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My dog eats ham bones. Is it safe for him to eat the entire bone?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 72 lbs

Hi so i bought a pack of 2 ham bones at petco about 2 weeks ago.I gave him one of these smoked bones,I think, 2 weeks ago and now he's really started to eat it and so my question is, are these bones good to be eaten fully? He doesn't seem to struggle in getting through that bone and he seems to be biting down even the smallest pieces he breaks off ? I'm watching him when he eats it. Could there be any problem with him eating the whole bone. I think this is fine because there's 2 in the pack.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 3rd, 2017

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.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on August 3rd, 2017
Bones can dissolve in the stomach and as long as there are not very large pieces or too many pieces, they do not usually cause a problem. However, I have seen many dogs that swallow a large piece that gets stuck in the intestines or causes a lot of damage because of the sharp edges. I have also seen dogs that eat too much bone at once and the stomach doesn't dissolve all of it before it moves into the intestines. Then all the tiny pieces of bone start to turn into feces, which can cause constipation because it hurts the dog too much to try to pass the feces with bone shards in it. My recommendation is to continue to watch Rocky when he is chewing on the bones to make sure he is chewing well, and to limit his time with the bone. It should last 1-2 weeks. Also know that bones are very hard to chew on and can break teeth or cause uneven wear on the teeth, lending to dental issues later on down the line.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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