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This question came up at work today as I was saving rib bones from the lunch the boss bought us for Xmas at work. My (son's) 11 year old dog loves chewing on bones and he'll be in leftover rib bone heaven the next couple of days.

Apparently among all the dog owners at work I was the only one who gives their dog bones. The common opinion seemed to be "my dog would choke on it." To me it seems like eating bones is something dogs were created/evolved to do.

Am I missing something here?

I've never heard of a dog choking on a bone?

The only bones we try not to give our dog are chicken bones since they are smaller and more like to be swallowed or get stuck in the throat. I've also heard something about chicken bones being more likely to splinter than beef or pork.

Never give a dog *Cooked* bones- they are liable to splinter and get stuck in the dog's throat.

*Uncooked* bones of almost any kind are fair game. Just be sure it's not a size that an eager hound can choke on it.

PS- there is a diet where dogs are fed nothing but bones and meat. Its supposed to be based on their natural diet & the dogs LOVE it. Expensive and time-consuming for the owner, though.

We give our dog beef and pork bones. I've heard warnings about feeding dogs bird bones, because they're hollow and can splinter. Here's another, (http://dogtime.com/dog-bones-safety-wolf-faq.html) warning against raw bones, thus implying cooked bones are okay.

thus implying cooked bones are okay.

Ack. Again, please do NOT give your dog cooked bones. They can splinter.

Links:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=242
http://www.dogster.com/dog-food/cooked-bones-for-dogs

Nah, I eat them myself :D

(OK, I'm just kidding, but I couldn't resist :o)

We have friends who gave their dog a bone. It chewed it up very quickly. It didn't choke but it did get horrible diarrhea. :p

Our elderly female cat really likes chicken bones: give her a few with bits of meat and gristle, and next time you see them they're stripped clean, all the gristle hubs gone, sometimes cracked in two. It seems a good workout for her teeth and jaws; she's never had an adverse reaction.

I would exercise caution, as something like this killed my boss cat Spencer.

I brought home sausage links left for two minutes. Spencer inhaled one and choked to death. :cry

At the very least, supervise just in case.

You can find loads of information on the internet about serving cats raw food, though most of it is written by crazy cat ladies.

Here's a very thorough recipe: http://www.catnutrition.org/recipes.php
Simpler ones essentially call for grinding birds and rabbits whole, minus beaks, feathers, and fur. Ground bone and organ meats are necessary for minerals and vitamins.

As the old axiom goes, "You can cut the flesh, but you must crush the bone." That applies whether you're making cat food, or selecting a melee weapon to use against the undead.

My cat loves minced turkey, pepperoni, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and mushrooms. I'd prefer to put my table scraps in his bowl instead of straight into the garbage, but he's generally too finicky to touch them, unless they're something he's familiar with.

Strangely, buying human food for a cat is FAR cheaper than the good brands of cat food (the ones that aren't >50% cereal grains). Raw poultry goes for about $0.60/lb, versus the $2-3/lb that I'm paying for kibble. Too bad grinding and canning isn't more convenient.

Never give a dog *Cooked* bones- they are liable to splinter and get stuck in the dog's throat.

*Uncooked* bones of almost any kind are fair game. Just be sure it's not a size that an eager hound can choke on it.

PS- there is a diet where dogs are fed nothing but bones and meat. Its supposed to be based on their natural diet & the dogs LOVE it. Expensive and time-consuming for the owner, though.

I've heard that about chicken bones, but not so much about beef and pork bones--and I've fed hundreds (thousands?) of those to dogs.

BTW: People who think dogs' natural diet is purely carnivorous haven't spent enough time wandering in the wild with dogs. For example, our dog eats raspberries that he picks himself and he's always looking for some tasty greens to chew on.

No chance of Bear getting choked on bones they are gone before he even knows they are there. He eats pork, beef, and chicken bones. If we cooked up a ham or T bone and didn't give him the bone he's probably dis own us. We had a cook out last fall for about 25-30 freinds from the church and he had T bones for a couple weeks afterward. We just wrapped them up in a plastic bag and refrigerated them and would give him one every day or two.

at one time i fed my dog a raw diet. we fed them turkey necks, chicken parts and innards and they had no trouble with the bones. however, they were not cooked. that makes the difference.

at one time i had a dog that we had given a steak bone get it jammed crosswise between his top teeth. that was scary to try and get out.