No bone is 100% safe for dogs to chew. There are inherent risks with any bone your dog gnaws. Due diligence is required on your part to determine whether or not the risk is worth it.

As a dog mom and avid researcher, I do my damndest to answer your questions regarding feeding your dog bones so you can make the safest choice for your best bud.

Please note that I am not a veterinarian. If you have questions about what bones to feed to your dog, please consult your vet.

Disclaimer: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet’s condition, please make an appointment with your vet.

What Are The Benefits of Giving My Dog Bones?

There are many reasons to give your dog a bone, including:

• To satisfy your dog’s natural desire to chew
  • Your dog chews on bones and not your furniture or shoes
  • It’s fun for them
• Mentally stimulating
• Used as a distraction for separation anxiety
• Dogs who chew are less likely to scratch or lick their paws
• Good for oral health
  • Helps prevent plaque buildup
• Raw bones are a good source of calcium, phosphorous, and other minerals
  • Minerals benefit their digestive system by strengthening the stomach muscles, preventing bloating, contributing to healthy bowel movements, and preventing gland problems

How Can Bones Be UNSAFE For Your Dog?

Bones Can Splinter Or Break

As your dog chews, bones can splinter or break. This could cause internal injury if shards are swallowed.

Bone shards can also cause obstruction in the bowels. Both of these situations result in pain for your pooch and a costly vet bill for you.

Avoid Cooked Bones

Cooked bones can easily break and splinter. This could result in peritonitis which is a bacterial infection caused by punctures in the stomach or intestines.

As well, cooked bones that are too hard can cause damage to your dog’s teeth.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Too much raw chewing can lead to constipation or upset stomach.

Marrow-filled bones are not ideal if your dog follows a low-fat diet.

What Criteria Should You Look For In A Dog Bone?

Questions To Ask Yourself BEFORE You Buy A Dog Bone

There are a few questions you should ask yourself before buying your dog a bone to chew on.

1. 1. What is the enrichment value? Consider if your dog actually getting some kind of mental stimulation from the chew or are they scarfing it down in two seconds like it was never there.
   2. How safe is it for your dog? Is it bigger than their head? Is it cooked? Is it porous?
   3. How is it sourced? Is the bone responsibly or sustainably sourced?
   4. Is it adding to your dog’s overall health? Are all the ingredients natural?
   5. Can I easily break or bend the bone? If yes, so can your dog.
   6. How dense is the bone? The thicker the bone, the harder it is to break down and become a choking hazard. Playing devil’s advocate, a thicker bone can also cause teeth breakage.
   7. How does it feel? Does the bone have a smooth surface or is it rough and jagged? Bones with a smoother surface are less likely to cut your dog’s mouth.
   8. Are there holes in the bone? If you can see a lot of small pores across the outer surface of the bone, it may be a sign of a weak bone making it more likely to fracture when your dog chews on it

What Are Some Tips For Picking Safe Bones For My Dog?

• Use your fingernails to lightly scratch the exterior of the bone
  • If the bone is chalky and has a bit of residue, it may be weak and not safe for your dog, you should avoid it
• Rule of thumb: If your fingernail can’t indent it, the chew is too hard.
• Raw is best:
  • Buy refrigerated or frozen
  • Softer than cooked bones
  • Dogs chew through them and ultimately digest the material they’re eating
  • Contain marrow which has a lot of healthy fats and good nutrition
• Beware of store-bought bones:
  • These are usually processed and differ then bones you get from a butcher
  • Store-bought bones are often smoked or baked, with added preservatives, flavour, or seasoning
  • May present similar dangers as cooked bones
  • In 2017, the FDA received 68 reports of dogs suffering from a variety of conditions related to commercially available bone products including ham bones, pork femur bones, rib bones, and smokey knuckle bones.
    • The dogs in the report suffered from the following:
      • Cuts in the mouth or tonsils
      • GI blockage
      • Choking
      • Vomiting
      • Diarrhea
      • Rectal bleeding
      • Death ( 8 dogs)

What Bones Are Safe For My Dog To Chew?

To be clear, no bone is 100% safe for your dog to chew. Even bones that are considered SAFER come with precautions. As a dog parent, you must decide what works best for your dog depending on their size, age, and chewing style.

Bone picking Criteria:

• bones come from a reputable butcher
• are large enough to be easily grasped
• at least the size of your dog’s head

SAFER Bones For Your Dog To Chew Include:

Raw Meat Bones

Raw bones are considered safer than home-cooked ones because they don’t splinter as easily.

Raw bones like chicken, turkey, lamb, and beef can be safer options for your pet.

They are a good source of minerals and other nutrients.

Keep in mind that all bones have their drawbacks, even raw. Here are a few:

Contain bacteria and can spoil in a couple of days.

Raw bones are messy until your dog has chewed them clean. Make sure to let your dog chew in an area that is easy to clean up.

Too much raw chewing can lead to constipation or tummy aches.

Your dog can break a tooth, cut their gums, or get a bone splinter.

Recreational Dog Bones

These include large femur, and hip bones from bison or beef, filled with marrow.

These bones generally come from your local butcher. They may have meat, cartilage, or soft tissue still attached.

Bones with marrow are high in fat, so make sure to adjust your dog’s diet to compensate.

Marrow-filled bones are not ideal if your dog follows a low-fat diet.

These bones are designed to be chewed by dogs, not eaten.

