5 Practical Tips for Feeding Your Dog Bones

And: Treat Safety, Too

When you think dogs, you think bones; the two go hand in hand. As food and product safety has come into the limelight, though, herds of nay-sayers are throwing bones out in fear of their dog’s health.

Why exactly are they restricting their dogs of bones? The issue doesn’t lie with the bones themselves. Instead, it all relies on the amount of attention and care given on your end.

If you want to keep providing your dog with wonderful tools that clean their teeth, prevent gum disease, provide essential minerals and nutrients, offer mental stimulation, and generally just placate your happy pup, safe dog bones are a must on your shopping list.

1. Avoid Cheap, Chemically Processed Bones

The number one most important thing you can do to ensure dog bone safety is to choose the right kind!

Time and time again, dog owners worry about:

• Bone splinters

• Unsafe preparation and handling

• Imported products

• Bone chunks breaking off

• Aggressive chewers

These concerns and more are well warranted. You should be cautious about what kind of bones and treats are given to your dog.

The thing is, there’s a world of difference between feeding a chemically processed rawhide bone to your dog, and providing it with an all natural bone that’s been given a food safety stamp of approval.

We adamantly only provide our own dogs with the bones we’ve slow roasted for 33 hours. Why? Because companies that pump out millions of poorly made bones day in and out typically blast their products at high temps to speed up the process, in turn causing them to splinter and break apart while your dog chews.

You also have to make sure your dog doesn’t come into contact with anything imported from countries like China, where food, bone, and treat quality is all but an afterthought, providing your dog with a potential world of hurt.

2. Monitor Bone Deterioration

If you’ve provided your pup with an all natural bone, it will deteriorate over time - there’s no way around that.

This is a common concern for a lot of dog parents, and we completely understand why.

Instead of withholding bones altogether, though, simply monitor their progression, and your dog will be able to enjoy all the benefits that come with chewing.

There’s a vast difference between letting your dog chew on a bone for 2-4 days versus leaving the bone out until it’s gone. Choose the former to ensure safe and happy chewing.

3. Know Your Breed’s Chewing Habits

Put simply, some dogs chew a lot more than others.

Your pit bull or labrador retriever’s instinct to chew will probably drastically outweigh your yorkshire terrier’s, plain and simple.

You can, however, realize your breed’s chewing strength early on in order to plan ahead.

If you know your german shepherd goes through bones within hours, only allow them to chew for closely monitored, short amounts of time. Let them chew their bone for 15 minutes after meals to help loosen food from between their teeth, for example, then take it away and save it for next time.

4. Choose The Right Size Bone

When you browse through bones and treats for your dog, you’ll notice a pretty wide variation in size. Sometimes it’s funny to watch your tiny chihuahua handle a bone bigger than its own body, but it’s certainly not the safest practice.

The same holds true for big dogs and small bones; the two don’t mix well.

Feeding your dog an appropriately sized bone is vital to keeping them safe. A small dog chewing on an oversized bone can cause dental damage. A big dog chewing on a bone that’s too small will speed up the deterioration process and possibly lead to them swallowing it whole.

Choose bones and treats that correlate with your dog’s size. A good rule of thumb is, the bone should be larger than your dog’s muzzle, which will keep them from swallowing it whole.

5. Avoid Chicken Bones At All Cost

Poultry bones from animals like chicken or turkey should never be fed to your dog.

These bones are brittle and break apart incredibly easily. They’re hollow and soft, which means there’s a huge potential for splintering, which can easily lead to choking and even internal damage.

Not only that, they’re also quite small, which increases the chance your dog can swallow them whole.

Always play it safe, no matter how closely you monitor, and never feed your dog these types of bones.

What About Treats?

Most people focus on bone safety and forget about pet treat safety altogether.

Treats are another important part of your dog’s life, though, and choosing safe pet treats is of the utmost importance.

What Are The Risks?

Just like bones, we’ll never feed our dogs anything other than natural treats, and we strongly suggest you do the same. Treats processed with chemicals, dyes, and other harmful ingredients just don’t correlate to a healthy dog.

On the other hand, dog treats made from 100% natural ingredients can be an excellent addition to your dog’s daily routine - for dental health, mental stimulation, and rewards for good behavior. Your dog should be getting treats in their diet, but make sure they’re products like beef liver or even beef jerky.

Treat breakdown is another aspect to be conscious about. If you give your dog something like a bully stick, for example, know what to expect from your dog’s chewing patterns. Will they automatically attempt to plow through the entire treat in seconds (possibly swallowing too big a piece at once)? If so, why not opt for treats like liver bites that might be better suited for your aggressive chewer?

Conclusion

There’s no need to avoid bones and treats altogether; in fact, it would be against your dog’s best interest to do so.

Instead, follow these tips to ensure your dog’s safety. Their health is your number one priority, and it’s ours, too.

Know the signs to watch out for, and plan accordingly when choosing the right bones and treats. Your dog will thank you!

Our Promise

All of Safe Bones Company dog bones and dog treats are 100% Natural and Made in the U.S.A. at our facilities in the beautiful state of Nebraska. 

You’ll never need to be concerned with low quality imported products, or overly processed dog bones, jerky, or other treats. Shop now and treat your dog to something special.