Most veterinarians you ask will tell you that bones of any kind are a nay. Giving dog a bone is generally discouraged. The recommendation is using bone replacement chews such as rawhides or nylabones.
I am not a fan of bone replacement chews.
I don't see the point of having my dog chewing on a piece of plastic material shaped like a bone. And I don't see that being any safer either. And rawhides are their own story all together. Plus the one time I gave in and tried giving Cookie rawhide chews specially designed for dental health, she almost choked on it.
Safer? I don't think so.
Of course I have concerns. When Cookie introduced herself to raw diet, she started by catching and eating small critters. With the bones, of course.
When I started introducing raw bones to her diet, I decided to play it safe with turkey necks and chicken feet. Cookie has been eating those for over a year and never had the slightest issue with it.
When a friend brought a partridge or a rabbit for her, I let her eat it as it was, including the bones. She never had the slightest issue with it.
Those are classified as edible bones.
Entertainment bones are those that are too large and too hard to actually be eaten. Raw meaty bones meant to be gnawed on. Of course, I can imagine some dogs will attempt to actually eat those too and either break off and eat pieces that are too large or break a tooth on them. Which is obviously a bad thing.
I believe the use of bones depends on the bone and on the dog.
I tried introducing Cookie to the entertainment bones a few times. But while she knew perfectly well what to do with a half of a bunny or partridge, she didn't seem to get the idea of bones meant for gnawing. She'd lick it for a while and the walk away from it.
Which was fine, there was no real need for her to get them.
Now, though, with the extreme exercise restrictions during her recovery from the iliopsoas injury, and the new one she managed to start the new year with, entertainment became scarce.
Yes, we play games, yes she has food and puzzle toys. All of that doesn't take up enough time out of the day. So I decided to try and introduce an entertainment bone once again.
It took a little while but Cookie finally figured out what they're for.
That is awesome because one bone can give her something to do for one to two hours. That's a lot of entertainment bang for the buck.
Cookie gets these regularly now. Between that, the medication she's on, play and the short walks she can have now once again, she is actually tired at the end of the day. EVERYBODY is happy.
What makes these bones safe for Cookie?
The question is whether the risk is outweighed by benefits. In Cookies case, it certainly is. Not to mention how great her teeth look. She is practically brushing her teeth for one to two hours a day!
I will always be a bit nervous giving her any kind of bones because disasters can happen.
I think that's okay because it makes me vigilant and careful. Careful about the choice of bones and careful about strict supervision. But for Cookie, raw entertainment bones are a "yay".
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| Cookie feasting on a raw venison bone. |
I am not a fan of bone replacement chews.
I don't see the point of having my dog chewing on a piece of plastic material shaped like a bone. And I don't see that being any safer either. And rawhides are their own story all together. Plus the one time I gave in and tried giving Cookie rawhide chews specially designed for dental health, she almost choked on it.
Safer? I don't think so.
Of course I have concerns. When Cookie introduced herself to raw diet, she started by catching and eating small critters. With the bones, of course.
When I started introducing raw bones to her diet, I decided to play it safe with turkey necks and chicken feet. Cookie has been eating those for over a year and never had the slightest issue with it.
When a friend brought a partridge or a rabbit for her, I let her eat it as it was, including the bones. She never had the slightest issue with it.
Those are classified as edible bones.
Entertainment bones are those that are too large and too hard to actually be eaten. Raw meaty bones meant to be gnawed on. Of course, I can imagine some dogs will attempt to actually eat those too and either break off and eat pieces that are too large or break a tooth on them. Which is obviously a bad thing.
I believe the use of bones depends on the bone and on the dog.
I tried introducing Cookie to the entertainment bones a few times. But while she knew perfectly well what to do with a half of a bunny or partridge, she didn't seem to get the idea of bones meant for gnawing. She'd lick it for a while and the walk away from it.
Which was fine, there was no real need for her to get them.
Now, though, with the extreme exercise restrictions during her recovery from the iliopsoas injury, and the new one she managed to start the new year with, entertainment became scarce.
Yes, we play games, yes she has food and puzzle toys. All of that doesn't take up enough time out of the day. So I decided to try and introduce an entertainment bone once again.
It took a little while but Cookie finally figured out what they're for.
That is awesome because one bone can give her something to do for one to two hours. That's a lot of entertainment bang for the buck.
Cookie gets these regularly now. Between that, the medication she's on, play and the short walks she can have now once again, she is actually tired at the end of the day. EVERYBODY is happy.
What makes these bones safe for Cookie?
- They are served raw, of course. NEVER feed your dog cooked bones.
- I am always there to supervise. I would never give a dog a bone and leave them along with it.
- She knows that she's supposed to gnaw on the soft bits (meat, cartilage and connective tissue) and doesn't try to actually chew up the hard parts of the bone. If she did, I couldn't give them to her.
