The idea that it’s natural for dogs to chew on bones is a popular one. However, it’s a dangerous practice and can cause serious injury to your pet. Here are 10 reasons why it’s a bad idea to give your dog a bone:
- Broken teeth: Aggressive chewers will try and break the bone in order to eat it and this can easily chip splinter or break a tooth.
- Mouth and tongue injuries: Bone fragments can pierce the tongue and can get easily wedged in between the upper molars on the hard palate.
- Marrow bones can get looped around your dog’s lower jaw: This can be frightening and painful for your dog and usually requires sedation in order to saw the bone in half the release it.
- Bones can get stuck in the esophagus: Greedy dogs may try and swallow a bone that is too big to easily pass down the tube that leads to the stomach.
- Bones can gets stuck in the trachea: Your dog can accidentally inhale a small piece of bone or in may aspirate it while trying to gag if it got stuck in the oesophagus. This is an emergency – you will need to get your pet to a vet immediately.
- Bones can get stuck in the stomach: If it went ok, the bone may still be too big to pass out of the stomach and into the intestines. Your dog will show signs of vomiting and pain and will need surgery to remove it.
- Bones can get stuck in the intestines and causes a blockage: again requiring expensive surgery to remove it.
- Constipation: Your dog may have a hard time passing the sharp bone fragments and partially digested bone “gravel”. The calcium in the bones can also cause the stool to be hard and dry and uncomfortable to pass.
- Severe bleeding from the rectum: when a sharp bone fragment has caused rectal trauma on its way out.
- Peritonitis: This painful, life threatening bacterial infection of the abdomen is caused when tiny bone fragments pierce holes in your dog’s stomach or intestinal wall.
