Can you give bones to dogs? Can you feed bones to your dog? Can a dog eat boiled beef bones?

A dog sitting in a booth with a bone in its teeth is a stereotypical illustration familiar to many from childhood. As a result, for many owners, the question of whether dogs can have bones does not even arise. Specialists and veterinarians have long debunked the erroneous idea that feeding a dog with bones is necessary to maintain teeth. In fact, eating bones can cause enormous harm to a pet's health, even death. It is important for the dog owner to understand what bones can and cannot be given.

Why dogs shouldn't be given bones.

Despite the fact that many dogs eat bones without apparent harm to health, and their stomach has the ability to digest them, they are harmful for the following reasons:

Chewing bones by a dog provokes: grinding and breaking of teeth, destruction of enamel, development of caries. Such damage reduces life expectancy, which is noticeable in dogs living in nature.
Large bone fragments get stuck in the throat, blocking the airways, which can lead to an attack of suffocation. In case of an unfavorable outcome, bone extraction is performed only by a veterinarian, surgically, using anesthesia.
Injury to the stomach and intestines by bone fragments occurs in case of improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Undigested bone fragments scratch the mucous membranes. Eating bones often results in diarrhea or constipation for the dog.
If the bone gets stuck in the stomach, and the inability to pass into the intestines, causes bouts of persistent vomiting. Surgery is a common outcome.
Bone obstruction of the intestine and general obstruction. The most unfavorable result of eating bones. X-ray with a contrast agent determines the area of obstruction, after which a surgical operation is prescribed. Postoperative rehabilitation is long and difficult for the dog.
Blockage by bone fragments of the large intestine, preventing the dog from emptying the intestines. Symptoms that indicate this problem are: the adoption of a pose for emptying by the dog, squealing, drops of blood. In this case, a cleansing enema with oil is used, and a subsequent therapeutic diet.
Any boiled bones for dogs are prohibited. Boiled bones (or bones from jelly) form a dense mass in the intestines, clogging it. At best, they get off with an enema and vaseline oil inside. At worst, surgical intervention and a long postoperative period.

Why you shouldn't give chicken bones to dogs.

Bird bones are completely unacceptable for dogs for a number of reasons:

Tubular bird bones are very sharp, getting into the stomach and intestines, easily injuring it.
They easily crumble and get stuck in the teeth, causing pain to the dog while eating.
Infection and toxins contained in the bones are dangerous for the dog. The bird's body temperature exceeds the dog's body temperature, which allows it to resist infection. The dog may develop a toxic infection, characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, and weakness. In this case, medications are immediately prescribed.

Is it ok to give bones to a dog as a puppy?

Do not give bones to puppies, because of the damage to the growing teeth. At the age of 3.5 to 6.5 months, milk teeth are replaced by molars. Molar teeth do not grow during life, and are not replaced. Dental health is affected by heredity and proper nutrition. If, during the period of growth and formation of teeth, the puppy eats bones, then instead of teeth, he may have only "stumps" that have been ground off prematurely. Also, pinching of soft tissues (pulpitis) is likely, and the likelihood of tooth loss, without proper treatment.

What to do if a dog swallowed a bone.

Symptoms of bone swallowing can vary from dog to dog. Common signs include: cough, belching, excessive salivation, loss of appetite, vomiting, shortness of breath.
The first thing to mention is what not to do:

You can't induce vomiting. A sharp contraction of the walls can cause perforation of the stomach and intestines.
Laxatives should not be used.
You can not wait for emptying, at this stage time may be lost.

If the dog's condition is satisfactory, you can try to help her yourself.
When swallowing a chicken bone or other dangerous object, you need to take a candle made of pure wax (not paraffin). Wax has a melting point equal to the temperature of the body, and, when dissolved, covers the sharp corners of bones and objects. The candle is cut into round pieces and fed to the dog (the wick is removed). For a small dog (up to 2 kg), a few centimeters are enough. A large dog can be given half of the smallest candle. A candle is given 3 times a day, not excluding ordinary food.
Any foreign body is dangerous for the dog's body, due to blockage of the intestines. Compression of the vessels around itself leads to peritonitis, infections, inflammation. At best, modern endoscopic devices will make it possible to remove small foreign bodies from the stomach. In any case, delay in contacting a specialist is not acceptable.

