# No Bones About It: Bones Are Unsafe for Your Dog



## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I never gave my dogs bones until years of reading that experienced people on the forum do. Now, mine get frozen marrow bones from Whole Foods once a month for sparkly teeth. They love it, and we've had no problems. I'm grateful that none of my four resource guard, and they will happily lay around and chew.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Cooked bones are definitely a bad idea, and I will not give those sterilized bones from the pet stores either-too hard and can break teeth. But a nice raw bone for teeth cleaning gets a big thumbs up from me. And, like Jill, I don't have any resource guarders either (at least not the Goldens!)


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

Yes...and kids could get hit by cars, catch a cold, or get hurt playing sports. Let's just keep them in a bubble in their bedroom. 

Would I give my dog a bone that I'd cooked at home? No. However, I give him those big pig bones (you can buy anywhere) all the time.


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

a big raw knuckle bone is fine- just not all the time and with a watchful eye. No cooked bones period.


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

For years our dogs have gotten bones from the butcher shop. I also give my dogs atlers. have no dogs that resource guard. My dogs are all healthy and happy.


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## sameli102 (Aug 23, 2009)

The only bones I give mine are the raw marrow bones from the grocery store (about 3 inches long). I have had the occasion where Tilley managed to eventually break it in half and did get it wedged in a clamp across her bottom jaw. She was freaking out and I had a tough time working it free but everything was ok thank goodness.
I still give them but watch them closely and if a bone gets broken I throw them out. They have to have something to chew on but we're careful. They've never attempted to swallow one.
No guarding here either, they hover and steal. Just hover until the chewer gives it up, grab and run.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

My guys are raw fed so they often get raw bones.....no cooked bones however.

Once a month they get a frozen marrow bone.....

No resource guarding with mine either. But they will wait until one is done and then move in on their bone!!!!


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

I still give raw marrow bones but not to the springer I watch daily. She did crack one of her molars on a raw bone. She had to have the tooth extracted. No resource guarding here either.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

No bones here. Even with their own bones in seperate areas Reece does not share high value items and thus we choose not to even risk it.


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## jacindanbrown (Jan 23, 2012)

Raw bones is what keeps my dog from eating socks. Goldens need something to entertain them. Raw bones were recommended by our dog trainer. NEVER EVER GIVE A COOKED BONE they splinter and can kill your dog. RAW BONES ONLY.


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## IZAbbyRose (Jun 9, 2008)

So what are the alternatives? I'm at my wits end trying to find something that is safe for them to chew on.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Himalayan chews at Clean Run.com are chews my goldens adore.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Antlers are a good alternative. I get ours at www.petexpertise.com If you do a search on here, you'll find lots of threads about them.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

I feed mine raw bones from the store a few times a week and have had zero problems. She loves them and they have been fantastic for her teeth.


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

IZAbbyRose said:


> So what are the alternatives? I'm at my wits end trying to find something that is safe for them to chew on.


Depends on what your definition of safe is. Veterinary dentists will tell you that almost nothing is safe to chew on (they go by "if you wouldn't want me to hit you in the kneecap with whatever-treat, then it's too hard to chew on"). In the real world, everyone needs to make choices based on the potential risk and the potential rewards. Some risks are worn or fractured teeth, some rewards are happy/entertained dogs, cleaner teeth, etc.

I myself have decided that my dogs clean teeth and joy in chewing bones, hooves, antlers, etc. takes precedence over the potential risk for a fractured tooth.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Ditto what IowaGold said. Ranger is a happier dog when he's got something to chew and he's too aggressive a chewer for most things besides raw marrow bones.

Personally, i think some of the alternatives are more of a hazard, especially for aggressive chewers. Ranger can eat a 2 ft bully stick in 20 minutes or less. He can eat a 6'' one in 10 seconds...I found that out when he got the foster puppy's bully stick and swallowed it whole. 

Greenies? He can chew off big chunks at a time = choke hazard. Himalayan chews? I can't find any longer than 6'' around here and he'd probably swallow it whole. 

So, marrow bones it is. I find if they're still stuffed, then there's less risk of cracking a tooth since dogs tend to try to scrape the marrow out as opposed to gnawing on the exterior of the bone. Once the marrow is gone, I usually toss them since that's when I start to hear cracks from ranger gnawing on the bone itself.


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

This just in people....water is unsafe for your dogs. Do not allow your dog to consume or frolic in water.


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## mag&bays mom (Sep 25, 2010)

I give both of my dogs bones all the time. We haven't had any problems yet. 

What the hell are you supposed to give them to chew on then?! Maggie does have antlers she chews on often too....


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

mag&bays mom said:


> I give both of my dogs bones all the time. We haven't had any problems yet.
> 
> What the hell are you supposed to give them to chew on then?! Maggie does have antlers she chews on often too....


