Why Bones Are Not Safe for Dogs

Should my dog chew bones?

It is a myth that dogs need to chew bones. While dogs want to chew, and most would love to chew on bones, bones are dangerous and can cause serious injuries.

Here are the top reasons that bones are bad for dogs, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:

Bones can break teeth. Bones are very hard and can be brittle, making it easy for a dog to break one of its large chewing teeth. A broken tooth is painful and must be treated, which is expensive whether the tooth is extracted or saved with a root canal.

Bones can injure the mouth and tongue. The broken edges of bones can be razor sharp. Shards of bone can pierce the tongue, the cheek, or the soft palate on the roof of the mouth. Bones can get looped around the lower jaw or stuck between the upper teeth. Round bones can get stuck around the lower jaw, behind the lower canine teeth. Likewise, bones can sometimes get stuck across the roof of the mouth, between the premolars or molars. Getting a bone stuck is scary for a dog, and most dogs must be sedated or anesthetized for the bone to be removed. 

Bones can cause choking. Pieces of bone can lodge in the esophagus on the way down to the stomach. Sharp bone shards can penetrate the soft tissues at the back of the throat or pierce the esophagus. It is also possible for a piece of bone to get into the trachea (windpipe), interfering with your dog’s ability to breathe. Choking is an emergency and requires immediate veterinary attention.

Bones can injure the stomach and intestinal lining. Just as sharp bone fragments can damage the mouth, they can also damage the walls of the stomach and intestines. In some cases, bone fragments may completely penetrate the walls of the stomach or intestine, allowing food and intestinal contents to leak into the abdomen. This leakage causes a condition called peritonitis — an abdominal infection that can be fatal, even if treated aggressively.

Bones can get stuck in the stomach. If the bone fragment is large, it may be unable to pass out of the stomach. Bone fragments that remain trapped in the stomach can lead to chronic vomiting and stomach irritation. These retained bone fragments must be removed with abdominal surgery or endoscopy.

Bones can block the small intestine or colon. Bone fragments can become lodged in the small intestines, causing a complete intestinal blockage – an emergency that requires surgical removal of the obstruction. If bone fragments travel down the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and reach the large bowel or colon, they may collect and cause constipation. This condition is painful for the dog, as the bone fragments scrape the lining of the colon and rectum, causing significant trauma. Enemas and manipulation may be required to clear out the large bowel.

Raw bones can be contaminated with pathogens. Raw meat and bones can be contaminated with several pathogens, including E. coli, Salmonella species, and Listeria. These pathogens may or may not make a dog sick, depending on the dog's health status, but pose a significant health risk to the humans in the household. Children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are the most vulnerable, and in these people, the organisms can be life-threatening.

What safe things can I give my dog to chew?

There are many great chewing products available for dogs, made of safe materials. If you want to offer rawhide, choose one made from U.S. cattle hides, give the thickest hides you can find, and choose ones that are too large for your dog to swallow. There should be no knots on the ends of the hide, because knots can be pulled off and swallowed, resulting in a trip to the veterinarian for surgery.

There are also many dental health chews available. Be sure to look for the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal of approval. This seal assures you that the product has been evaluated for its ability to contribute to a dog’s oral health.