Feeding bones: pros and cons.

There is still no absolute consensus on whether to give a dog bones. There are both benefits and dangers of this practice. For the dog itself, the process of chewing a bone is relaxing, relieving stress, captivating it completely for a while. When a dog chews on a bone, endorphins, happy hormones, enter the brain, which is a fight against stress. The chewing muscles, the general muscles of the head are trained. Today, a dog can chew with taste not only bones that are dangerous for her.

The most common recommendation for the question of whether to give bones to a dog are specialized chews. Such as gelatin bone, dentifrice bone, or dried, cured chews, and variations thereof. You can learn more about feeding dog bones in the following video:

Many owners give bones to dogs, but not all of them are safe. So, it has long been known that chicken bones can provoke dangerous consequences up to the death of a pet. However, dog owners often ignore this rule. Why can't you give your dog chicken bones?

Many owners do not give chicken bones to their pets, and they do it right, since the tubular bones of the bird are very sharp and, if they get into the dog's digestive tract, they can injure the mucous membranes. They easily crumble into small fragments and can get stuck in the teeth, which will lead to pain in the animal when eating.

Birds raised in modern poultry farms have softer meat and more flexible bones, but there is still a risk of trauma to the stomach and intestines.

Microbes die during heat treatment, but after that they become toxins, which can provoke animal poisoning. The latter is especially dangerous for small puppies, since the body is not yet strong, and it is difficult for him to cope with poisoning.

Effects

Chicken bones are very dangerous for dogs, and they can lead to dangerous ailments, from intestinal obstruction to pet death. Possible consequences of eating them are as follows:

The mildest of the negative side effects are injuries in the oral cavity, pulpitis and chipped teeth. The oral mucosa, as a rule, is restored in 12-24 hours. Pulpitis, on the other hand, can provoke severe pain and cause the loss of both the affected tooth and those that grow nearby.

Injuries of the trachea and pharynx. Provoke acute pain. With tissue perforation, severe bleeding is possible. If the animal is not taken to the veterinarian in time, the injury can cause death due to blood loss or suffocation.

Perforation of the intestine or stomach. Causes bleeding. Severe perforation may cause gastric or fecal matter to spill into the abdominal cavity. This condition is very dangerous, it can lead to sepsis and death of the dog. Only emergency surgery can help.

Perforation or blockage of the colon. The consequences of this can range from abdominal distention and blockage of the gastrointestinal tract to death of the animal due to blood loss or intoxication.

If a plug has formed in the large intestine, then treatment begins with oil enemas. When the condition of the animal does not improve, surgery is needed. It involves the excision of dead tissues and suturing healthy ones.

Important! If your dog does eat chicken bones, it's important to keep a close eye on her condition. It is best to take her to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible. The fact is that the consequences of perforation of the intestine or stomach may not immediately make themselves felt.

Opinion of veterinarians

Most veterinarians agree that chicken bones should not be given to a dog.

This is especially true of boiled offal, since cooking makes them sharp and dense, as a result of which they will not be digested well and can harm the intestines and stomach. At the same time, contrary to popular belief, they are not sources of calcium, since they contain it in an altered form.

Attention! Tubular bones from wings and paws can be especially dangerous - when chewed, their fragments can rip open the intestines.

Doctors advise to closely monitor the reaction of the dog if you give him any chicken offal.

Owner reviews

In any case, most owners believe that it is better not to risk the health and life of a pet, and look for other, safer alternatives for it.

What to feed instead of them?

Chicken bones, as it is already clear, it is better not to give the dog. What can replace them? First of all, you need to know that it is not necessary to give up bones. They can be given during dentition (up to approximately 6.5 months of age) and occasionally to adult animals.

But at the same time, you need to choose the right bones. They should not have sharp edges, on both sides they should be with meat or cartilage. The best option is raw beef bones. After the pet gnaws the cartilage, it is recommended to pick up the bone so that the animal does not gnaw it completely.

