IS IT SAFE TO GIVE MY DOG A BONE TO CHEW? BY YOUR CARMEL VETERINARY CLINIC
Most dogs love to chew, especially puppies. If we don’t provide an outlet for this behavior, some dogs will find things in your house to chew on that will damage your home and could cause harm to your dog as well. A common question at our Carmel veterinary clinic is “What kind of bones are safe for dogs to chew?” There are a lot of misconceptions out there about this topic.
Providing appropriate things for your dogs to chew on not only prevents damage to your house, it also can help maintain your dog’s oral health. Dog’s develop dental disease just like us. Bad dog breath is usually the only symptom of this VERY COMMON, slowly progressive disease in dogs called periodontal disease. If the infection in the mouth continues without intervention from your Carmel veterinary clinic, the teeth will eventually become rotten and painful with the only treatment option left is to extract the affected teeth. While brushing your dog’s teeth is the best, providing dental dog chews is another excellent option.
But certain bones and other items that dogs often chew can cause more harm than good. We often see dogs come into our Carmel veterinary clinic with teeth that have been snapped in half, fractured by chewing on bones, sticks, rocks, and other inappropriate items. What bones should you NOT give your dog? Anything so hard it could fracture their teeth. This includes sticks. Food bones such as chicken bones, ribs, pork bones, etc… can fracture their teeth, splinter and harm the mouth, and even worse become stuck in the intestines causing a life-threatening emergency. Little treats that say they are good for your dog’s teeth but are swallowed in 1 second aren’t doing much to help control the infection in the mouth.
So what are some of safe and effective dental chews that are recommended for your dog? The newly formulated Greenies are safe and good for you dog’s teeth. The enzymaticallly treated rawhide type chews are also good for slowing down dog dental disease and bad breath. These soften as they chew so there is no possibility of fracture and keep them occupied for a while. Some dogs can get an upset belly and even vomit if they eat enough of this, so I give it to my dogs for 15 minutes and then take it away.
Most of the dog chews you find in the pet store are ok, but if you are not sure if it is safe and effective, bring your dental bones to your Carmel veterinary clinic to discuss your options. For more information on our Caring Hands Compassionate Hearts, click on this link to Carmel Veterinary Clinic.
