What Age Can You Give Bones to Dogs

When it comes to our furry friends, many pet owners wonder about the right time to introduce bones into their dogs' diets. Bones can provide dental benefits and mental stimulation, but it’s essential to understand the appropriate age and types of bones that are safe for dogs. In this article, we’ll explore when you can start giving bones to dogs, the benefits and risks, and how to do it safely.

What Age Can You Give Bones to Dogs?

When a dog can start eating bones is a concern for many dog owners. According to search results, the appropriate age for dogs to start eating bones is roughly around three months.

Appropriate age for dogs to eat bones

• Around three months:

Dogs begin to enter the period of tooth replacement at around three months, and chewing on bones helps to sharpen teeth and alleviate the discomfort of teething on the gums.

At this time the dog's gastrointestinal function is also relatively complete, bite bones are not easy to diarrhea.

• After six months of age:

Some opinions believe that dogs can try to eat bones after six months of age, because the teeth and intestines are not fully developed before six months, and eating bones hastily may cause a relatively large burden on the intestines, stomach and mouth.

Potential Risks to Dental Health from Gnawing on Bones

• Tooth damage

If a bone is too hard, a puppy may use brute force when gnawing on it, which can damage teeth. Especially in small dogs, such as teddies, gnawing on a pork bar bone may result in broken or loose incisors.

• Injuries to the Mouth

Bones are not going to be as rounded as you see in cartoons; the ends of bones in life may be pointed, and the sharp ends of bones may injure your dog's gums, tongue, and the mucous membranes of the mouth, among other things.

• Constipation

Dogs eat too many bones can cause constipation, because the minerals in the bones will absorb the water in the intestines, if it causes dry stools, which is still normal, if you eat more, it may develop into constipation.

Also Read: Constipation in Dogs

• Intestinal scratches

Some sharp bones, such as chicken bones, fish bones, etc., can easily scratch the esophagus and intestines of dogs, which is relatively dangerous for dogs.

Why Puppies Shouldn't Eat Bones?

Feeding bones to dogs that are too young, especially puppies, is not recommended for the following main reasons:

1.Digestive system is not fully developed

Puppies' digestive system is still in the developmental stage, and their digestive ability is weak. The fiber in bones is difficult to digest and may lead to indigestion, diarrhea and other problems. For example, a 3-month-old puppy has insufficient digestive capacity and the fiber from bones is very poorly digested.

2.Prone to digestive tract damage 

Poultry bones (e.g. chicken and duck bones) have a fragile texture and tend to break into small, sharp pieces during chewing. These fragments may scratch your dog's mouth, esophagus or gastrointestinal tract, causing bleeding, pain or even infection. This is especially true for small dogs or puppies, whose digestive systems are more sensitive and may suffer more damage.

3.Susceptible to obstruction

Bone fragments can get stuck in your dog's throat or digestive tract, causing an obstruction. Digestive tract obstruction is a serious condition that can lead to vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and even the need for emergency surgery to release the obstruction in your dog.

4.Unbalanced Nutrition

While bones contain calcium, they are not the best source of calcium for your dog. Prolonged reliance on bones as a calcium source may lead to nutritional imbalances that can affect your dog's overall health. In contrast, dog food and specialized calcium supplements are better suited to meet your dog's nutritional needs.

5.Parasitic and bacterial infections

Raw bones may contain parasites and bacteria and direct feeding may lead to infection. If you are going to feed bones, it is best to cook them at high temperatures or freeze them first.

Also Read: Trematodes in Dogs: Understanding the Hidden Parasitic Threat

What are the Benefits of Dogs Eating Bones?

There are several benefits of eating bones for dogs:

• Calcium supplement 

Bones contain a certain amount of calcium, and dogs gnawing on bones can help replenish calcium. Although the amount of calcium your dog actually absorbs by gnawing on a bone is limited, it still provides some calcium supplementation. However, most of the calcium is still excreted in the feces. Therefore, if your dog is suffering from a severe calcium deficiency, it is recommended to choose a specialized pet calcium tablet or calcium powder to supplement.