Alternatively, you can use artificial chewing bones consisting of skin, cartilage, tendons. They will fully satisfy the need of the animal to gnaw something. Various toys can also be used: rubber bones, cords.

As for the chicken specifically, after all, it is a source of a number of substances valuable for the animal, and may be present in the pet's menu. Possible uses for it are as follows:

Can cook chicken carcass broth, removing the bones before adding cereals or vegetables. It is not recommended to use chicken skin in the broth, especially when it comes to factory-made poultry.
When cooking, you can add chicken to porridge cartilage.
Useful minced raw chicken neck.
Allowed to use chicken offal.

What repents chicken paws, then opinions differ. They consist of tubular bones, which can be dangerous. The best option is to give paws in the form of jelly, which is especially useful for puppies and can become a replacement for industrial chondroprotectors.

Allowed to use chicken heads. When raw, they need to be cut into several parts and combined with porridge or vegetables. There are no tubular bones dangerous for pets in the heads. However, it is better to remove the beaks - they are not digested and do not carry any benefit. If the dog ate heads with beaks, burping is possible.

Conclusion

Chicken bones are not the safest product for a dog, so it is better to protect the animal from possible negative consequences. There are plenty of equally useful alternatives that can replace them.

In contact with

Most people are sure that a dog loves bones, therefore, having become the owner of an animal, such a treat is considered mandatory. At the same time, few people know how dangerous such food is for a dog, because not all types of bones can be eaten by a pet, some of them can cause great harm to the animal.

What harm can bones do

First you need to understand what a bone is in the understanding of a product for a dog. You should not offer a bare bone without meat to a pet, for the reason that by cracking it, it can only hurt your teeth. Another thing is if there is meat on the bone and the animal can gnaw it, having significantly sated and satisfied its hunger.

It is erroneous to think that a bone without meat helps to sharpen the teeth of dogs, because this is far from the case. The teeth grow in an animal for up to six months, after which the milk teeth are replaced by permanent ones, which never change again during a dog's life. Whether they remain strong or wear off quickly depends on the quality of the animal's nutrition.

If you give him bones that damage the enamel, then the teeth will quickly disappear. The worst thing is if the soft tissue near the tooth (pulp) is damaged. A wound can form at the site of a scratch if harmful microorganisms get into it, a bacterial infection cannot be avoided, and it is very difficult to treat pulpitis in dogs.

Often dogs, trying to gnaw the bone, swallow its parts, and this is a great danger to the animal. So, a piece of bone can get stuck in the throat. You won’t be able to get it on your own, so you need the help of a surgeon. It is not uncommon for a bone to pass through the esophagus into the stomach and get stuck on its way to the intestines, causing constant vomiting. Again, the only way to save a pet is by performing an operation on it.

The worst thing is when part of the bone injures the intestine. To save the animal, you will first have to undergo surgical treatment, and then follow a very strict diet.

Fragments of bones are not always terrible, since the gastric juice produced in the stomach can digest the bone, but if there are a lot of them, they can be compressed, the intestines will not be able to empty and only an enema can help in this case. This complication is very common if the owner often feeds the dog bones.

Bones prohibited for consumption by animals

Among the forbidden bones, which in no case should be given to a dog, a special place is occupied by avian. They have a tubular shape, their fragments are very sharp, therefore they can easily pierce the dog's stomach.

A great danger is the fact that various diseases are very common among birds that infect the bones of the legs, harmful microorganisms are inside the hollow bone. By eating the meat of an infected chicken, a person will not become infected, but a huge amount of harmful microbes can enter the body of a dog that has bitten through a bone. Because of this, the animal may develop a toxic infection - a poisoning that can only be cured with antibiotics.

chicken bones after the dog chews them, they form many sharp fragments that can break her teeth and damage the gums, tongue or oral cavity. This is at best, as it is not uncommon for bones to become lodged in the esophagus, stomach, or intestines, causing bleeding or peritonitis, an infection that can be fatal.

Small rabbit bones, especially bones from the ribs, spinal column and hind legs, should not be given to the dog.

