To Gnaw or Not to Gnaw? The Monier Vet Guide to Bone Safety for Dogs

It’s an iconic image: a happy dog with a large bone. For many local pet owners, giving a dog a bone feels like the most natural treat in the world. Bones can provide mental stimulation, help relieve boredom, and may assist with dental health in some dogs.

However, at Monier Vet, we also see the other side of bone-chewing emergency visits involving fractured teeth, choking, intestinal obstructions, and internal injuries. While some dogs tolerate bones without issue, it’s important to understand that no bone is completely risk-free, even when precautions are taken.

Whether they are boiled, baked, fried, or smoked, cooked bones are a major hazard for dogs. 

• The Structural Change: Cooking leaches out collagen and moisture, making the bone brittle. 
• The Splinter Factor: Unlike raw bones, which are somewhat flexible, cooked bones shatter into jagged shards that can pierce the tongue, throat, stomach, or intestines.
• The Risk: This can lead to Peritonitis, a life-threatening infection, or foreign body obstructions requiring emergency surgery. 
• The Blockage: Cooked bones are also difficult to digest and can become lodged in the digestive tract, causing constipation or dangerous blockages.

Raw bones are much safer, but not all of them are safe or suitable for every dog.

• Size Matters: If feeding a raw bone, choose one that is large enough that your dog cannot swallow it whole. Ideally, the bone should be larger than your dog’s mouth.
• Avoid Small/Brittle Raw Bones: Avoid pork bones (which splinter easily) and rib bones (which are small and likely to crack or get stuck in the throat).
• The "Birdy" Bone Debate: Raw chicken necks and wings are sometimes fed to dogs; they can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. Because they are small, they may also present a choking risk if swallowed whole.

To keep your dog safe while they enjoy their treat, we recommend following these "Monier Vet" protocols:

1. Supervision is Mandatory: Never give your dog a bone and leave the house. You need to be there to intervene if the bone splinters or if your dog tries to swallow a large chunk.
2. The "One-Hour" Rule: Raw bones can develop harmful bacteria, especially in warm weather or if left outside for extended periods. If you choose to offer your dog a raw bone, it should only be given during a short, supervised chewing session and should be discarded after about an hour.
3. No Buried Treasures: Do not let your dog bury a bone. Soil contains bacteria that can cause serious infections if the bone is dug up and chewed later.
4. Avoid Frozen Bones: Just like ice cubes, frozen bones are incredibly hard. Chewing on them is a leading cause of cracked teeth (slab fractures).
5. Know Your Dog’s "Chewing Style": Is your dog a "Nibbler" or a "Terminator"? If your dog is an aggressive chewer who tries to destroy the bone instantly, they are at a higher risk of dental fractures and should stick to softer dental chews. 

If you choose to offer your dog a fresh raw bone, we recommend limiting chewing sessions to around 10-15 minutes under close supervision. This may provide some dental and enrichment benefits while helping reduce prolonged exposure to potential risks. However, even with careful supervision and appropriate bone selection, bones can still cause injury, choking, dental fractures, or gastrointestinal complications in some dogs.

If the risks of real bones make you nervous, there are plenty of vet-approved alternatives that provide the same enrichment:

• Rubber "Kong" Toys: These can be stuffed with healthy treats or peanut butter (ensure it is Xylitol-free!) and frozen for a long-lasting challenge.
• Dental Chews: Specifically designed to scrub plaque without the risk of splintering.
• Synthetic Chew Toys: Tough, infused with flavour, and virtually indestructible.

If your dog has managed to get hold of a cooked bone or a small scrap, watch for these "Red Flag" symptoms:

• Repeated gagging or coughing
• Pawing at the mouth
• Painful tooth or smelly breath
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Lethargy or pacing anxiously
• Straining to defecate

If you notice any of these signs, please contact our team immediately (07) 3279 3999. Your pet's safety is our priority