Feeding a dog cooked bones versus raw bones is an important choice that can significantly impact the health and safety of a pet. Here’s a detailed comparison to help you make an informed decision.
1) Nutritional Benefits
• Raw bones are rich in nutrients including proteins, fats, minerals (such as calcium and phosphorous), and vitamins which are essential for a dog’s health.
• Chewing on raw bones can help stimulate saliva enzymes, which assists in preventing plaque buildup and maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
• Cooking bones diminishes their nutritional value. Important enzymes and nutrients can be destroyed by high temperatures, leaving the bones less beneficial.
• The process of cooking can also leach out fat and soluble proteins, reducing the overall dietary benefit that dogs can gain from them.
2) Safety Concerns
• Choking or intestinal blockage can occur if a dog swallows large pieces of bone, whether cooked or raw. It is crucial to choose bones that are appropriate for a dog’s size and to supervise their chewing.
• There is a risk of bacterial contamination with raw bones, such as salmonella and E. coli, which can affect both pets and humans handling these bones. Proper handling and hygiene can mitigate this risk.
• Large chunks of raw bone can pose a risk of obstruction to the esophagus or bowel. However, the acidity of the stomach juices tends to decalcify and denature the bone causing it break down more readily.
• Cooked bones are prone to splintering. When chewed, they can break into sharp pieces that may cause choking or serious damage to the dog’s mouth, throat, or intestines. These splinters can lead to severe conditions such as punctures or obstructions in the digestive tract, which might require emergency veterinary care.
3) Behavioral Aspects
• Chewing on raw bones can be a fulfilling activity for dogs, helping to relieve boredom and reducing the likelihood of developing destructive behaviors.
• It satisfies a dog’s natural instinct to chew and can contribute to mental stimulation and stress reduction.
• Cooked bones tend to more readily break apart (and splinter), offering little chew time and therefore minimal mental engagement.
4) Best Practices
• Always supervise your dog when they are chewing on bones.
• Select raw bones that are large enough to prevent swallowing whole but not so hard as to risk damaging teeth.
• Keep raw bones refrigerated until use and discard any leftovers safely after a single chewing session to avoid spoilage.
• Avoid cooked bones altogether due to the high risk of injury.
• It is also important to carefully dispose of cooked bones so that the local pet and wildlife population can not easily access them by toppling over a garbage can or finding them in a park discarded by careless picnickers.
