Do you have a turkey, a dog, and a trash can? Then you have the potential for a “bone-bandit.”
Will the bones hurt your dog? Vets and experienced pet owners disagree among themselves, so below we offer both the good and bad of allowing Fido to gnaw on a bone.
Rule #1
Always supervise your pet with a bone. Don’t just toss it outside and let him chew on it for an hour. After 15-20 minutes, take the bone away.
Rule #2
An uncooked bone is a better bone. Any poultry bone becomes brittle when cooked. When chewing on it, the bone can snap, splinter, and the pieces may puncture your dogs insides! So raw poultry or beef bones are ok but never feed raw pork bones (due to bacteria).
Rule #3
Be prepared for upchuck. Yes, consuming too much greasy meat and/or bones may cause the stomach to empty out later.
The Good news about bones:
1. They are a natural source of calcium and phosphorus
2. Chewing stimulates the jaw and prevents boredom
3. Bones can help keep teeth clean
The Bad news about bones:
1. Weight barring bones from large animals are too hard and can break teeth, cause enamel damage, puncture gums
2. Cooked bones are brittle and splinter. Splinters can perforate the intestines “Any sharp point on a bone can scrape and cut your dog’s gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus down to the rectum, causing damage on its way in or out”.
3. Bones can quickly acquire bacteria and make your pet vomit or have diarrhea. They should be thrown out after one day, and in the summer they should be thrown out within the hour.
Owners know their dogs eating habits, so it’s really a matter of personal preference as to whether he can be trusted with a bone! Larger dogs tend to gobble it down whole, but if you have a chewer, he may do just fine. If he tends to get into the garbage, make sure to take all the scraps and carcass right out to the garbage can. Many a dog-bandit has made off with Thanksgiving scraps, bones and all!
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