Can my dog safely chew raw beef marrow bones for mental stimulation?

Kong toys with frozen peanut butter or other frozen treats can provide hours of entertainment without the added risk of breaking teeth on hard bones. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

No! Dogs should NEVER be given raw or cooked animal bones for several reasons. Raw bones run the risk of transmitting harmful bacteria, including Salmonella or Campylobacter, both to your dog and any exposed people. These bacteria can be transmitted through a dog’s stool and saliva. Bones can also pose hazards for foreign body obstruction in the esophagus, stomach, or intestines. Poultry bones are inherently filled with air and cooked bones become more brittle, both of which can splinter leading to perforation of the stomach or intestines. Bones and antlers are also quite hard and can lead to tooth fractures. Instead of offering bones, alternative products such as Nylabones, Kongs, or the dental treats approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (www.vohc.org) are safer and more effective alternatives for dogs that like to chew.

Great question! I personally don't recommend giving dogs any bones, even though with bone marrow in it, because they break teeth, and can cause choking and obstructions in the GI tract. I don't feel it's safe and it's not worth the risks to the dog. If you do decide to give one to Maya, I would monitor her the entire time she is chewing on it, making sure she doesn't swallow large pieces of it whole. I hope this helps!

You are correct that antlers and nylon bones will break teeth, but they can also cause obstructions and/or perforations in the GI tract. I recommend a Kong toy. Those are very tough chew toys that are hard to dogs to destroy. You can also fill them with treats. I'd recommend, as an occasional treat, filling it with peanut butter and freezing it overnight in the freezer. That will keep her occupied for a while.

As with any bone or hard chew toy, there are concerns for tooth trauma. In my experience, I've seen many broken teeth from dogs chewing on deer antlers, hard bones, etc. I would usually recommend against giving these for that reason. As Rocky is a larger breed dog, the pieces of bone that he is chewing off of the main bone should not be a problem and they should pass through his intestines just fine. However, if given a large enough bone and he eats it whole, this could lead to a GI foreign body obstruction as the bone tries to pass through and gets stuck. There are alternatives you can use such as Kong toys that you can put treats in or put peanut butter in that would keep him busy. Hopefully this helps! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any other concerns you may have.

I personally never recommend giving dogs bones. They too often break teeth, and can and do lead to obstructions in the GI tract. Now there are rubber bones that Stormy can chew on, and you can give her one designed specifically for puppies. They are a bit softer and will help her when she starts teething in a couple of months. The Kong brand has a great range of puppy rubber bones, and I would get her one of those from a pet store. Just make sure to watch her when she chews on it to make sure she doesn't bite off and swallow any parts. Best of luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Vinny. I do not typically recommend marrow bones as I have seen dogs break off and swallow large pieces. This can become a surgery to remove them. I have also cases of gastrointestinal upset after chewing on them. That being said, if this is something he is accustomed to and you plan to monitor him with it, it should be fine. I hope this helps!