What bones can dogs eat

Bones are a source of calcium, phosphorus and other equally useful substances. For this reason, you should not completely abandon them, you just need to know which bones you can give your pet.

So the dog can be offered boiled bones. When they become soft, you can cook minced meat from them. You can add vegetables and vitamins to it for greater benefit. However, you should not give the dog a whole cooked neck or backbone of a bird, because they, like raw ones, broken into pieces, can greatly harm the dog's stomach.

It is important to remember that boiled bones are suitable for eating only if they are ground, because in the stomach, having digested and becoming one big lump, they can clog the intestines and, at best, vaseline suppositories will help the dog.

Pet can be offered beef bones, namely heads of the hip joints. After the dog gnaws all the meat from it, the maslak should be taken away, since trying to gnaw it, the dog can easily dislocate his jaw. The animal can also be offered to gnaw the meat from the ribs, but you need to make sure that the pet does not chew it and swallow it. Cartilaginous ribs can be given to a dog without fear, they cannot harm the animal.

Veterinarians also allow dogs to be given dried tripe, trachea, dried deer legs, and various store-bought sticks - bones. Tendon delicacies, pork ears and heels are very good for feeding the animal.

Benefits of Bones

In the diet of dogs, the presence of bones is desirable, because sometimes, especially when a puppy is 6 months old, he really wants to gnaw and bite something, and chewing, for example, a beef hip bone, he will be carried away by the activity and quickly calm down. The meat and cartilage that dogs gnaw from the bones are very useful, it is a source of protein and amino acids, which in turn regulate the growth of muscle mass, bones and is considered the main building material in the dog's body. Raw bones supply the dog's body with the necessary calcium and phosphorus.

At the same time, it is important to remember that although the sugar bone is a favorite product of dogs, it is still considered nothing more than a top dressing and treat in the dog’s diet.

In this article, I tried to collect information about natural bones .

Artificial bones from pet stores can harm the health of dogs, read .

The debate about whether dogs can chew bones has been going on for a long time.

Dogs really love to chew on bones. At this moment, they produce hormones of pleasure - endorphins. As scientists have proven, chewing a bone, the dog gets pleasure. At this moment, the animal implements the "tool for hunting", genetically incorporated in it from ancient ancestors.

Many people believe, and prove themselves hoarsely right, that giving bones to their pet, they are doing a useful thing, because:

bones are simply necessary for puppies during the period of changing teeth, when their teeth “itch”, and kids gnaw everything around - from furniture and shoes to equipment and wires
from the bones the dog receives many useful substances, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium
the dog makes up for the lack of solid food in his diet
when a dog chews on a bone with gusto, it mechanically scrapes off plaque and strengthens the gums by massaging them
you can take the dog for a long time with this process, which brings her pleasure and soothes

In fact, most of these statements are erroneous, and the bones are far more dangerous for the dog than they bring any benefit.

Why bones are dangerous for dogs

Bones practically indigestible. in the dog's body, if you're lucky, they pass in transit. Joints with leftover meat on large raw beef moss are much healthier , chewing them, a growing puppy can at least briefly calm erupting teeth. But if we talk about real benefits for a growing organism, then it can be achieved only by introducing a high-quality and balanced mineral complex into the diet.

In addition, many domestic dogs have digestive problems. The gastric juice produced is not able to digest hard pieces of bones to the end, it only partially softens them. As a result, bone masses can accumulate in the dog's intestines, causing severe constipation, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. Sometimes they cause intestinal obstruction, which can only be eliminated surgically.

At the same time, if the diagnosis was made too late, then the case often ends in the death of the dog.

But the most dangerous is injury to the gums, esophagus and intestines with sharp, needle-like edges of the bones. Bones can cause internal bleeding.

If the bone perforates the stomach or intestines, then there is a huge risk of infection with subsequent peritonitis. Main symptoms: dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, weakness, abdominal swelling, depression. If peritonitis is not quickly and seriously treated, it sooner or later leads to the death of a pet.

