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 until the death of the 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 break into small fragments and can get stuck in the teeth, resulting in pain in an 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.

Consequences

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

The mildest of the negative side effects- This 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 vary from bloating abdominal cavity and obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract to the 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's best to take her as soon as possible. veterinary clinic. 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 These are 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. chicken skin use in broth is not recommended, especially if we are talking about the factory bird.
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.

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WITH early childhood we are taught: “A bunny eats a carrot, a goat eats cabbage, a cat eats a fish, and a dog eats a bone.” But is it really so clear cut?
Today I invite you to discuss an important topic:

Bones for dogs

Bones in the diet of dogs, perhaps, have been and remain one of the most controversial foods. dog owners long years there is a heated debate about whether bones can be given to dogs, and if so, which ones.

What are bones for, what is the use of them? The benefits directly depend on the type of bone.

Types of bones for dogs

Useful spongy bones- sternum, pelvis, bones of the spine (including necks and tails).

IN tubular bones(animal limb bones) only heads are good for dogs. Butchers cut them up and call them a sugar bone.

The first dogs are eaten as part of a portion of food, and the second can only be crushed by very powerful jaws, all the others can only gnaw them. But any bone suitable for a dog is a whole or divided joints, their heads are covered with hyaline cartilage, the joint itself is dressed in a capsule, inside there is synovial fluid. Tendons are attached to bones.

Benefits of bones for dogs:

Bones are a source of calcium, porcelain, minerals, so necessary for animals of all ages of glucosamine, chondroitin and collagen, which dogs will absorb in at its best and without side effects, in contrast to the synthesized drugs sold.
Bones train the chewing muscles, strengthen the gums, promote mechanical cleaning of the teeth, and prevent the deposition of tartar and plaque.
The dog chews on the bone and produces saliva and gastric juice, which are needed for good digestion of food. For this reason and more, bones should be given after meals, but we will come to that later.
Bones contain a spongy substance and are an organ of hematopoiesis. And this very substance is very useful for dogs. The bones also contain bone marrow - a source of unsaturated and saturated fats.
Bones contribute to the formation of feces and facilitate its passage through the gastrointestinal tract and the mechanical emptying of the paraanal glands.
Gnawing on the bones, the dog gets a discharge, calms down.
And finally, the bones are just delicious! Dogs love them!

So, the benefits of bones for dogs are obvious.

What kind of bones can be given to dogs?

All spongy bones are possible: necks, backs, tails, bones of the spine, sternum, shoulder blades and heads of tubular bones.
Dogs eat relatively soft bones completely, and they rather gnaw at the heads of large bones, and if they are cut, they eat away the bone substance.
Also, dogs can be given bones as part of the carcass of fish, fins, salmon ridges, fish heads.

What bones are not allowed for dogs?

All tubular bones of large animals, bones of soup chickens.
Bones outside of a piece of meat, bare bones, are especially dangerous.

If you give a leg of a 35-day-old broiler, the dog will not be able to swallow it without chewing. She will turn it into a cutlet, with bones inside. And in this form, the bones are completely digested and safe for the gastrointestinal tract.

The ribs are not the best. While the cartilaginous ends of the ribs are very useful, they themselves can crumble into long and sharp pieces.

How to give bones?

Bones are given raw, with or after a meal. The necks of chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, quails, rabbits, lamb, beef tails, as well as the backs of chickens, quails and the like contain a lot of meat and can make up to half of the entire meat and bone part of the dog's diet. They are given with or immediately after meals. Animals eat them without a trace. Bones of large joints and others, practically devoid of meat, are given after the main portion of food. It is good to periodically give the heads of birds and rabbits. They are rich in brain, one of the sources of unsaturated fatty acids. Depending on the fleshiness, the bones take up from 5% to 50% of the entire protein part of the dog's diet. When feeding fish with a soft spine and small fish (herring, herring, capelin, etc.), it is not necessary to pull out the spine and remove the head. Hard and sharp spines big fish it is better to scroll through a meat grinder.

