Dear Down: It really depends how small the pieces are. There are two schools of thought about whether or not dogs should be allowed to eat bones. One school says they always ate them in the wild and that there is no harm in eating them, provided they are raw and not cooked. Another school says you should never give dogs any bones cooked, raw or otherwise as they cause more potential harm than good.

Raw Meaty Bones

Many people who feed their dogs a totally raw diet, sometimes called the BARF (Bones and Raw Food) feel bones with meat and some fat left on them are safe for dogs because they are easily digestible and will not splinter like cooked bones. Some of the popular types of bones fed on the raw diet are beef tails or necks from poultry. If you insist on bones try to get them direct from your local butcher and ask for those cuts that can be chewed up into smaller digestible pieces.

Avoid bones that are already cut into smaller pieces as they pose a more immediate choking hazard. Be aware that any bone may cause a digestive upset in a dog, especially if you feed one with a high amount of fat still attached as that is hard for a dog to digest.

I had a dog once eating a smallish round marrow bone and he somehow got the bone over his lower jaw and over his two canine teeth. It took my quite a while to figure out how to slide this “dang thing” back over the canine teeth. I almost considered getting a hack saw out and cutting it away.

It is true that bones baked in dry heat become brittle. These are more likely to splinter which may cause fractured teeth and possible perforation of the intestine or throat either on the way down or on the way back up if the dog vomits. Aside from perforation, many vets can tell you about dogs eating bones and having to perform surgery to remove obstructions in the intestines as well.

Bone Alternatives

Any bone should only be given to a dog under supervision so you can see if the bone is breaking into dangerously small pieces. Then if it happens you can ask the dog for the rest of the bone (because you’ve already taught him the “give” command – right?). One disadvantage about raw bones is that they can carry bacteria like salmonella or e-coli an can spoil in a few days if not eaten.

Perhaps you should try a good alternative to bones. While surfing the web I came across this great product that should go down relatively easy called “Porky Puffs.” The hickory smoked pig snouts have a chewy texture that keeps dogs busy for hours. The company claims the pig snouts are highly digestible unlike rawhide.

Which brings up my pet peeve about rawhide – stay away from it. I’ve had problems with my Norwegian Elkhounds and rawhide bones, especially big knotted ones that tend to unravel as they are chewed upon. One Thanksgiving I gave one of my bitches a big rawhide in her crate, away from the festivities to keep her occupied while the family dined. When I went to check on her, the knot end of the rawhide had come unraveled and she swallowed the knot whole while it was still attached to a long strip of rawhide. Since the long rawhide strip was still in her throat she stared to gag and foam and drool. I’m glad I checked on her when I did or she might have gotten into some serious trouble.     

                            

Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian Elkhounds, is the Director of Club Communications at the American Kennel Club. Contact her at ask@lisa-peterson.com or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470.