Can BONES be given to all dogs and cats?

Can BONES be given to all dogs and cats?

Dogs and cats are carnivores. Allowing a dog or cat to eat raw bones as part of their diet is one of the healthiest and best things we can do for our furry friend.

As we have already told you on other occasions, dogs and cats are CARNIVORES, and as such, in the wild they hunt and feed on their prey, ingesting mainly the viscera, meat and bones.

What beneficial nutrients do bones provide? 

Bones provide mainly calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for bone structure, but also other nutrients. For example, beef bones provide:

• Calcium: 23% to 32%
•  Phosphorus: 13% to 15%
•  Protein: 6% to 8%
•  Sodium: 5.5%
•  Iron: 2.6%
•  Magnesium: 0.3%
•  Zinc: 0.1%
•  Amino acids: Lysine and Methionine.
•  Polyunsaturated and phospholytic fatty acids
•  If they have attached tendons: collagen and chondroitin sulfate which are joint protectors.

In addition, you will prevent the generation of tartar on your teeth.

Common fears when giving them a bone

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• Choking
•  Obstruction
•  Intestinal perforation
•  Dental fractures
•  Oral lesions on the tongue, palate, etc., such as the formation of sores and ulcers.

Precautions when giving them bones: 

1. Always RAW bones! Never, never, never give cooked or grilled bones (we will explain why later).
2. Always give him the bone UNDER SUPERVISION, not when he is left alone at home. This way you will be able to react if he eats too eagerly and swallows very large pieces, if his gums bleed because it is too hard for him…
3. Never let your dog bite on a bone until he is small enough to swallow the whole piece.
4. If your dog or cat has had dental crowns replaced, do not give them bones.
5. Do not give them bones if they are predisposed to pancreatitis.
6. Make sure he doesn't swallow large pieces, he has to gnaw them.
7. If the dog is very anxious about food and has a powerful jaw, give him a very large calf knee. 
8. Leave him alone for 10 minutes a day and then store him in a Tupperware in the fridge. This way he won't eat too much and you'll avoid his stools being too hard and sandy due to the excess bone. If you see that he still does it this way, leave the bone for less time the next day.
9. It is highly recommended that when you first introduce the bone, it be a bone larger than the size of your head.
10. Take into account the breed and size of the dog, so that you can give him a bone that is appropriate for his strength and size. For example, a mastiff will not do anything with the neck of a duck or a chicken, but with a calf's knee he will be fine.
11. If your dog or cat has always eaten feed, their stomach pH may have become alkalized and therefore it will be harder for them to digest bones, which may result in diarrhea or vomiting. That is why our recommendation is to introduce them little by little, starting by leaving a bone for 5 minutes and seeing what their stool is like in the next 2 outings or if they vomit. If not, do not continue giving them bones.
12. The introduction of bones into the diet must be very slow and well-planned. If the stomach pH is low, it could cause perforations of the stomach and intestine. Therefore, there must be an adaptation period.
13. We repeat the importance of giving them only raw bones, always under supervision and only for short periods.

Important: even if you follow the recommendations, if you see that your dog swallows a piece that is too big, vomits... do not hesitate to go to your vet immediately. Common sense comes first.

Dangers of Cooked Bones:

Raw bones contain between 7% and 10% moisture, which is completely lost during the cooking process, making the bone harder and more splintery when broken, and many of the nutrients in the bone are eliminated.

In 2010, the Food and Drug Administration updated the list of risks associated with chewing cooked bones:

• Dental fractures.
•  Injuries to the mouth or tongue.
•  Adhesion of the bone around the lower jaw.
•  Bone stuck in the esophagus: The dog or cat may try to vomit it out.
•  A bone stuck in the trachea can cause breathing difficulties for your dog.
•  Bone stuck in the stomach: When a swallowed piece is too large for your stomach and intestines.
•  Bone stuck in the intestines causing an obstruction.
•  Constipation due to the sharpness of the pieces.
•  Bleeding from the rectum.
•  Peritonitis (bacterial infection caused by perforation of the stomach and intestines).

At Christmas, emergency veterinary consultations for intestinal obstructions and perforations increase significantly because many owners and family members give their dogs and cats leftovers from Christmas meals, including cooked bones.

Indidogs, your dog shop and groomer in the Gracia district of Barcelona for everything you need for your dog, cat, rodent, bird... Specialists in natural food with the Barf diet.