Bones And Your Dog

Dogs are our best friends and often times, it seems as though bones are their best friends. Because we love them, it is our responsibility to protect them from the damage they can cause themselves. We have to make sure they only consume the types of bones that are safe for them. There are beef bones, pig bones, chicken bones, fish bones, and more. Some can be consumed and some require a bit of caution. Bones can cause a lot of damage if you don’t follow a few basic rules before you give them to your dogs.

Chicken bones are by far one of the biggest controversies out there. Some people claim they have given their dogs chicken bones for years and have never had a problem, whereas some say that they have personally witnessed something bad happen to a friend’s dog due to bones. In the wild, dogs eat poultry bones without ever having a problem. There is one primary difference in wild poultry bones and the ones we have in our homes. The main difference is that the ones we have in our homes are cooked. Dogs generally have no problem eating chicken bones that are not cooked. The cooked chicken bones tend to splinter, causing severe pain and damage to many dogs.  Some people claim to have never had a problem, but it really isn’t worth the risk to allow your dog to chew cooked chicken bones. Actually, this is true with poultry bones of any kind.

Ham bones are generally safe cooked or uncooked, as they don’t splinter like chicken bones. However, it is very important to keep in mind that very small pieces of bone can easily get lodged in a dog’s throat, so if any bone your dog is chewing on gets too small, it should be removed and thrown away before it causes any danger to them. There are some really small pork chop bones that shouldn’t be given to dogs, simply because they are too small to begin with.

Beef bones are right around the same as ham bones. These are probably some of the best bones you can allow your dogs to have. They can be cooked or uncooked. Most beef bones are safe, however there are a select few that come off the meat very small, just like ham, and you shouldn’t give these to your dogs, as it is a choking hazard.

Common sense definitely plays a huge role in giving your dogs bones. Never give a dog something they can choke on and never give them cooked chicken bones. Those are the biggest precautions you should take when it comes to bones. As long as you follow a few basic rules, you should be perfectly fine treating your dog to some bones every so often. They are rich in calcium and great for his coat and health.

Kady Stansbury is the dash of artistic temperament that makes any site a success. She is a certified dog trainer with more than 5 years of experience in her kitty. She is also a tremendous writer who has over the years developed a formidable reputation and is much sought after as a Dog Blogger. She has successfully conducted one on one sessions where her students have learnt the basic commands of dog training lightning fast.

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