There are also a number of dental health chews that are available. The knots can be pulled off and swallowed, resulting in a trip to the veterinarian for surgery. cattle hides, give the thickest hides you can find, and choose ones that are too large for your dog to swallow. If you want to offer rawhide, choose one made from U.S. There are many great chewing products available for dogs. Is there anything safe that I can give my dog to chew? Children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are the most vulnerable, and these organisms can be life-threatening. 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. Raw meat and bones can be contaminated with a number of pathogens, including E. Enemas and manipulation may be required to evacuate the large bowel.Ĭontamination with pathogens on raw bones. This is painful for the dog, as the bone fragments scrape the lining of the colon and rectum and lead to significant trauma. If bone fragments travel down the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and reach the large bowel/colon, they may collect and cause constipation. This is an emergency and requires surgical removal of the obstruction.
Bone fragments can become lodged in the small intestines, causing a complete intestinal blockage. These retained bone fragments must be removed with abdominal surgery or endoscopy.īones can cause a blockage in the small intestine or colon. Bone fragments that remain trapped in the stomach can lead to chronic vomiting and stomach irritation. If the bone fragment is large, it may be unable to pass out of the stomach. This causes a condition called peritonitis - an abdominal infection that can be fatal, even if treated aggressively.īones can get stuck in the stomach.
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. Just as sharp bone fragments can damage the mouth, they can also damage the walls of the stomach and intestines. Injuries to the stomach and intestinal lining. It is also possible for a piece of bone to get into the trachea (windpipe), interfering with your dog’s ability to breathe. Sharp bone shards can penetrate the soft tissues at the back of the throat or pierce the esophagus. Pieces of bone can lodge in the esophagus on the way down to the stomach. This is a very scary experience for the dog, and most dogs need to be sedated or anesthetized in order to cut the bone off.ĭogs can choke. Round bones can get stuck around the lower jaw, behind the lower canine teeth. Dogs can break off sharp shards of bone, which can pierce the tongue, the cheek, or the soft palate on the roof of the mouth.īones can get looped around the lower jaw. The broken edges of bones can be razor sharp.
Whether the tooth is extracted or saved with a root canal, this is an expensive outcome. A broken tooth is painful and must be treated. Bones are very hard and can be brittle, making it easy for a dog to break one of its large chewing teeth. Food and Drug Administration):īroken teeth. Here are the top reasons that bones are bad for dogs (according to the U.S. While dogs want to chew, and most would love to chew on bones, bones are dangerous and they can cause serious injuries. It is a myth that dogs need to chew bones. What is the real story about bones and dogs?