Is it wrong to give bones to a dog?

Question

we used to feed our dogs on the farm all kinds of table scraps..bones,,,bacon fat..etc
but my wife insistes on no people food and certainly no bones of any kind...i have complied but wonder if the little dog shih tzu could like a rib bone but not a chicken bone..or a ham hock bone..::""

Answer 1

Not only can it splinter in his throat and cause digestive issues and/or infection, the poor guy could choke on it. Bones if even given to dogs are best given to larger dogs who can break them better, sorry she's right.

Answer 2

Oh my goodness! I have been reading the answers given and reasons provided and for most I must just sigh and ponder the ignorance of these answers!
Dogs are scavengers, fer crying out aloud! You feed them totally processed, commercial diets, of course their digestive system will not be able to cope with bones. Feed them what evolution has proven over millenia as optimal for the carnivore and scavenger and there will be no problem, even with chicken! Think about it: what type of prey would a small dog be capable of catching and killing? Answer would have to be a largely flightless bird. However, I am not talking cooked here, a dog's digestive system is designed to deal with RAW foods including fruits, vegetables and meat and bones. They cannot process the cellulose in plant material, hence the first thing a carnivore will eat when it makes a kill is the stomach contents of its prey. This is the vegetable material broken down, not yet fully digested, not cooked, but in a form that they can deal with.
Human consumption chickens are slaughted at a very young age, usually no more than 12 weeks of age. These bones are SOFT and absolutely ideal for all dogs both tiny and giant. Once cooked they become brittle, but raw is an entirely different story. Even my cats relish a chicken neck or wing. Does wonders for keeping their teeth clean too.
I have been feeding my dogs "naturally" for almost 20 years. Vet bills are a thing of the past. And trust me, they get bones every single day, including chicken!

Answer 3

Yes and no, it depends on the type of bone and what the dog does with it. Do not give chicken or pork bones, they can splinter and cause problems. But big beef bones (knuckles) either cooked or from the butcher are a nice treat, IF you watch the dog and see what it does with it. Some dogs are happy kinda chewing and nawing at a bone and may wear it down over time. That is fine, then you have the other kind of dog that trys to break off and swallow the biggest chunks it can, that isn't OK.

Do not give dogs rawhide bones if they eat them up fast, it turns into a large wad of goo in the stomach and can mess up the digestive system. For a small dog probably a cow hoof would be a good treat as long as they are just chewing it and not breaking it apart (hard to do for small dog). It smells horrid once it's wet, but they love 'em.

Oh and table food is fine for a treat once in awhile, no chocolate, onion, grape or rasins. Other wise a bit of meat or carbs won't hurt them a bit now and then. Most of the reason you don't feed dogs table food has to do with their teeth, it causes build up that needs to be cleaned once in awhile. If the dog loves to chew hard stuff it keeps the teeth healthier.

Answer 4

i had a little pomeranian and the vet recommended that once in a while, we feed it human food. it's alright because since they're indoor dogs, they smell what you're cooking most of the time and might not be interested in the the dog food they're being fed. instead, cut up bits of meat and blend it in with their food. chicken and steak are ok. rib bones are fine but chicken bones are not so good. chicken bones are fragile and easy to chip into sharp shards which may get caught/cut their throats and may become fatal.

Answer 5

Yeah you could feed it bones, but like you said, not chicken bones. Make sure you watch your dog while it has the bone and if the bone is breaking then take it away.

Answer 6

Dogs need some bones especially to help keep bad breath away and keep plaque from the teeth. Raw chicken bones are excellant for this. All raw bones benefit the dog in some way, but never give dogs cooked bones as they can splinter inside the dog and cause problems. Your dog will love you for the raw bones. Be warned though. Too much fat e.g. bacon fat can cause older dogs to develop pancriatisis(not sure about the spelling) and this makes your dog really sick. Hope this helps you.

Answer 7

Small dogs like a shih tzu should not get real bones because of the splinter bone factor. Bone marrow in dog treats will do very well for it. Never a chicken bone.

Answer 8

Yes they could choke. When I was young, there was a German Shepard that opened a garbage bag on the curb and it had chicken bones on it. It choked and died. I know what you mean though. My Dad used to feed raw meat and even garlic powder to our dog. It was anything goes back then. But we never fed our dogs bones after the incident that I mentioned.

Answer 9

You can NEVER give a dog a cooked bone. That will do alot of damage internally. You can feed dogs raw bones. Not only do they love it, it's also good for them. Change them daily to avoid odor and if they get to small that your pup can choke on it. Remember it's got to be completely raw, anything else is bad for health.

Answer 10

Certain bones can be deadly to a dog, especially chicken or pork chop bones. They can splinter, turning into needle like shards which can get imbedded in the throat or intestines. As for raw bones, this can get them sick!! Most butcher shops sell dog bones after cutting the meat off, but,, beware,, they end up in the shape of a half golf ball which can lodge in the throat. We all know chocolate is dangerous. . but onions and grapes are also toxic.