It is important to measure the capabilities and habits of the dog and the bones given. It is safe to give dogs greedily swallowing, those who cannot or cannot chew due to age or weakness of teeth, beaten with a hammer or rolled through a meat grinder soft bones. In this form, they keep all their beneficial features but never cause any harm. Dogs that are efficient at chewing bones will do well on the heads of large bones. But it is important to ensure that they do not gnaw or swallow large and sharp pieces and do not eat more than 10% of food in order to avoid too dense feces and / or coprostasis. It is also worth picking up the remains of any bones in order to avoid swallowing them whole. A puppy, for example, in excitement can swallow a whole rib or a piece of neck, but he cannot digest it.

Always keep an eye on your pet's mouth. It happens that the bone can get stuck, the tooth breaks off or gets damaged (by the way, not necessarily from the bones, but nonetheless). Usually large bones serve as a good “brush” and there are no deposits of tartar, but it makes sense to control the process and the condition of the oral cavity, gums and teeth.

It is strictly forbidden to have any bones in boiled, fried or baked form! The dog is not able to digest them in principle. Not big, not small, not spongy, much less tubular. Bones from aspic or fried chicken, stewed rabbit or roast goose should be in the slop bucket, not in the dog bowl! seen scary pictures and a video of how they operate and take out deposits of the bones of their dog's stomach? Here they are, sharp fragments of bare tubular boiled bones, which were also given without any measure.

Who can and should give bones?

It is absolutely safe to give bones to dogs that eat raw, natural food. The acidity in the stomach in such dogs is pH1 and below. In such an acidic environment, the bones are digested by the action of gastric juices and of hydrochloric acid highly successful.
Bones are shown to puppies from the moment of weaning, even with milk teeth they perfectly gnaw spongy substance from cut strong heads of bones, gnaw at the heads, eating cartilage and attached tendons.
Even an old dog or with an incomplete set of teeth will enjoy and benefit from the bones. To obtain useful substances, it is better to grind the bones, and give larger ones purely for pleasure, not taking into account total bone component, if the dog can only linger on the bone, but does not eat part of it.

Who should not be given bones?

First of all, these are dogs that eat industrial feed. These feeds contain a lot of plant components that lead to a change in the acidity of the stomach. Instead of the typical carnivore pH1, it has pH4 and higher. In such an environment, it is impossible to efficiently recycle bones, which leads to problems. Often this is vomiting of eaten bones or feces with pieces of undigested bones. This threatens the health and life of the animal. A similar situation can occur in dogs that eat a mixed diet - dry food / canned food and meat. Bones are also contraindicated in dogs with gastrointestinal diseases, especially those taking drugs that reduce the secretory activity of the stomach (for example, omez).
Do not give bones to bitches during the start of weaning puppies.

Many dogs can regurgitate food, and in this case, sharp pieces of bones that would be safely digested in the mother's stomach can cause significant harm to puppies, who are unlikely to be able to digest them. This is especially true for bitches that eat dry food or mixed food. Pregnant bitches who eat raw foods are also not given bones in last week pregnancy.

This measure reduces the risk of developing hypocalcemia and related conditions and facilitates the activity of the gastrointestinal tract on later dates. The calcium necessary for the fetus and labor activity during this period will come from the mother's bones under the action of parathyroid hormone, the activity of which is activated at the end of pregnancy.

How to safely introduce bones into your dog's diet?

The first thing to do is to switch the dog to raw feeding. Only animals with low pH1 can eat bones well, animals fed with industrial feed have pH4. Acidity will decrease after 2-3 weeks of feeding raw meat, bird and fish. It’s worth starting with scrolled or broken soft bones of birds. As a rule, from the 10th day the dog can learn them well. If you observe vomiting of bones, it means it’s too early, or the pieces are too large and the stomach returned them. It is possible to give the bones of the necks and in the carcass of a bird, back, gnaw beef bones 3-4 weeks after the transfer to raw food. Always watch how the dog eats, many need to be taught to work with their jaws, holding the neck or wing by the tip, so that the dog learns to chew, and not swallow greedily. Do not rush, force the process, there is no need. Each animal is individual, and if one dog easily and quickly switches to raw food and can digest bones in a week, another may require 2 months and half a year. It is convenient to make blanks-mixes of meat, grinding soft bones there. Especially for small, toothless dogs and during the transition period for puppies. You can grind the necks and backs of birds or rabbits and freeze the balls.

