Simple question about dog bones

zebidee1

Our pup has had his first ever proper bone today. The silly beast hasn't moved for hours....he's in doggy heaven.:D

The bone is now only about 3 inches long.....should we take it off him now in case he chokes on it as it's so small, or do dogs just chew and bite it until it's completely gone?

beachbeth

I wouldn't give my dogs a bone at all. I think most vets would tell you that any sort of bone can splinter and puncture the dog's insides. I know how much they enjoy them though because I used to give a dog of mine one sometimes, but now I know better and wouldn't give them to my present dogs.

Kimberley

beachbeth wrote: »

I wouldn't give my dogs a bone at all. I think most vets would tell you that any sort of bone can splinter and puncture the dog's insides. I know how much they enjoy them though because I used to give a dog of mine one sometimes, but now I know better and wouldn't give them to my present dogs.

I agree, it's not worth the risk.

suki1964

I wouldn't give a dog a cooked bone, not even the ones from the pet shop, but I will give RAW bones - not weight baring ones.

My dogs get an assortment of bones, raw meaty ones as a meal - ie chicken wings, carcases,lamb ribs etc. Or larger less meaty bones for a good ole gnaw.

I did feed harder bones in the past but found the dogs teeth wore down rather alarmingly

elsien

Used to feed the heinz 57 real bones, but daren't risk it with the current power chewer. I'd suggest if the dog can get it inside its mouth, it's too easy to swallow and choke, so I'd remove it.
If you decide not to stick with real bones, try nylabones - designed to wear away in much smaller amounts so they can't bite big lumps off, but they still need removing if they get too small.
Anthing to keep them quiet......

foreign_correspondent

bones are great for your dog, and arent anywhere near as risky as some well known brands of dog chews!! (dental chews etc, which can easily be bitten into windpipe sized chunks cause quite a few choking death in dogs) In fact, I wouldnt be surprised if all the hysteria about the dangers of bones have been instigated by the pet food companies!! Dogs instinctively know how to manage bones, as its what they evolved eating - however, some man made treats are not so well designed for the dog.

Stick to non-cooked bones and he will be fine - I think beef are best and I always get a bag from the butchers. Its great for his teeth, digestion and nutrition and is mentally stimulating.

Personally, I would remove the smallish bone now, especually as he is a newbie to bone crunching! However, dogs are often very reluctant to give up a bone, and may growl as they enjoy them so much, so I would advise you to distract him, than nab it whilst he isnt looking!

Best wishes,

FC x

zebidee1

There seems to be quite a sizeable difference of opinion over the subject of bones.

This was a raw bone and our vet had originally mentioned the BARF way of feeding so although we dont follow that, we felt it was ok to give the dog a large, raw, slighty meaty bone.

We did take it off him when it got small and he let us do it easily although the sad look he gave us made me feel like a right heel.

We probably wont be giving him another one though as he was very constipated afterwards and it seems the bone was to blame. We were told to put a spoonful of olive oil on his usual food for a few meals and within a short time he was back to normal again.

Thanks everyone.

suki1964

Dont stop feeding raw bones, as you saw for yourself, pup was in doggy heaven and they are good for them, just adjust what bone size you are giving. My cocker is fine on say a cow rib every couple of days, any more and he will get constipation or diawotsits. Also a chicken wing is enough, two and once again trouble. Its just trial and error. I also take a bone away once its to the small bit and any larger bones that have been chewed on for a day or two also get binned.

Never leave a dog alone unsupervised with a bone, in that I mean dont leave them as a treat to keep him occupied when you are out of the house

thriftmonster

Our dog gets constipated with bones as well but I counteract that with a small bowl of milk at the same time as it has the opposite effect on a doggy digestion. I only give marrow bones from the butcher.

SiuLoong

There is a massive difference of opinion on the subject even amongst vets. I think everyone would agree that you should never feed cooked bones to dogs, however raw bones are a different matter. There are some experts who say raw bones are fine, yet there are others who would advise against it.

I would never recommend feeding bones to animals, raw or cooked, I've seen too many problems to support it. Cooked bones are more likely to splinter and cause problems internally but even raw bones carry risks with constipation and broken teeth etc.. Giving a small bowl of milk, effectively a laxative in some dogs is not really the best way of counteracting the effects!!

Use commercial dog treats, but be careful: there are plenty out there that can cause just as many problems. Rawhides with knots at the ends get stuck in throats and cause a lot of the same problems. Our dog gets loads of treats, and has a variety of things to chew on, has loads of fun and no problems. You just need to select carefully for the individual dogs size and character.

LittleTinker

Nothing wroing with dogs eating bones except for chicken bones, as those are too bittle and can splinter........they are good for their teeth, for their coats and for the calcium. Plus, they get loads of pleasure from them.