Why Dogs Should NOT Be Fed Bones

It is normal and healthy to let dogs chew bones’ is a common myth.

However, several vets across the world say otherwise. Though dogs love chewing bones and their owners insist that it helps in keeping teeth clean, bones can have severe and fatal side effects in your dog.

Dr V Arun, veterinary Physician, says it is not advisable to feed bones to dogs as they may not always show immediate consequences, but will end up with vomitting and diahorrhea the next day . “I don’t think dogs should be fed bones. Doesn’t matter if the dog is small or big, bones can do severe damage to them. They can result in intestine damage, vomitting and diahorrea, breakage in the esophagus and so on.”

Here are some of the damages that may arise from feeding your dog a bone : Teeth injury: Some bones are too dense for you dogs to chew on. It can result in fractured teeth and if your dog has worn out teeth, it may be very sensitive and highly painful.

Gum or tongue injury: The sharp corners in bones can very easily cut your pet’s tongue and gums leading to a painful trip to the vet for medicines or in a worst-case scenario, oral surgery.

Bones can get trapped in the esophagus: This is not just frightening and painful for your dog but it can also be fatal. Your dog will automatically try to gag the bone out.

When you see this happen, rush to your vet for emergency medical care. Though your doctor might be able to get it out, more often than not, a surgery or an endoscopy is the solution.

Bones can get stuck around the jaw or in their mouth: If you see your dog frantically scratching at his mouth with his paws, slowly try to open his mouth and see if the bone is stuck inside. If there is, take them to the vet and let him/her take it out, preferably after putting giving your dog some sedation. It is better to not try to remove bones stuck around the jaw or in the mouth by yourself as you might end up hurting the teeth and jaw bone in the process.

Karthik, a labrador owner, shares his worst veterinary hospital trip, ever. “I gave him a chicken bone. A few minutes later, I heard him whine and when I walked up to him, I noticed that the bone was stuck to his mouth. All my attempts to pull it out only put him in more pain and I had to go to the vet and sit through a one-hour process while the doctor patiently took it out. I never fed him a bone again.”

Bones get stuck in the stomach and the intestine: Though small pieces of bones may pass through the esophagus just fine, they may still get stuck in the stomach or small intestine, leaving your dog writhing with pain. They may need surgery or an endoscopy to remove the stuck bone.

Bones can cause peritonitis: Sharp pieces of bones can scrape the lining of the intestine and lead to leakage from the intestines to the abdomen. This is a fatal situation and needs immediate and urgent medical attention.

Many dog owners continue to feed bones to their dogs though vets usually advise you not to.

Former dog owner, Sriram says, “I had two dogs and I always fed them chicken bones. They were both normal and healthy . I never faced any problems with them. But it is always wiser to check with your vet first.”

There are alternatives to bones made of other material that are more dog-friendly. If you’re in doubt, call your local vet or pay them a visit to obtain more information about it.

Posted by Kunda on September 26, 2014. Filed under HEALTH. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry