Should You Give Your Dog Bones?

There has been a long debate amongst dog owners on whether or not it is safe to give your dog bones. Many people believe giving their dogs raw, uncooked bones and raw meat is safe, when in reality raw bones carry bacteria such as, Salmonella and E-Coli, and will spoil in a few days if it isn’t eaten. Bones pose a serious choking hazard and can cause digestive upset in your barking friends, not to mention in many cases bones have caused lacerations and perforations of the intestinal wall and/or throat either on the way down when eating, or back up when vomiting. Bones even fracture your pet’s teeth! This is true for raw or cooked bones, but cooked bones pose a much more serious threat. They become weak and brittle and are more likely to splinter when chewing. These small bones can collect in your pet’s stomach and more often than not it requires taking your pet to the veterinarian and having emergency surgery in order to remove the obstruction(s). However, if you do decide to treat your dog to a bone, do NOT leave anything to chance! All bones should be given under supervision in case of emergency. If your dog gets into difficulty while eating call to schedule an appointment right away with us, or your local veterinarian to be certain there isn’t a problem which requires emergency surgery. So, feed your dog any bones and you are asking for trouble!