Bones for Dogs
What dog doesn’t like bones? Most dogs have an almost insatiable urge to chew. Starting from the time they’re puppies dogs try to chew on their mothers, on each other, on just about everything they encounter, even before they have teeth. As soon as their teeth emerge it’s Watch Out! These little puppy piranhas can eat you for breakfast and destroy your house. Whether you have an entire litter of puppies trying to demolish your home or you’ve just brought home your own personal wrecking crew of one, one of the best things you can do for a puppy is provide him with safe things to chew on. The emphasis is on “safe.” It’s all too easy for a puppy or dog of any age to chew on something inappropriate and have it become lodged in his throat or windpipe. When this happens your dog can die. That’s why it’s so important for you to personally choose the things that your puppy or dog chews on and for you to supervise when he chews. Safe chews for your dog are a good idea for several reasons: · They can prevent negative chewing behavior (chewing on things in the house); · They can ease teething pain in puppies; · They can prevent boredom in adult dogs; · Dental bones can reduce bad breath and dental problems; · They satisfy your dog’s urge to chew. Whether you’re choosing a bone for a puppy or for an adult dog be sure that you choose a bone that’s appropriate for your dog’s size. This means that the bone should ALWAYS be larger than your dog’s mouth. Do not allow your puppy or dog to chew on small objects that he could swallow, whether they’re bones or anything else. You should use the same kind of judgment with your dog that you would use with small children. You don’t want your dog to be able to swallow something small that could possibly become lodged in his throat. Make sure that the bone he has to chew on is always large. Ideally, you should choose bones that are suitable for gnawing. This means that he can get the side of his teeth on them but he can’t fit the whole bone in his mouth. If it’s a real bone that starts to splinter, you should be watching your dog and you should remove the bone when it starts to break into small pieces that your dog could swallow. These small pieces could become stuck in your dog’s throat or, since they are jagged, they could even pierce your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. Large real bones are fine as long as you are supervising and ready to remove the bone when your dog starts to break it off into smaller pieces. Nylon bones are fine for dogs but provide no benefits that real meaty bones will have.* They usually last a long time and, if they do splinter at all, the pieces are usually tiny and they won’t harm your dog if he does swallow them. Nylon bones and pressed rawhides are good choices for aggressive chewers since they wear down very slowly and last a long time. Make sure they have good flavor or your dog may not be very interested in them. If you are giving your dog real bones then it’s usually best to get the ones that you can buy from pet store suppliers. These bones are very hard — they usually come from cattle, such as a leg bone — and they are hard to splinter. On the other hand, if you give your dog a bone from your plate, the bone has been cooked and it is much more likely to splinter. You can give your dog a bone from your plate. No doubt it will taste great! But, as previously mentioned, you must closely monitor your dog to make sure the bone doesn’t splinter and remove the bone it if does start to splinter. Rawhide bones are made from animal hides, usually from beef. American-made rawhides are usually a safe choice. Some rawhides made in other countries have been connected to outbreaks of E. coli. Opinions differ about giving dogs rawhides as chews. Dogs love them. Many owners like to give their dogs rawhide chews but some owners don’t feel they’re safe. If you do give your dog rawhides as chews you should take the same precautions that you take when giving real bones. Choose rawhides that are larger than your dog can fit in his mouth. Remove small pieces when your dog starts to tear them off so he can’t possibly choke on them. Most rawhides are long-lasting but some dogs can be obsessed with them and try to consume them in one sitting. You may need to ration them. Marrow bones are large, hard bones that you can usually obtain from a butcher or, sometimes, from your grocery store. These bones are usually too hard to splinter. Dogs usually love them because the marrow inside them is fatty and tasty. If you do feed these often you’ll need to watch your dog’s weight. Since marrow bones are very hard they can wear down your dog’s teeth if you give them regularly. Small circular hambones are not recommended for dogs. These bones are just the right size to become lodged on the jaws of some dogs. If you do give your dog these bones to chew on, you should closely monitor your dog while he chews. There are many other things for your dog to chew, such as pig ears and cow hooves. Unfortunately, some of these other chews have had frequent recalls because of salmonella concerns, depending on the manufacturer. However, dogs love them, so you may want to try them from time to time. Most dogs devour these chews very quickly. The most important things to remember are to choose bones which are appropriate for your dog. Choose bones which are too large for him to get entirely in his mouth; supervise your dog while chewing; remove small pieces when they break off. Although dogs do love bones and chewing satisfies an important urge for your dog, chewing on bones can also be dangerous. Always be careful with bones. * For more detailed information on the value of bone chewing for your dogs, several books can be found. One classic is “ GIVE YOUR DOG A BONE’, by Dr. Ian Billinghurst. B.V.Sc, B.Sc. Agr., Dip. ED
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