Casper had a ‘run-in’ with a bone.
Casper has enjoyed a daily bone for a number of years and they have helped keep his teeth sparkling white. Unfortunately he was very unlucky recently when one of his bones became wedged on his teeth.
Giving bones to pets comes with risks. The bones can get stuck, cause constipation, chip teeth or cause trauma if they have sharp edges. At Vet HQ we believe the benefits of giving bones to our dogs and cats outweighs the risks. They are great for keeping teeth clean, a rich source of calcium, entertaining and delicious! This is why we are providing you with our bone safety tips so that your pet can continue to enjoy their tasty treats.
Vet HQ’s bone safety tips:
- Only feed RAW bones. Once a bone has been cooked or smoked it breaks apart too easily and can scratch your pet’s mouth and tummy and cause digestion problems such as constipation. This means that you should never feed your pet your left over cooked meat bones.
- The size of the bone needs to be appropriate for the size of your pet. The bone should not be small enough for your pet to fit it all into their mouth or swallow it whole. This means once they chew them down to small pieces you need to take them away. For cats, raw chicken necks are perfect.
- If you are feeding dogs large marrow bones, allow them to chew off both ends and then take them away so that they do not chew the middle part where the marrow is. This part is more likely to break and cause tooth fractures
- Never cut bones. The cut edges can break apart more easily and can break their teeth.
- Some raw meat on the bone is desirable because it’s tasty and helps remove plaque
- Do not feed frozen bones. It might seem like a good idea to make them tougher to break but they become so hard that the teeth are more likely to break. Think about biting onto a rock solid ice cube and the force it places on your teeth.
- Always supervise your pet when they are eating bones
- Animals become over protective of bones so be careful when approaching.
Please let us know if you are unsure of which bones are appropriate for your pet. If your dog or cat ever gets a bone stuck in their mouth or throat please contact Vet HQ immediately.