What Bones Shouldn't You Give to a Dog?

While chewing is essential to a dog's overall dental health, not to mention provides a pleasant and often soothing distraction for a pup, some types of bones can be dangerous. In particular, any bone you give your dog to chew should be large enough that it doesn't present a choking hazard. Monitor your dog while he gnaws to guard against injury.

  1. Chicken and Fish Bones

    • Chicken bones are small, delicate and sharp; they present a choking hazard for your dog. A dog who ingests chicken bones has the risk of tiny jagged pieces perforating the intestine during digestion. Avoid large chicken bones like drumsticks. Fish bones, small and sharp, can obstruct airways and intestines if ingested. Even if small bones make it through the digestive tract, elimination can be painful.

    Raw Bones

    • While raw bones, particularly hollow bones from some types of poultry, aren't as brittle as cooked bones, there's still evidence that they pose choking, tooth-fracturing and bowel-obstruction risks. According to Healthy Pets' Dr. Kim Becker, nutrients from some types of raw bones can be beneficial to your dog when ground into bone meal.

    Meat Bones

    • According to the FDA, giving a dog a ham hock, a T-bone or a bone from any type of roast is unwise. The bone fragments can break teeth, damage the intestines, cause stomach upset and lead to rectal bleeding due to severe constipation. The FDA recommends carefully disposing of bones leftover from meals to ensure your dogs don̵7;t dig through the trash to get to them.

    Cow Hooves

    • While some pet owners with voracious chewers insist that cow hooves are durable and effective chew toys, these bonelike hooves presents a number of potential dental problems for your dog. The hard nature of cow hooves can break teeth and scratch gums, which can lead to abscesses and infections. Hooves also take a long time to digest, which can lead to stomach upset. And shards can break off, causing tears and obstructions.

    Small Bones

    • Giving a small bone to a large dog can be a recipe for disaster. Large dogs often view small bones as edible treats to be eaten in one bite. This can lead to choking. Even if they're swallowed without problem, they can be difficult to digest. Match the size of the bone you give your dog to the dog himself -- he shouldn't be able to get the whole thing in his mouth. Take away chews once they are reduced to sizes that become choking hazards.

    Old Bones

    • Old bones and chew toys like rawhides that have been sitting around for some time can get infected with bacteria or salmonella and can make your dog ill. If it's been awhile since your dog chewed on a natural bone or toy, or the bone has been outside for an extended period of time, wash it with antibacterial soap and rinse away all residue before returning it to your dog.