an organic meal.

Dec 28, 2009 wolvesrule4ever

I agree with Wally2007. Just don't feed them chicken bones, that can cut their insides......

Dec 31, 2009 dogworld93

I've been feeding my dogs raw bones for as long as they've had they're adult teeth! Look at it like this. Dogs are really just domesticated wolves, and wolfs eat raw bones. You may have it all backwards if I do say so my self. I once tried feeding my dog cooked bones to find they splintered and gave them loose poo. As for the nylon bones. That thing is horrible! When they chew it they are going to digest some of it! I've seen a lot of sensible articles that suggest the nylon my create very serious health problems! Once again I must impress in you that if the dog really is just a domesticated wolf then they may eat what wolves eat...and that includes raw meat and bones! If you read this whole thing and still don't believe me then I feel very sorry for you're dogs...

Jan 13, 2010 Imanidog

Acually straught raw bones are just fine most of the time. However it's cooked bones that cause problems. They get softer and may splinter and get laughed in their throughts or bellies causeing what can be serious problems. And feeding dogs bones may not be a problem but theres no harm in skipping the bones...

Feb 8, 2010 Silverfox

I feel it's a bit ridiculous to feed our dogs bones because their wild relatives eat them. Have you seen a wild animal up close? They are diseased, parasite-ridden and live shorter lives than our domestic companions. We shouldn't be feeding raw bones for the same reason we don't eat raw meat- concern for bacterial and protozoal contamination. Even if it doesn't make you sick, they can pass it to you-there have been scientifically documented cases of humans becoming very ill or even dying from this, and thats not counting the dogs who have died of bacterial infection such as salmonella and e coli. I just don't feel it's worth the risk. I'd way rather have my dog work a treat out of a Kong-while yes, it's rubber- bearing in mind they are not consuming the rubber, just chewing it. Cooked bones aren't worth the risk either. I've seen bowel perforations occuring in dogs that is immediately life threatening and requires expensive surgery to save the dog's life. not worth the risk, in my books.

Feb 8, 2010 dogworld93

Silverfox I found your sentence saying "We shouldn't be feeding raw bones for the same reason we don't eat raw meat- concern for bacterial and protozoal contamination" not making much since. I mean dogs are a different species from us humans. Just because WE can't eat raw meat doesn't mean dogs can't eat raw meat! You also said that dogs in the wild are "diseased, parasite-ridden and live shorter lives". Well, the fact that they are parasite-ridden and diseased as nothing to do with their diet and the same goes to shorter lives. They live shorter lives due to predators which includes us humans. I will continue to feed my dogs raw bones and will do so for as long as I live. NOTE: I am not trying to offend anyone. I am merrily stating facts.

Feb 15, 2010 sylviad

If you want to give your dog bones, choose the round beef bones, known as knuckle bones. They are less likely to splinter than all other bones. Also, avoid lamb bones. I made the huge mistake of giving them to my dog until he chucked up a triangular shard once. Imagine if he'd swallowed it, the damage it could have caused. So knuckle bones it is. Ask your butcher if you don't know what they are.

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