Large fragments stuck in the stomach may not reach the intestines at all. Removing them requires a difficult and expensive operation followed by a long recovery period and drips.

Very often, dogs choke on a piece of bone, it blocks the airways, and the matter quickly ends in suffocation.

Asphyxia is the most common cause of death in animals. When the bone gets stuck between the chewing teeth, the dog begins to choke on his own saliva. If he is not helped, he dies of suffocation. This often happens when the spines of a large bird (turkey, goose) are fed to pets.

So is it worth the risk and subjecting your beloved dog to long torment for the sake of a short and dubious pleasure?

The myth that bones rid dogs of tartar is also dangerous. Bones can only partially clean plaque on the teeth, but at the same time bones seriously scratch the enamel, which leads to the development of caries; dogs often break off their teeth and grind them down. Gnawing on a large and very hard bone, a dog can get a dislocation of the jaw. Fragments of bones often get stuck in the gums, palate, between the teeth, causing serious inflammation in the oral cavity.

It is unlikely that a sensible person can call all this useful brushing of teeth. It is better to buy quality dentifrices from a good company and brush your dog's teeth regularly with a dog toothbrush and paste (human paste should not be used on dogs).

The development of the chewing muscles of dogs is more influenced by their breed, heredity and physical activity than regular bone chewing.

Bones are generally contraindicated for show dogs, as they lead to grinding of teeth and changes in bite, which is also evaluated at the show.

What kind of bones should not be given to a dog?

It is absolutely unacceptable to give your dog food with sharp fish bones.

Never give a dog tubular bones - from chicken, duck, goose, turkey, rabbit - they are easily broken into fragments thin and sharp, like needles, which can injure the mucous membrane or cause perforation of the stomach or intestines. An animal can only be saved from death by an immediate operation to remove a significant part of the damaged organ. But often they simply do not have time to carry out the operation and the dog dies painfully.

In addition, birds in poultry farms are kept without movement, which causes inflammation of the bone tissue. A dog can contract this infection if it eats raw bones. In the boiled bones, microbes and bacteria die, forming dangerous toxins. As a result of poisoning with toxins, the dog suffers from diarrhea, vomiting and weakness. The body of a puppy, a weakened dog or a mini decorative dog may not be able to cope with toxins. The case ends in death.

Do not give your dog raw pork bones - they can be a source of worms and some dangerous infections.

Do not give your dog any BOILED bones - they turn into dust, which is hard to digest and assimilate by the dog's body. This dust accumulates in the stomach and is compacted into a dense lump. A blockage is created that interferes with normal bowel movement. As a result, constipation is formed, which cannot always be eliminated with an enema. Major surgery may be required to remove these plugs.

What kind of bones to give dogs sometimes

So, pets are forbidden to give all boiled bones, but R sometimes it is allowed to feed raw cow or veal moss with the remnants of meat for gnawing to dogs. Large bones should not have sharp edges and care must be taken that the puppy or adult dog does not chew them into pieces.

Bones can be given to a puppy during the period of teething (up to 6 months) and to an adult dog only as entertainment in the presence of the owner.

Adult dogs can also be given ribs that are still in the form of cartilage - then they can be consumed whole.

A couple of times a week, puppies that have reached the age of two months, and adult dogs, can be given chicken necks scalded with boiling water. Unlike the wings and legs of a chicken, there are no small sharp bones in the neck. Therefore, such a part of the chicken spine is allowed to be given even to representatives of small breeds of dogs. Sometimes they give chicken paws, but with the claws removed.

Beginning dog owners and experienced kennel owners are wondering if puppies, teens and adult dogs should be given bones? Let's figure out in what form they are safe for a pet and how often they can be offered to pets?

Arguments for

Experienced owners and breeders are unanimous and say that raw bones can and should be given to dogs. Our pets are descended from wolves. They are only 0.02% different in genotype from their older brothers. When wolves pack their prey, for example, a deer, the leader with his female is the first to saturate, and then other members of the pack come up. With pleasure, predators eat meat and entrails, and finally gnaw the bones, bury them. Having feasted for a day, the flock knows that there may not be a large prey for a week.