• Teeth Cleaning 

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When dogs gnaw on bones, the friction between teeth and bones can help clean teeth, remove tartar and calculus, and prevent bad breath and other oral diseases. This is especially important for dogs who don't brush their teeth regularly. Rural dogs usually have white teeth simply because they often have the opportunity to gnaw on large bones.

• Teeth grinding

For puppies who are in the process of changing their teeth, gnawing on bones can ease the discomfort associated with tooth replacement, promote the loss of milk teeth and the normal growth of permanent teeth, and prevent the occurrence of double rows of teeth. In addition, chewing on bones can also exercise your dog's bite and jaw muscles.

• Pastime

Dogs gnawing on bones when they are bored can pass the time and reduce housebreaking behavior. Especially for energetic dogs like huskies, chewing on bones can effectively distract them from destroying furniture.

• Promote stool formation

The minerals in the bones can absorb the water in the intestines, making the stool dry and helping to improve your dog's digestion. For dogs with weak intestinal digestion and frequent diarrhea, chewing on bones in moderation can help improve the situation.

• Reduces body odor and bad breath

Gnawing on bones can stimulate saliva production, which helps clean the mouth and reduce bad breath. In addition, the nutrients in bones can improve your dog's overall health and reduce body odor.

• Exercises muscles

Chewing on bones requires a certain amount of bite force, which builds up your dog's jaw, neck and shoulder muscles, making them stronger.

How to Safely Get Your Dog to Chew on a Bone?

1.Choose the right bone

It is recommended to choose large bones such as those from pigs, cows and sheep to feed, and avoid feeding leg bones from poultry, especially cooked ones, as they break easily and can get stuck in your dog's throat, esophagus or mouth, causing serious injury.

2.Control chewing time

Allowing your dog to chew for just 10-15 minutes will not only minimize damage to the teeth and mouth, but will also clean your dog's mouth.

3.Supervise the chewing process

When your dog tries a bone for the first time, be sure to monitor it from the sidelines to prevent accidents. Make sure the size of the bone is large enough for your dog to easily grasp and chew on without causing a choking risk.

4.Avoid overfeeding

Bones should not be fed to dogs as a staple food; it's better to give them only once or twice, and it's counterproductive to give them bones on a regular basis. Also bones are dry and can lead to a tendency of constipation in dogs when eaten over a long period of time.

5.Offer alternatives

If you are worried about the effect of bones on your dog's teeth, you can choose some nutritious and somewhat hard dog snacks, such as chicken jerky, goat cheese, etc., which can grind and clean the teeth, but also replenish calcium to strengthen the bones.

Precautions for feeding bones

• Bone Handling 

It is best to choose natural air-dried meat bones or bones that have been sterilized.

Raw bones should not be eaten because they carry a lot of bacteria and parasites and are very unhygienic. As for cooked bones, you should also be careful that the bones are easy to bite out bone spurs and scratch your dog.

• Feeding Frequency 

Bones can not be fed to the dog as a staple food, only give the dog once or twice is better, give the dog often eat bones, will be counterproductive. And bones are dry, long-term eating will also lead to constipation tendency of the dog. It is recommended that the pooper scooper can choose dog food with balanced nutrition and better quality.

In summary, the effect of dog chewing on dental health depends on a number of factors, including the type of bone, the age and health of the dog, and the manner and frequency of the chewing. Under the right conditions, chewing on bones can have a positive impact on your dog's dental health, but potential risks need to be noted and precautions taken.

FAQs

What is safe for a puppy to chew on?

Conclusion

Overall, dogs can start trying to feed bones at three months or more, but dogs of different ages and sizes adapt to bones differently, and there are a number of factors that need to be taken into account when feeding bones, such as the type, size, and supervised consumption of the bones to ensure that your dog is healthy and safe.