The question is whether the risk is outweighed by benefits. In Cookies case, it certainly is. Not to mention how great her teeth look. She is practically brushing her teeth for one to two hours a day!
I will always be a bit nervous giving her any kind of bones because disasters can happen.
I think that's okay because it makes me vigilant and careful. Careful about the choice of bones and careful about strict supervision. But for Cookie, raw entertainment bones are a "yay".
Related articles:
From The End Of A Lead Line To Casa Jasmine: Meet Cookie, Our New Adoptee
And So It Begins Again(?) Our First Health-Related Heart Attack With Cookie
I Didn't Know I Could Fly: Why Cookie Wears A Harness Instead Of A Collar
C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews For Dogs CAN Be A Choking Hazzard
Our First Health-Related Heart Attack With Cookie: The Knee Or The Foot?
Creative Solutions And An Incidental Product Review
Too Young For Pot: Cookie's Snack With A Side Of Hydrogen Peroxide
Taming Of The Wild Beast: Cookie's Transition To Civilization
Staying On Top Of The Ears: Cookie Is Not Impressed
Putting The Easy Back Into Walking
Cookie's Ears Are Still Not Happy
The Threat Of The Bulge Is Always Lurking
Today Is Cookie's Three-Months Adoptoversary
Cookie Meets The Electric Horse Fence And Her First Chiropractic Adjustment
Why Examine Your Dog's Vomit?
Why Is That Leg Still Not Happy? Cookie's Leg Keeps Getting Sore
Cookie Too Is Insured With Trupanion
Does Being Insured Mean Being Covered? Our First Claim With Trupanion
Is Cookie's Leg Finally Getting Better?
Is Cookie Going To Be Another Medical Challenge Or Are We Looking To Closely?
The Project That Is Cookie: Pancreatitis Up Close And Personal
Pancreatitis: Cookie’s Blood Work
Another Belly Upset: Pancreatitis Again Or Not?
Happy Birthday, Cookie
Incontinence? Cookie's Mysterious Leaks
Who's Training Whom? Stick And Treat
Don't Just Stand There, Do Something? Cookie's Mysterious Bumps
Cookie's Mysterious Bumps Update
One Vomit, No Vomit
Happy One-Year Adoptoversary, Cookie!
Cookie's Leaks Are Back: Garden Variety Incontinence Or Not?
Cookie's Leaks Update
Don't Panic, Don't Panic: Know What Your Job Is
The Continuing Saga Of Cookie's Leeks: Trying Chiropractic Approach
Cookie's Minor Eye Irritation
Regular Wellness Exam: Cookie's ALT Was Elevated
Cookie's Plantar Paw Pad Injury
How Far To Take It When The Dog Isn't Sick?
Cookie Has Tapeworm Infection
Cookie's Elevated ALT: The Ultrasound and Cytology
Cookie's ALT Update
The Importance of Observation: Cookie's Chiropractic Adjustment
Sometimes You Don't Even Know What You're Looking at: Cookie's Scary "We Have No Idea What that Was"
Living with an Incontinent Dog
Summer Dangers: Cookie Gets Stung by a Bald-faced Hornet
To Breathe or Not To Breathe: Cookie's Hind Legs Transiently Fail to Work (Again)
Figuring out What Might Be Going on with Cookie's Legs: The Process
Figuring out What Might Be Going on with Cookie's Legs: The Diagnosis
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury Treatment: Trazodone
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury Treatment: Other Medications
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury Treatment: Laser, Hydrotherapy and Chiropractic
Cookie's Recovery from Iliopsoas Injury: ToeGrips
It Never Rains ... Cookie's New Injury
Cookie's New Injury Update
Supervision has been key for our dogs. It taught me which bones worked and which didn't work for our dogs and it allowed me to train them on how to properly gnaw on the bones. Now they do great. They know they can eat the duck necks and eat the meat off of recreational bones.
ReplyDeleteI let them gnaw away until right before the bones become a choking hazard.
This is a great time for us to practice "drop it."
Yeah, I would never consider just giving a bone and leaving a dog alone with it. Cookie does well too, though for the longest time couldn't figure out the entertainment bones.
DeleteWe already have a solid "out" which is being constantly reinforced while she's chewing on water bottles or sticks. She knows that when she spits the chunk out, she gets a treat in exchange. By now she spits them out even when I don't catch it to ask for her to do so.
Just once I had a big scare with "food" bone when she was eating a rabbit leg and decided to just swallow the shank bone. I was freaking out but nothing bad came from it. From then on, though, I just remove that part because it doesn't have enough meat on it and I don't want a repeat of that adventure.
My dogs love raw bones. Like you, I always supervise them when they're gnawing on them. They're a definite yay! at my house.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear. I think the hype about bones has gone too far. There are risks with other items and "replacement bones" just as well.
DeleteBones can be safe when done properly.