If you want to treat your pet with bones, remember that you need to give them raw. When cooked, they become brittle and there is a high risk of scratching the stomach or esophagus. In addition, useful substances are digested from the bones, they remain in the broth. You can cook it on the bones, but discard the boiled bones.

The soft bones will not damage the pet. This is how they become when they are extinguished for a long time. For example, small fish or chickens, etc., but they are of little use. It is better to purchase an electric meat grinder, scroll the necks through it and add them to cereals along with vegetables and vitamins.

Give the dog flat beef bones and the more meat on them, the better. Take the moslaki or hip bones after the pet gnaws on the remains of meat and the cartilaginous layer. Boil the broth on them, and discard the bones. If you leave Moslaks to a puppy, he may chew them so hard that he will dislocate his jaw. Better let it gnaw and take it.

Babies can be given lamb or beef spongy bones. Here it is important that it be a calf, a lamb. Then the bones are not too hard. Otherwise, when they break, they have hard edges and can injure the esophagus or stomach.

Consider the arguments why raw bones are good for our pets:

Dogs have a higher acidity in their stomachs than humans because their stomachs are adapted to digest raw bones. It is best to give the bones whole, cutting into the joints, do not crush them.

Arguments against

Unfortunately, bone fragments can accumulate in a pet's stomach or intestines for years. It happens that they stray into a ball, which interferes with the digestion of other food. You will not understand why, but one day a pet may die from a small tubular bone that will pierce his stomach. Bleeding will begin and if you do not urgently take the dog to the doctor, do not perform an operation, he will die.

Remember which bones a pet is strictly forbidden to:

Boil porridge on any bones, except for pork (you can not give pork). Throw out the bones, leave the cartilage.

Important! Pets should not be given boiled necks or spines from any of the birds. They are fragile and break up into many sharp fragments that can injure the esophagus with the pet's stomach.

What else can be consequences after eating bones by a dog? Consider common injuries:

If the dog swallows a sharp tubular bone, it can scratch the mucous membranes and even pierce the throat. There will be heavy bleeding.
If, when swallowing a bone, it damages the trachea, this can be fatal for the dog. There were cases that the owners even immediately took the pet to the veterinarian, but he lost too much blood or choked and died in their arms.
Asphyxia. If a small bone gets stuck between the teeth, the dog will reflexively release a lot of saliva. There were cases when pets choked on their own liquid. If you do not notice what is happening to the dog and do not pull out the stuck bone, he will die from suffocation. Often the spine of a turkey, goose, duck will get stuck in this way and the dog dies from suffocation.
Is your pet vomiting? Take him to the vet immediately. This could be a sign that he has a rather large piece of bone stuck in his stomach. Reflex desire to remove it from the stomach along with the vomit, but unfortunately it is too large and does not go away. The pet becomes dehydrated after frequent vomiting. You can pull out the bone only by operating on your pet.
Bones, along with fragments, can accumulate in the stomach and clog it. Many stray dogs die from this. They do not eat properly and the acidity of the gastric juice in their stomachs drops. Bones do not dissolve and are not excreted from the body naturally through the intestines. "Lump with needles" clogs the stomach and requires surgery. The dog will die from internal bleeding or obstruction. The veterinarian can open the intestines, get bones with fragments, but then the dog will have a long rehabilitation period.
It happens that the large intestine is clogged. This happens when bones in a semi-digested form accumulate in the large intestine, forming a kind of plug. Your dog will feel pain while defecating. This may be accompanied by bleeding. Veterinarians note that in those dogs that are often fed any bones, there is just such a blockage in the intestines.

Bones contain a lot of calcium and phosphorus. They are digested well in raw form, digested by gastric juice. There are no other nutrients. Cartilage is more useful in its raw form, but they can also be given boiled with buckwheat, rice, oatmeal porridge (others are less useful).

If you want to treat your pet with tasty and nutritious bones, then buy those with more meat and offer them only raw. Boiled it can be chicken necks twisted in an electric meat grinder or very soft from rabbit or chicken, etc. stew. Boiled tubular bones are strictly forbidden for dogs.

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