Well...Butter is in the process of chewing on: the kids cedar play set and the 2 x 4 railings on our deck. I think that's his way of telling me that he needs another bone.


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## mag&bays mom (Sep 25, 2010)

Hahaha. Yes, I would say so


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## Penny and Barneys Mum (Jan 17, 2012)

We used to let our dogs have those calcium sterilized bones which are said to crumble and not splinter, they loved them. My Mum used to feed those large uncooked bones you can buy in the petshops to her retriever, he damaged his mouth on one, so she stopped feeding them. 

Our Barney was chewing on one of his calcium bones in another room, I wondered where he'd gone, so I went to find him. He was laying on the floor covered in blood all down one side, blood all over the place, carpet, walls etc. He'd broken the bone and caught his mouth and tounge. 

We let them have Nylabones instead, they are flavoured and being nylon they don't splinter, good so far and we don't need to worry. 

Personal choice I guess, through experience though we decided not to take the chance.


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## robschonk (Oct 27, 2011)

Sterling Archer said:


> This just in people....water is unsafe for your dogs. Do not allow your dog to consume or frolic in water.


Facts About Dihydrogen Monoxide


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## Amberbark (Oct 5, 2011)

*Raw Marrow Bones?*

Would the dogs have to eat the raw marrow bones outside? Are they too messy, oily, marrowy  to be eaten on carpet/tile? Thanks :wavey:.


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

I feed my dogs the raw marrow bones...I just put a rug down and put the dogs in the 'down' position...then they eat and chew it up, no problems so far. And of course I use the bone later (usually boil it and take out the rest of the marrow they could not get to) to make their 'special' daily treats. I freeze raw buffalo on one end, put in cooked steak and beef broth in the middle, freeze and give them one a day. So far no ill effects and if Cannella didn't have something to chew on (she also gets the stuff hooves and nyla toys) she would be eating our carpets!


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

Amberbark said:


> Would the dogs have to eat the raw marrow bones outside? Are they too messy, oily, marrowy  to be eaten on carpet/tile? Thanks :wavey:.


Cookie gets hers inside, but only on a towel that I set out for her. After she's done, I just throw the towel in the wash. We have a set of towels in our house that are only used for the animals.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Amberbark said:


> Would the dogs have to eat the raw marrow bones outside? Are they too messy, oily, marrowy  to be eaten on carpet/tile? Thanks :wavey:.


I know some people use plastic shower curtains/liners and teach their dogs to lay on it while chewing their marrow bone. Others use the towel like Briguy mentioned. Me, I'm a big meanie. I make ranger eat his outside since he constantly feels the need to move around with his bone when chewing. It's not resource guarding or anything, just a weird habit. He does it outside, too. So he's relegated to only eating them outside in mildly nice weather. If it's too cold, he eats something non-gross inside (like an antler or a nylabone or a kong).


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## Amberbark (Oct 5, 2011)

*Thanks!*



Ranger said:


> I know some people use plastic shower curtains/liners and teach their dogs to lay on it while chewing their marrow bone. Others use the towel like Briguy mentioned. Me, I'm a big meanie. I make ranger eat his outside since he constantly feels the need to move around with his bone when chewing. It's not resource guarding or anything, just a weird habit. He does it outside, too. So he's relegated to only eating them outside in mildly nice weather. If it's too cold, he eats something non-gross inside (like an antler or a nylabone or a kong).


Amber does move around quite a bit, so maybe outside as well. I bought her a couple of split antlers for the marrow, but she managed to use her bottom teeth to pull off a 1/4 by 2 in. piece of very sharp antler....so away they went. I ordered two large whole antlers instead. It is hard because I have 2 7 lb. dogs and 1 55 lb. GR. Thanks for your response. :wavey:


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## Amberbark (Oct 5, 2011)

Angelina said:


> I feed my dogs the raw marrow bones...I just put a rug down and put the dogs in the 'down' position...then they eat and chew it up, no problems so far. And of course I use the bone later (usually boil it and take out the rest of the marrow they could not get to) to make their 'special' daily treats. I freeze raw buffalo on one end, put in cooked steak and beef broth in the middle, freeze and give them one a day. So far no ill effects and if Cannella didn't have something to chew on (she also gets the stuff hooves and nyla toys) she would be eating our carpets!


Those are some lucky dogs!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Copley is a resource oversharer, and no matter how much I explain about human immune systems, he just wants to chew his marrow bone with his head in my lap. Blech. Maily, I also throw down a blanket, and toss it in the wash when they are done.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Okay, growing up back in the 50's our English setters and points got ALL bones--checken, pork beef, even quail, dove, squirrle and rabbit. We never had one get injured or harmed on thos cooked bones.

