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October 10, 2017

Dog

Can Chicken Bones Kill Your Dog?

Every cooked bone can be dangerous for dogs. Especially chicken bones, since they tend to splinter easier than others. Choking is a concern, but the greatest fear is the one you do not see. It is when a bone lodge or tears part of the intestinal tract, which can cause the dog to bleed to death internally. By the time you realize there is a problem it is usually too late. Raw bones are better but they can also splinter. This is why it is so important to have a locking trash can.

We’ve all heard it said, “Do not feed your dog’s chicken bones!” But in fact, feeding any cooked bone to your dog is dangerous because cooked bones can splinter and damage the stomach and intestines. Many dogs enjoy chewing raw chicken or turkey neck and raw chicken wings that are free of salmonella and other bacteria. Raw beef knuckle bones are also yummy treats. Work with your holistic veterinarian to do what is best for your individual dogs.

Although dogs have been chewing bones for thousands of years. That’s what nature intended, right? Well, perhaps, but it’s an activity that is not without its risk. As a veterinarian, I have seen the negative effects of feeding dog’s bones mostly chicken bone more time than I can count. The stakes are high enough that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has even gotten involved and the following are reasons why bone especially chicken bones are dangerous for your dogs.

5 Reasons Not To Feed Your Dog Cooked Bones

1. Bones get stuck in the stomach. It went down just fine, but the bones may be too large to pass from the stomach to the intestines. Depending on the size of the bone, your dog may need surgery or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy – a procedure in which your veterinarian will use a long tube with a built-in camera and grabbing tools – to attempt to remove the bone from your dog’s stomach.

2. Constipation can occur due to bone fragments. Your dog may have difficulty passing the bone fragments because they are too sharp and will scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along. This causes severe pain and may require a visit to your veterinarian.

3. Bones get looped around the dog’s lower jaw. This can be terrifying or painful for your dog and is likely to be expensive for you as it usually means a trip to see your veterinarian.

4. Bone can get stuck in dog’s esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach. Your dog may choke, trying to bring the bone back up, and you will have to see your veterinarian.

5. Peritonitis. This is a very serious infection of the abdomen, difficult to cure and is caused when the bone fragments poke holes in your dog’s stomach or intestine. Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian as peritonitis can kill your dog.

I look at feeding your dogs chicken bones, in the same way; I do letting the dogs run loose. Is it normal? Yes. Do dogs like it? Yes. Are there any potential benefits? Yes … until misfortune strikes. There are a lot of ways to safely please your dog’s need to chew, to promote dental hygiene, and to provide your dog with high quality and balanced nutrition he needs to stay in good health.

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