Posted on July 06, 2009 by Nancy Houser

Most dog owners give their dogs lots of  bones, whether they are from pet stores, grocery stores or from the dinner table. However, over the years this has become a pretty controversial subject among dog owners, dog health experts, and dog product companies. 

But regardless what the verdict is, many dedicated dog owners will happily travel long distances to meat lockers and meat sources for fresh raw beef or game bones for their favorite pets—with the panting dog beside him in full agreement. In other words, to take away a dog bone from a loyal dog is totally un-American!

Dog Experts and Dog Bones

According to dog diet experts, most meat bones (cooked or raw) can be deadly for our dogs, preferring certain artificial dog bones to keep the dog’s teeth clean and allow them to nourish their spirit.  Spirit? No dedicated dog bone cruncher feels the same about a fake bone as compared to dragging the hind leg of a deer in the back door before Mom finds out.

So what are the dog bone “Dos and Don’t Rules” to allow our pets to remain healthy and happy? Are the only healthy bones the high-priced ones from a growing pet market with the dog’s vote not counting? Let us take a look at it.

The basic dog bones most of us are aware of on the market are nylon bones, meat bones, or rawhide bones (whoops…rawhide bones are now out,  recently considered unhealthy by the ever-loyal dog experts) with each one able to match a dog’s chewing rate or even their chewing habit–and the dog owner’s preferences for their dog.

How to Choose a Dog Bone

But before going out to purchase the weekly bribing bone to protect that new pair of shoes, take a good look at your dog’s size and its mouth and teeth. Their may be nothing cuter than a tiny Chihuahua chewing on the hind-leg of a cow, but it probably isn’t practical even though tough-hearted little Spike will probably give it a pretty good shot. Remember to choose the best bone to match your dog’s chewing rate and chewing habits. Consider size, shape, hardness, and flavor.

Why Dogs Like Bones

Most of us are tired of all the never-ending changes of food opinions based on “scientific research”–what means what is healthy for us one day may not be tomorrow’s verdict. It is no wonder dog bones are a controversial subject for dog owners, especially when many of the old-timers have fed raw bones to their dogs for years with no problems with all dogs pretty happy with that idea.

Bones are good for dogs for diet and chewing, depending on the type of bone given. Raw meat bones are rich in calcium,  whether they are first ground in a processor and then added to the food, or whether it is raw beef knuckle bones or raw chicken bones so the dogs can chew on them.  But dog owners who use raw or homemade diets and do not offer raw bones will need to make sure calcium is included for the dog’s health as they will not get it any other way (yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, ground raw chicken bones, or store-bought calcium supplements).

At one time wild dogs used to eat their prey whole, which included the meat, bones and entrails–supplying all the minerals, nutrients and vitamins they required. But once that animal becomes cooked, things change and bones will splinter inside the dog’s stomach and intestines. But this “instinct or need for game or meat ” is still instilled inside our dogs, even though a healthy chew-toy or artificial greenie bone is satisfactory to some for plain ol’ chewing, while others turn their nose up to the thought.

Some Bone Hard Facts

So…let’s accept the fact most bones when cooked are deadly to dogs as they splinter. And some bones when fed raw can be dangerous as splintered bones can cause a dog to choke or their needle-sharp pieces will pierce the intestinal lining or stomach tract,  or become stuck in the dog’s teeth. But facts show us that steak bones will splinter, plus the bones of any chicken or fowl need to be light so they can fly–meaning they will easily splinter when cooked and become brittle.

The worst bones to feed a dog are cooked turkey or chicken legs, ham, pork chops, and veal while raw chicken necks and beef knuckle bones are good for them. In fact, almost all raw chicken bones are good for dogs, as they are great for their teeth and satisfies they “instinct” for raw meat. Also, a dog who is on antacids and is fed bones will become ill, as they will be unable to digest them.

The larger “weight-bearing” bones from game or cattle are not safe once they dry out from sitting around in the yard or field. They have been known to fracture a dog’s molars. Also, the long leg bones on cattle or game should not be sawed or cut open, allowing the fatty marrow to get out as it is unhealthy for dogs.

Anything in pork can be bad for dogs due to an enzyme being present which causes a deadly disease to dogs from triichinosis, or bacon which has sodium nitrate in it. But some experts say that freezing pork for three weeks or cooking it well enough to kill anything inside helps. The only exception is “pig trotters”  or pork/lamb raw bones  whose only problem may be their small size. If they are not appropriate to the dog’s size, they can inhale and choke on them.

Symptoms of a Bone-Choking Dog

• Look for the dog’s gums to turn color if the dog is beginning to choke–look for a paleness or blue color.

• The chocking dog will develop an “open-mouthed” gasping appearance.

• The choking dog will begin pawing to paw at its face, attempting to dislodge the bone.

• Eventually, the pupils of the choking dog will become dilated and it will lose consciousness.

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• Dog Food With Fresh Meat & Vegetables
• Are Vegetarian Diets Healthier for Dogs than Meat Diets?
• The Dog’s Tips for Thanksgiving
• Tips about low-cost healthy dog food