Would i give my Honey a cooked bone--HECK NO. I have not given cooked bones in years and years.....even tho we never had a single problme with them. But I do not give her raw either

Our next door entgibhors lost there young dog to a splinter bone. And one when at the vets I was in the tretment room00I think it wa when KayCee was getting cxast removed after knee surgery--that was a beuatiful chocolate lab puppy in there with temp of 107, almost in a coma. He had peritonitis from a splinter pork chop bone puncturing his stomahe. Lerned later he died.

My vet did tell me he has had several dogs with punctured stomaches, throats, broken teeth, damaged gums, from cooked---and raw bones. He recommends the nylabones. As I said we never haqd a problme in a zillion years with cooked bones, gut I hv ne't used them in probably 25 years. And i just am not sure of raw bones and not going to take a chance.

Oh, I do cook chicken thighs and necks for Honey's stew, but the bones are mush by the time it cooks for 24 hours.


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## golden_eclipse (Apr 1, 2011)

Is raw beef marrow bones what most people give their dogs (and freeze it), like this Hannaford | More | Beef Marrow Bones ? (so far I have been sticking with nylabones but is not very satisfying for sammy, and he is a pretty strong chewer).


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

kdowningxc said:


> is raw beef marrow bones what most people give their dogs (and freeze it), like this hannaford | more | beef marrow bones ? (so far i have been sticking with nylabones but is not very satisfying for sammy, and he is a pretty strong chewer).


 yes, but get the long ones, not the short ones.


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## doglover20 (Jan 31, 2012)

I think it all depends on the type of dog bones. My dog loves antlers for dogs that I get online from this place, I always get elk antlers because they are the hardest and last really long. I ran it by my vet first and she said they were perfectly safe dog treats. My dog loves them, you just have to be careful you throw them out when they get down to a size they can smile. I always try and buy really large sized ones. I have a larger dog. There is also deer antlers which we tried but they seem to just fall apart.


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## golden_eclipse (Apr 1, 2011)

So I went out and got some of those marrow bones, now is it safe to give it to him while its not frozen? What is the reason for freezing the bone? (is it less messy that way?)


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

If it is Winter, I gate the dogs in the kitchen, put fleece bedding down and give the marrow bones. If they are the long marrow bones, I take about half the marrow out...otherwise, one of six will get diarrhea. My dogs like to chew, but they are not voracious chewers like a lab might be... Doggie dentists do not like marrow bones as it can cause slab fractures of the shearing teeth.


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## puppydogs (Dec 6, 2010)

Ljilly28 said:


> I never gave my dogs bones until years of reading that experienced people on the forum do. Now, mine get frozen marrow bones from Whole Foods once a month for sparkly teeth. They love it, and we've had no problems. I'm grateful that none of my four resource guard, and they will happily lay around and chew.


Howdy - I was considering this. Which kind do you ask for from Whole Foods? Is it messy? Thanks!


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## SeaMonster (Jul 4, 2011)

Breathing air is pretty unsafe for both dogs and humans.....considering all the pollution


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

kdowningxc said:


> So I went out and got some of those marrow bones, now is it safe to give it to him while its not frozen? What is the reason for freezing the bone? (is it less messy that way?)


My favorite method is to scoop out much of the marrow, and then freeze. Freezing just makes it last longer, so it isn't mandatory.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

As I said above, we always gave our dogs all bones from our meals. Then I did stat to give only the round steak bone, but stopped that when my Irirsh Setter got it caught over his two lower canine teeth, not once but twice. No more bones of any kind since tht time.

Yes, Seamonster, breathing bad air i bad for dogs. I smoked for 28 years, and had my last cigarette June 30, 1999----BECUASE WHEN I SAW THE COLOR MY WALLS WERE UNDER HANGING PICTURES (WHITE) COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WALL I DECIDED I DID NOT WANT MY DOGS BREAHTING THAT AIR IN THIS HOUSE.


Something we can't chang risky to our dogs, but I also believe we do what we cant to protect them to the best of our ability and beliefs, be it give them raw bones or not, give them ProHeart6 injections or stick with the monthly pill, let them out in the yard off leash on a quiet street.

I can tell you this. Many dogs were killed by ProHeart6 several years ago including Hunter, my boy in the Avatar. Those of that lost or almost dogs swear against it. Many how had no problem also swear againmst ti. Others who had no problme swear by it. Thousdands and thousdands of dogs had it with no efeect, BUT ACCORDING TO THE FDA there more reported reactions and deths due to ProHeart6 in 4 years than reported for ALL OTHERS combined, some having been on the market 20 years. My dogs had to have heartworm protetion, no way around it. But after that one fatal mistake, I stuck with the the "lesser of two eveils, so to speak. I went with the one deemed the least dangerous. 

