Baby Back Rib Bones For Dogs

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You may want your baby back (baby back, baby back) ribs, as the Chilis commercial jingle went a few years ago, but is it cool to give beef or pork rib bones to dogs as a treat once in a while?

While theres anything inherently toxic to dogs about cooked pork or beef rib meat, bones are a more complicated issue. Because of the chances of choking, digestion problems, and sharp bones in the gastrointestinal tract, veterinarians like Renee Schmid, DVM, DABVT, DABT, a veterinarian toxicologist who works with Pet Poison Helpline, have begun shying away from recommending that dogs chew on animal bones.

Can Dogs Eat Baby Back Rib Bones? Rib bones from table scraps are absolutely off-limits. Cooked bones can splinter and cause severe internal damage to dogs.

Can I Give My Dog Rib Bones?

The short answer: No. “I do not recommend giving pork rib bones to your dog,” said Susan Konecny, RN, DVM and medical director at Best Friends Animal Society®. Raw poultry and pork bones, in addition to cooked bones of any kind, should be off limits when it comes to your dog’s diet.

“While pork itself is a fine protein source, the bones should be considered something that’s dangerous and should be disposed of and not as a treat,” said Stephanie Liff, DVM and owner of Pure Paws Veterinary Care of Clinton Hill Brooklyn, NY.

Can Dogs Have Pork Rib Bones?

Ribs aren’t necessarily dangerous to your dog’s health, but there are definitely precautions you need to take to ensure they aren’t going to cause any problems.

If you want to give your dog ribs, it’s best to feed them raw ribs. Cooked meat isn’t bad for your dog, but cooked bones definitely are.

It seems counterintuitive, but when bones are uncooked, they’re still soft, flexible, and chewy. They need to be soft so your dog can safely chew, swallow, and digest them.

As soon as bones are cooked, they become brittle and splinter into shards that can be very harmful to your dog.

Raw rib meat is more nutritious for dogs than cooked meat. If you consider a wild dog’s natural diet, it doesn’t consist of cooked meat.

Raw meat gives your dog the best source of nutrition, but if you’re feeding pork, you need to be extra cautious with how you store it.

It’s not uncommon for raw pork to be contaminated with a parasite that can make your dog really ill. To know more about raw pork just click here.

There are only two ways to kill the parasite. One of them is to cook the meat until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

The second way is to freeze your pork for at least two weeks prior to feeding it to your dog.

Can Dogs Eat Beef Rib Bones?

Beef rib bones are safe for your dog. You can also feed lamb neck bones to your dog. Lamb neck bones are meaty. They are suitable for small and medium dogs.

FAQ

What happens if a dog eats baby back rib bones?

It can take anywhere between 24 and 72 hours for dogs to pass a rib bone. Time depends on the amount eaten, how the bones were prepared, and the size and breed of the dog. In some cases, fragments will dissolve in the stomach. However, larger bone fragments will often make their way to the intestines.

Is it safe for dogs to eat rib bones?

Cooked bones can splinter and cause severe internal damage to dogs. Rib bones from table scraps are absolutely off-limits, along with any other cooked bones.