Everyone has a general USP or a standout point that differentiates him/her from the rest. Sometimes these unique things about certain creatures are nothing more than rumours or clichés that eventually get attached to them unknowingly. For instance Chinese people are always short or anything western/new is originated in America etc. These were some examples from human world but there is an instance that shows us this trend exists in the animal world too. Like a mouse is supposed to like cheese, or a cat should be lousy, the elephant and the ant and the very famous of the entire dog and its bone.
Although many among these may even be true as for the mouse and its cheese or the cat being lousy but the dog and its bone is a real controversial topic! I know this seems to be the most said and heard phrase and should not be debated on. However every coin has two sides and studies have revealed that the other side of this phrase is not really a healthy one. The basic rule of a dog going behind a bone being normal should supposedly change. Or else it may definitely lead your dog a veterinian visit, if not so.
There are many reasons why a dog should be kept away from an alien bone. Some of them can be explained as follows:
- DENTISTRY: A bone is usually served hard and brittle to the dog. This may lead to broken teeth of the dog in the process of eating it. The adult dogs may be used to the technique of chewing a bone, but a puppy may not be habitual to it. Hence care must be taken that the bone if served must be fed at the right age.
- MOUTH: Apart from the teeth, the dog may even have other mouth injuries while having a bone. This may include the tongue bites, the mouth infections which turns bloody and nasty if not treated at the right time.
- ESOPHAGUS: We usually experience difficulty in swallowing something large without munching it properly. We have a small windpipe and esophagus that takes the food to our stomach. Hence it is very essential to chew our food properly before swallowing it down. In the same way, if a dog mistakingly swallows the bone without chewing it can get stuck in its esophagus. This can be extremely painful and need a vets attention.
- CONSTIPATION: Even if the bone somehow manages to pass through the small pipes it can still get stuck somewhere near your stomach or intestines depending on the size of the bone gulped. This may stop the entire digestion and excretion procedure of the dogs body making him sick constipated.
- PERITONITIS: Well all these steps ultimately direct your dog to this messy difficult-to-treat bacterial infection. It is caused in your dog’s stomach. The bone your dog swallows pokes holes in his stomach and intestines leading to peritonitis.
Thus these were some health hazards your dog may suffer from if left with its bone unsupervised. However studies have even shown that bones are not all that bad after all. Little bit of guidance and attention may prevent from the future chaos. If it is so, you must be wondering what type of bones or how to feed your dog with bones?
Feeding your dog with the bone has certain benefits also. The continuous chewing of bones stimulates saliva. If they are given few minutes after your dogs’ meal they help remove the trapped food in its teeth. It not only prevents the plaque build up and gums diseases but also gives minerals and other nutrients to your dog. These are the nutrients necessary for the skeletal system to keep it regenerating. But as said earlier not all bones are safe. You need to determine which is appropriate for your dog. These are certain guidelines that will help you find it out.
- THE RIGHT BONE: Well, not all dogs can really chew a bone properly. Hence, care must be taken that you know the kind of dog you are petting. The right kind of bone that suits your dog basically depends on its jaw line. The teeth structure plays an important function in the chewing process.
- THE RIGHT TIME: Every time is not the right time to feed a bone. Make sure you do not feed the bone before meals. The obvious reason here is that you don’t want your dog to be hungry/ starving when he’s drooling over his bone. Even do not forget to wash the bone properly once your dog is done with it. Store it in fridge for nearly 3-4 days before giving it again to your dog. Until this time serve your dog with some other delicious items that distracts its attention from the bone.
- THE RIGHT SIZE: The size of the bone depends on the size of the dog. Breeds like the German shepherds, Labradors, Dobermans are large in size and hence need large bones which they can swallow all at once. Care must be taken that the size of the bone should not be bigger than the muzzle which makes it difficult to swallow. A beef bone is considered to be the best fit for the larger breeds.
So these three rules must be kept in mind before feeding your dog with a bone. A bone must never be cooked, baked, boiled or barbecued before serving as it dries it up and makes it more brittle to chew. Many of the nutrients it holds are also lost in the process. The next time you feed your pet dog with a bone do remember all these guidelines and make your dog happy!