Add these balls to the meat, gradually increasing their number to the prescribed values. Cartilage is the most difficult to digest. Therefore, at first they are appropriate in a ground form, and then dogs will be able to successfully gnaw and digest them.

We give all the bones to the dog only in their raw form.
Meat bones - up to 30-50% of the meat part of the diet, "naked" - no more than 10%.
We give bones to gnaw after eating and never on an empty stomach.
We select sharp fragments from the dog and those rather large pieces of bone that it can swallow.
We do not give the bones of sick dogs to dogs with problems in the gastrointestinal tract.
We do not give bones to bitches in the last week of pregnancy and during the feeding period of puppies.
Avoid bones that can give sharp fragments.
Dry, crumbly stool white color speaks of an excess of bones in the diet. Reduce their number.
We monitor the condition of the oral cavity of the animal.
If it is difficult for you to consider the bones in the legs and wings of a 30-day-old broiler as soft, do not give such bones.
In general, if you personally think the bone is unsafe for your dog, do not give it. There is always an alternative - bones in a ground form.
Bones in the diet are the privilege of dogs that eat meat and other raw foods. If you want your dog to crunch with healthy bones, switch to raw food and only then will he be able to get the maximum benefit from the bones.

I wish your pets a healthy and happy life!

In continuation of the topic of dog nutrition, I would like to bring to your attention a few more useful articles:

- How to feed a dog on a natural diet: 33 recipes
- 30 foods forbidden for dogs

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).

For development chewing muscles dogs are more influenced by their breed, heredity and physical exercise 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.

To all the warnings from veterinarians about bones, many pet owners respond that their dog has eaten bones all his life and lived a long life. happy life. It just means she's lucky.

And they also like to say that everything that is natural is everything useful. Our ancestors fed, well, we will.

As we have seen, bones are more dangerous than useful. You can give them only occasionally, under the supervision of the owner and correct. Don't put your dog's life at risk! They already have a shorter life than ours, let's take care of it.

And remember, giving your dog leftovers from your table is shortening his life.

Note. This article uses photographs from open sources on the Internet, all rights belong to their authors, if you think that the publication of any photo violates your rights, please contact me using the form in the section, the photo will be deleted immediately.

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 birds are very common various diseases, which infect precisely the bones of the legs, harmful microorganisms are located inside the hollow bone. By eating the meat of an infected chicken, a person will not become infected, but a dog that has bitten through a bone can get into the body great amount harmful microbes. 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 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. Meat and cartilage, which dogs gnaw from the bones, are very useful, it is a source of protein and amino acids, which in turn regulate growth. 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 most books about dogs, the information that animals love bones comes through. Children's books show a happy puppy with a bone in its mouth. And to the complaints of the newly minted owner of the dog that the animal gnaws things, he is advised to give the pet a bone. Moreover, many are sure that bones are not just a treat, but a complete food for a dog. But there is still very little reliable information about what bones can be given to dogs and whether it is necessary at all.

Predators or not?

In nature, canines (wolves, coyotes, jackals, foxes) eat the flesh of prey along with the skin, entrails and bones, without suffering from digestive problems later. Females bring hard parts of carcasses of dead animals (bones, hooves, horns) to their cubs - games with them are milestone development of the hunting instinct in young animals. But modern dogs so gone in the process of natural evolution and artificial selection from wolves and jackals in eating behavior, morphology, the formation of reflexes that for some of them eating bones becomes dangerous to health.

Bones as a treat

A bone is a treat or tasty toy for a dog. Yes, from them the dog receives calcium, phosphorus, iron, but at the same time they are completely nutritious, because they do not contain carbohydrates, they are not taken into account in the amount of food eaten, they are not considered food, and even more so they cannot be the basis of a dog's diet. With any feeding system, a raw bone can be regarded as a toy that the dog enjoys and profitably does without spoiling the owner's things, shoes, furniture, and as a delicacy due to its pronounced aroma and taste.

Animal bones have a number of disadvantages: they are fatty, bone marrow flows out of them, they smell unpleasant. If the dog is kept in an apartment or house, then she can stain the floor, carpet, sofa - depending on where she wants to chew on her toy. This does not suit the owners, who then have to wash stubborn grease stains.

