Avoiding Cooked Bones Right from the Start
Many dog owners hear from the beginning that staying away from cooked chicken bones is a must. The list doesn’t end there; ALL cooked bones are bad for your dog’s health! The main reason behind this statement derives from the cooking process. As they go through the cooking, steaming, or frying process, bones change their structure and become brittle and predisposed towards breaking into sharp pieces. Cooked bones, including those that come from table scraps, are not safe for dogs to eat. They can easily break and splinter. Dogs who eat cooked bones may suffer from the following:
Although the story of raw bones for dogs is a merrier one, we still recommend that you exercise caution. After all, accidents tend to happen when you least expect them, which is why you should make sure that your dog eats safely. When choosing a raw bone for your dog, look for one that’s about the size of its head. The reasoning behind this piece of advice is simple: dogs cannot swallow big bones easily. Such a simple solution counteracts some dogs’ natural tendency towards protecting and eating their bones too quickly. Simultaneously, take the time to observe your dog’s eating habits and prevent future accidents from the start. However, don’t forget that your dog’s time with the bone is special, which is why you should study your dog’s eating patterns from afar.
The next target on the raw bone “safety” list has to do with viruses and bacteria. It’s all about their source; purchasing raw bones from a trustworthy butcher with locally sourced meat constitutes a safe approach. When dealing with unhealthy sources, raw bones can communicate food-borne bacteria such as salmonella. You should throw the bone out after no more than two hours, even though it comes from a trustworthy source. Most raw bones that have not been cooked are edible for dogs. Raw chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef bones are soft enough to chew, eat, and digest.
That said, with all bones, there is a risk of choking if your dog swallows without thoroughly chewing, and bones that are too hard can cause damage to the teeth. Always supervise your dog with a bone. Recreational bones are not designed to be edible, but rather chewed by dogs. These can include large femur or hip bones from bison or beef and are filled with marrow. These bones may have meat, cartilage, or soft tissue still attached. You can usually find these at your local butcher.
Bones with marrow are high in fat. Make sure to adjust your dog’s diet to compensate, and if your dog needs a low-fat diet, you may be better off not giving marrow-filled bones to your dog.
With raw bones and meat, there is some risk of bacterial contamination. You can reduce these risks with proper handling. Ask your vet for suggestions about the best way to safely handle and store raw bones.
Again, there are risks to giving your dog these kinds of bones, though if you follow the safety guidelines, your pup should be able to safely enjoy them.
What Types Of Bones Can Dogs Eat?
Although it depends on the type of animal bone, you should follow some general rules when considering giving your dog this “treat”.
One of the most frequent questions we see is, “can dogs eat beef rib bones?” Yes, as long as they’re large. Beef bones are naturally harder than most other types of animal bones, making them more difficult for dogs to break down. Can dogs eat steak bones? The same rule applies as with rib bones.
Can dogs eat cooked beef bones? There’s been some disagreement among veterinary experts in the past on this issue, but the general consensus is that cooked bones, regardless of the type, are not good for dogs. Talk with your vet about feeding your dog cooked beef bones.
Can dogs eat cooked chicken bones (or raw, for that matter)? The consensus on chicken bones of any kind is a resounding NO. Why? Chicken bones, especially when cooked, easily break and splinter. This can cause your dog to choke from bones getting caught in their throat.
Even worse, the sharp, splintered bones can puncture your dog’s gastrointestinal tract, which not only can cause extreme pain and infection but can also lead to death if not treated immediately.
Turkey bones splinter easily like chicken bones. So, feeding turkey bones of any kind (raw or cooked) is not recommended.
Like chicken bones, veterinary experts typically agree that pork bones aren’t safe, whether they’re cooked or raw. This includes pork ribs, ham bones, and pork chop bones. The adverse health effects can be the same as you’d see with chicken bones.
Lamb bones are more similar to beef bones in their density. So, follow the same rules as for beef bones. Raw is better but cooked is okay if the lamb bone is large and thick.
Feeding cooked bones to dogs can cause serious problems
During the cooking process the structure of the bone is changed and a pliable raw bone will become brittle and fragile. It does not matter what the cooking process involves; it could be roasting, boiling, frying or any other type of cooking process. The problem is the heating procedure itself which destroys the normal structure of the bone, causing it to become brittle and prone to splintering into sharp and jagged pieces.
These shards or splinters of bone are often extremely sharp and can cause lacerations to the tongue, cheeks, palate or gums. If swallowed these needle sharp splinters can potentially cause lacerations further down the digestive tract.
A cooked bone that is structurally fragile can be quickly and easily chewed into fragments that are small enough to swallow or to become stuck in the oral cavity. Small, hard pieces of bone may become wedged in the mouth. A common position is across the hard palate; as the bone fragment wedges between the molar teeth much like a stick can do if chewed. Smaller shards of bone could become stuck between the teeth and this can cause a great deal of pain. There is also a risk of choking on small pieces of bone.
Even small fragments of bone, being dry, hard and indigestible can cause an impaction when multiple tiny pieces accumulate in the gut and cause obstruction to the normal movement of food within the digestive tract. In minor cases this can lead to constipation. But in more severe cases the intestine can be completely obstructed by bone. This type of complete obstruction (either caused by a single piece of bone or an accumulation of multiple fragments) can be life-threatening. And it may require major surgery to remove the blockage.
The health risks associated with giving dogs bones that have been cooked are a clear reason to avoid allowing your dog to have these types of bones to chew on. However, some of the nutritional value of the bone can also be lost due to the cooking process. So there is really no good reason to ever provide your pet with a cooked bone.
Dog bones: Which are safe for dogs? | Ultimate Pet Nutrition – Dog Health Tips
Like carrots and hummus or Oreos and almond milk, countless cartoons have led us to believe that dogs and bones are a perfect match — though it turns out that isnt necessarily the case. Although chewing provides mental stimulation and cleans your pups chompers, giving your dog real animal bones can seriously endanger their well-being. So, if youre nervous about your dog eating bones, its up to you as their pet parent to find out which ones are actually safe for them to chew. Article continues below advertisement