So I feel everyone should stick their their beliefs and I do the same. I know my Honey could die of cancer next month, or even from a punctured stomach from a stick she chewed on without me knowing it. But I know for dead certain she will not die from splintered bone, she will not have cracked teeth from chewing on bone.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

goldensrbest said:


> yes, but get the long ones, not the short ones.


Good advice. I once gave Daisy a donut-ring marrow bone, like what you're describing here, and she got it stuck around her lower jaw. That was a midnight trip to the E-vet, and a couple of hundred dollars. Expensive bone.

I just throw down an old sheet in the living room when I give Daisy a marrow bone. She gets so excited when the sheet comes out  I'm sure after 11 years of aggressive chewing, she's got some teeth damage, and perhaps the one tooth extraction she needed a year ago was a result of chewing on bones .... but she's 11, she's alive, and she's happy  Truthfully, I'm far more afraid of cancer.


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## wabmorgan (May 6, 2008)

Well.... Jean-luc had a slab-off tooth fracture from chewing on a bone.... that was the end of bones. 

I have never given any to Jean-luc,Jr.


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

kdowningxc said:


> Is raw beef marrow bones what most people give their dogs (and freeze it), like this Hannaford | More | Beef Marrow Bones ? (so far I have been sticking with nylabones but is not very satisfying for sammy, and he is a pretty strong chewer).


 I shop at Hannafords and the butcher keeps frozen long marrow bones in the freezer. When he see's me coming(every Saturday), he gets them for me. Sometime's they are in a single wrapper or sometimes two in a package. Maggie gets a fresh one every Saturday. Maggie is a resourse guarder, unfortunately. However, after having the initial couple of hours with her bone, is more willing to leave it for awhile...


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I don't feed bones to my boys.


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## LusciousLeah (Feb 23, 2012)

Sterling Archer said:


> This just in people....water is unsafe for your dogs. Do not allow your dog to consume or frolic in water.


This is just so sarcastically funny!:

So far, I started feeding my little boy with raw frozen shoulder lamb with bone. Not large bone just a long bone. Is that safe enough? Just this morning I gave him one and he ate the whole thing. I was a bit worried though but till now he seemed alright.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

LusciousLeah said:


> This is just so sarcastically funny!:
> 
> So far, I started feeding my little boy with raw frozen shoulder lamb with bone. Not large bone just a long bone. Is that safe enough? Just this morning I gave him one and he ate the whole thing. I was a bit worried though but till now he seemed alright.


When our dogs get marrow bones, I decrease the amount of their regular food. The marrow is very rich, and by decreasing the amount of their regular meals we avoid diarrhea.
They love the bones, and they are great for cleaning the teeth. Usually they work hard at extracting the marrow and leave the bones.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Doggie dentists do not like bones as they can cause slab fractures of the shearing teeth(especially the upper fourth premolar). I have seen that a lot in labs who are very strong chewers. My guys do get marrow bones, however....


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Sally's Mom said:


> Doggie dentists do not like bones as they can cause slab fractures of the shearing teeth(especially the upper fourth premolar). I have seen that a lot in labs who are very strong chewers. My guys do get marrow bones, however....


 
Our Goldens are fine, it is our Pointers who are extremely "strong chewers", so we don't give them their bones frozen.


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## WLR (May 11, 2008)

Sterling Archer said:


> This just in people....water is unsafe for your dogs. Do not allow your dog to consume or frolic in water.


================================================
What's next? Air?


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## LusciousLeah (Feb 23, 2012)

Pointgold said:


> When our dogs get marrow bones, I decrease the amount of their regular food. The marrow is very rich, and by decreasing the amount of their regular meals we avoid diarrhea.
> They love the bones, and they are great for cleaning the teeth. Usually they work hard at extracting the marrow and leave the bones.


My little boy is rather dumb in trying to retreive the marrow from the bones :doh: . I've to dig it out for him:yuck:.

BTW is steam food good for dogs? Most evening now I'll steam chicken meat, lean pork, pig tongue, liver and beef cube mixed with veges, carrots, mashed peas, or radish or pumpkins and top it with an a 1000mg slamon pill for him. I'm not really that keen on feeding my boy completely raw unless the meat is frozen (as I've mention before in another thread I was worried my boy will get salmonella as my country raw chicken is uh..uh..not that trustworthy. I only give my boy forzen raw shoulder lamb once in a while and raw mince beef with raw egg.


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## goldhaven (Sep 3, 2009)

I see the article is on the FDA website. Well, that makes it valid. NOT. Isn't this the same FDA that is still saying that there is nothing wrong with chicken jerky treats that have already killed over 600 dogs. 
Enough said. I will continue to feed my dogs bones and not feed them chicken jerky treats.


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