There are industrial analogues of raw bones - products made from tendons, ligaments, animal skin. Such substitutes are sold in pet stores. They do not stain the environment with the bone marrow contained in them, do not deteriorate and do not have a repulsive odor for humans. You need to choose a purchased delicacy without a large number artificial dyes and flavors, unattractive color (tendons cannot be pink, light green, lemon colors), consisting of natural ingredients: skin, veins, cartilage, tendons.

Bones are like a "toothbrush" for a dog

Plaque builds up on canine teeth over time. Excessive accumulation of it leads to the formation of tartar and to their premature bacterial destruction. Gnawing on hard objects cleans teeth and removes plaque. As a “toothbrush”, toys made of special plastic are successfully used, which do not crumble, but gently spring when chewed by a dog: tatters, rings, balls. This is a good alternative to bones.

Do dogs need bones?

The question should not even be put how, is it possible to give bones to dogs, but do they need them? Fresh raw bones are needed for dogs on a natural diet. In this case, chewing on the bones helps to clean the dog's teeth from plaque and massage the gums to improve blood circulation.

If the pet receives high-quality industrial dry food, then he “brushes” his teeth while eating, besides, hard granules help massage the gums. The more often a dog gnaws bones, the faster its teeth wear down. Therefore, you can pamper your pet no more than a couple of times a month. Those who like to gnaw something are constantly offered carrots, apples, twigs of fruit trees.

Bones for dogs depend on the size of the animal, the condition of its teeth and gastrointestinal tract, on the presence or absence of allergies to some types of meat, on its nutrition system.

Small dogs like Russian toys, lapdogs, Pekingese, dachshunds, Spitz can be offered:

raw chicken necks without skin;
bird keels;
skinless chicken and turkey backs.

Larger dogs - most terriers (bull terrier, staffordshire, irish), bulldogs, hunting dogs - can be offered beef shins, forearms, metatarsal and tarsal bones.

For big dogs- like Russian black terriers, giant schnauzers, great danes, boxers, shepherd dogs - hips, shoulders, shoulder blades of cows will do.

Well, the giants - bullmastiff, Tibetan and English mastiff, Great Dane, Newfoundland, Irish Wolfhound, Caucasian and Central Asian Shepherd Dogs - will effortlessly cope with a sheep or goat skull, pelvic girdle and ribs of cows, goats and sheep.

What kind of bones a dog can have also depends on its health. If she has few teeth or they are strongly worn off, partially destroyed or loosely seated in the holes, then harmful bone exacerbate their condition. It is even recommended for such dogs to lightly soak dry food so that they do not damage their teeth further and absorb it normally. To massage the gums, animals with weak teeth can be offered apples, carrots, pumpkin pulp.

Solid treats are contraindicated for animals:

prone to constipation;
who have undergone abdominal surgery in the last couple of months;
who underwent surgery to resect part of the stomach or intestines.

Until the change of teeth in puppies, they do not need bones. Before the age of six months, they should not receive excessive solid food at all.

A lot of controversy raises the question, is it possible for a dog to have chicken bones? It is possible, except for tubular ones - in a bird in the wings and hips. They break into sharp pieces that can pierce the esophagus, stomach and intestines, causing constipation or internal bleeding. The bones of turkeys, geese, birds, rabbits and small game are not recommended. When chewed, they break into pieces that the dog can easily choke on. A single bone fragment with a sharp edge is capable of piercing through the soft muscles of the organs digestive tract. In this case, only an urgent operation can save the animal, which involves the removal of part of the damaged organ.

Pork bones should not be given to dogs due to the high risk of helminth infection, which pig carcasses simply teem with. Only heat treatment helps to get rid of worms and pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Fish bones are not discussed at all: they are so thin and sharp that the dog cannot swallow them without choking. It is necessary to choose bones from slaughtered, and not fallen birds and animals, scald them with boiling water and only then offer them to the pet. Boiled and fried bones from any animal clog the stomach and cause constipation, forming dense "plugs" in the intestines. Therefore, you can only give raw and fresh.

About the author: Anna Mikhailovna Tarasova

My specialization is surgery and veterinary medicine for dogs and exotic pets, I also do therapy and radiology. Read more about me in the "About Us" section.