Giving Dogs Bones

Bone
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For the tissue, see Osseous tissue.
This article is about the skeletal organ. For other uses, see Bone (disambiguation) and Bones (disambiguation).
 
Drawing of a human femur.Bones are rigid organs that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue. Because bones come in a variety of shapes and have a complex internal and external structure they are lightweight, yet strong and hard, in addition to fulfilling their many other functions. One of the types of tissue that makes up bone is the mineralized osseous tissue, also called bone tissue, that gives it rigidity and a honeycomb-like three-dimensional internal structure. Other types of tissue found in bones include marrow, endosteum and periosteum, nerves, blood vessels and cartilage. There are 206 bones in the adult human body[1] and 270 in an infant

For years, the Great Bone Debate has raged between two vocal factions – those that advocate feeding bones to dogs and those that do not. It is a heated debate with the side advocating for bones arguing that dogs have been surviving on them for hundreds of years and the opposing side of the debate stating that the health risks of giving bones to dogs is too great.

Can both sides be right? Is there a compromise? And what about the third side that advocates giving only ground bones to their dogs? Can they be right too?

No matter which side of the three way fence they sit, all sides agree some bones are dangerous. Poultry, pork and small beef bones can splinter or break causing a puncture in the digestive tract or an intestinal blockage from a foreign object if the broken off piece is swallowed. Cooked bones are also a concern as the boiling process softens the hard bone and can cause them to break more easily. Bones that are largely cartilage or soft bony material such as a knuckle bone can cause a compacted bowel and, without swift intervention, can cause a tear in the colon.

Safe bones are considered the large straight bones from a cow – the femur, tibia, and humerus bones being the shape most often represented in cartoons or canine caricatures. These bones are not perfect however as dogs can also break or crack teeth chewing them, slice their tongue and gums if there is a sharp edge and a strong dog can still break off a piece, swallowing the fragment.

Wild canines or canids have been eating the bones of their prey for thousands of years with little to no negative side effects, that man is aware of, at least. Bones are part of their daily diet but they are not actually the most prized part of the carcass, more like how some men enjoy a toothpick after dinner then an actual course within the meal. The marrow from inside the bones does add necessary fat and calories to the diet of wild canids, important when you consider how lean most game meats are and how much energy a wolf or coyote requires to survive in the wild.

In wild animal rehabilitation centers throughout the world, raw bones are still given to wolves, coyotes and foxes but most often still in the form of the carcass of the would-be prey, not as a solitary bone.

What many people forget, however, is that bones from felled prey are still covered in hair when the wolves chow down so any splintered bone fragments that are ingested are covered by a protective layer of skin and furry padding. There is also little to no data on whether wild canines die of foreign body blockages or from a punctured intestinal tract so the argument that raw bones are a natural and healthy part of the diet of the domestic canine is flawed.

One thing few of the bone advocates fail to recognize is the level of toxins within the marrow of the average North American raised bovine. The fat is the storing center for toxins that find their way into any mammal and by ingesting the fat or adipose tissue, the toxins are ingested as well. Since the marrow contains mostly protective fat cells, the level of toxins within the bone is greater per pound then that of the meat or organs. Organic cow bones negate this argument of course as do the bones of wild game however it should make an owner think twice before picking up a soup bone at the local grocery store and tossing it to her dog or making it into soup for the family for that matter.

The main reason many people feed their dogs raw bones is that it helps keep tartar from building up on teeth – they work as a natural toothbrush. To work around the potential life threatening problems associated with bones, many small manufacturers have sprung up all over North America to produce prepared, safe bones that are cooked or smoked to kill bacteria and hardened so that bits cannot be chunked off. These bones are a good option for dog owners worried about these problems but the smoking and hardening is not a complete fix. It is still best to only feed your dog a bone from a reputable producer and only when you are available to monitor the destruction.