Is it safe for my dog to eat two high-protein chew bones daily?

I would not recommend giving this to Bruno every day. That's because too many treats will cause him to gain weight, which is not healthy. When dogs are overweight, they are at risk of diabetes, heart problems, and excess stress on the joints among other health issues. In addition, I am not a fan of bones for dogs, even uncooked ones. That's because they can break teeth when a dog is chewing on them, and can cause GI obstruction. If you would like to give Bruno a chew bone, I would make it a very rare treat to protect his health.

Yes, however, anything that is hard has the potential to break a dog's teeth. You want to make sure it's large enough to be a rounded surface, rather than a flat one that your dog is chewing on (based on their mouth size). It's also important to limit calories from treats to less than 10% of total daily calorie intake.

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.

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.

Thank you for submitting your question and congratulations on your first dog! Treats should not comprise more than 10% of the diet. They should be given in small amounts. If you are giving Milk Bones, by the tiny size and only give several a day. Most dogs in this country are overweight. Being strict with his diet from the start with help to prevent this from occurring with him. As far as the best chew, it is based on the individual dog. The chew needs to be something he enjoys, but more importantly something he cannot break pieces off and swallow. This can become a surgery to remove. I hope this information helps!

"Long-lasting" is a very relative term. I get massive bully sticks labeled the same exact way for my pit bulls. Even the biggest ones they can go through in an hour or so. I wouldn't be alarmed by what happened unless he is swallowing them completely whole. One of my dogs likes to swallow them and then store them in her throat. As you can imagine, this is not a very safe thing to happen. In terms of healthy, good quality chews, this is what I feed my dogs. They are a little pricy, but honestly compared to the same stuff they sell at Petsmart the prices are better. www.bestbullysticks.com Hope this helps!

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, the cooked meat is likely safe to eat. But every dog is different when it comes to sensitivities to certain foods. If Jenny hasn't had this before watch for tummy upset (vomit, diarrhea, lethargy, not eating). The bone is very hard and can crack and break dog teeth, so it isn't recommended for chewing. I wish you the best and have a great holiday!