The best bone for dogs to chew, according to Dr. KarenBecker, DVM, is a large knucklebone from bison, venison, or beef with some cartilage still attached.

How Do You Practice Bone Safety?

As noted, there are risks with allowing your dog to chew bones. These risks can be lessened by following the best practices listed below:

• Supervise your dog as they chew
• If they start breaking off small shards, take the bone away
• Give your dog raw meat bones
• Keep raw bones frozen until you thaw them for your dog to chew
  • Don’t give fully frozen, could crack a tooth
• Take it away 10-15 mins after chewing and put it in the fridge
  • Reduces the likelihood of injury
• Dispose of it after 3-4 days
  • Reduces the likelihood of bacteria
• Refrigerate when not in use
• Throw out old, well-chewed bones 
  • A small bone is a choking hazard
  • A brittle bone could start splintering and wreak havoc on your dog’s insides
• Do not give bones to dogs who have had dental work
  • Chewing may cause tooth breakage
• Do not give a dog on a low-fat diet a marrow-filled bone
  • Marrow is high in fat and can cause weight gain and diarrhea
• Aggressive chewers should not be given bones to chew
  • They could bite it in half and swallow large chunks
• Give a bone after a meal
  • A satiated dog is less likely to chew and swallow a bone quickly
• Give your dog size-appropriate bones
  • A good length is a bone that measures longer than the length of their muzzle
  • Small dogs may be better with a chicken or turkey neck
    • Bones are softer and dogs can chew more easily through them
    • Raw chicken bones are safer, as they won’t splinter like cooked bones
• Don’t feed your dog a bone cut lengthwise
  • It’s more likely to splinter
• Stay informed about the scientific information regarding bone chewing

First-Time Chewers

If it’s your dog’s first time chewing a bone, give it to them in short increments, and make sure you supervise them.

That’s the best way to see if bones are a good choice for your dog.

Keep in mind that bones are not a food supplement but can be dessert for your pooch after their meal!

What Should You NOT Do With Bones?

Do not give your dog the wrong kind of bone.

Absolutely no cooked bones. Dogs who eat cooked bones can suffer from the following:

• Broken teeth
• Mouth or tongue injuries
• Bones stuck in the mouth
• Winpipe, esophagus, or GI blockage
• Constipation
• Rectal bleeding

Do not let your dog chew bones into small pieces.

Do not give your dog a bone if they have stomach problems.

Do not give your dog a bone if they are having a playdate. Most dogs share about as well as toddlers.

Do not give one dog a bone and not the other. Each dog should have their own bone if you have more than one pooch.

Do not give your dog a bone if they have resource-guarding tendencies. You may be in a bad situation when you go to remove it.

Do not leave your dog alone with a bone.

What Types Of Bones Are UNSAFE?

Cooked Bones

Cooked bones are softer than raw ones making them easier to splinter into shards. They can become a choking hazard, and injure your dog’s mouth or intestines.

Pork Or Rib Bones

They are more susceptible to splintering than other types of bones which can lead to choking or injury.

Chicken Bones

Cooked chicken bones can pierce your dog’s esophagus, and damage their chest cavity, lungs, and heart. 

T-Bones

Their shape can cause them to become stuck in your dog’s throat while the other end is down the esophagus or trachea.

This can lead to severe swelling that can block the airway, preventing your dog from breathing.

Small Bones

Any bone that is smaller than your dog’s mouth can result in a choking hazard.

Circular Bones

Circular bones can become lodged in the lower jaw of your dog.

Removal involves sedation and cutting the bone to free your dog’s jaw.

Always check with your vet if you’re unsure about giving your dog a bone.

Are Bones Worth It?

There is definitely a mixed school of thought when it comes to recommending or not recommending bones for dogs. 

Ultimately the choice is yours. It’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons. 

Here’s a little anecdotal story of my experience with giving my dog bones to chew on:

My dog Ollie loves chewing on bones. He has them all over the yard. When we are outside gardening or playing, he will lie down nearby and start chewing on a bone.

It’s his thing. 

I went to a new vet when we moved and was actually surprised when the vet told me that he shouldn’t be chewing bones because it could crack his teeth. While I did consider what she said, I ultimately decided that he can keep chewing his bones. 

He’s not an aggressive chewer and only gnaws on them for something to do, not constantly.

I don’t know what he would do if he couldn’t chew on his bones when we’re hanging out outside.

Just keep in mind that this is my experience and yours may be different. 

Ollie was 7 years old when the vet told me this and he had been chewing bones for about 6 1/2 of those years.

I made the decision to let him have his bones based on his chewing habits and experience.

What Are Some Alternatives To Bones?

Unsure if raw bones are right for your dog? Here are some chewing alternatives for your pooch: 

• Bully sticks
  • Fully digestible, high in protein, promote dental health
  • Great for young, teething puppies because they are tough enough to enjoy without damaging their developing teeth
  • Bully sticks are now mainstream and the quality has gone downhill, and many now contain preservatives and other non-desirable ingredients.
  • Do your research to find high-quality, natural products like the ones from Safety Chew
• Greenies Dental Chews:
  • Approved by the veterinary oral health council
  • 100% digestible chews that satisfy your dog’s urge to chew while supporting their dental health
• Nylabone Dura Chew
  • Tough, durable nylon bone infused with flavour
  • Satisfies your dog’s urge to chew, cleans their teeth, and is virtually indestructible
• Air Dried Single Ingredient Chews
  • Make sure they are responsibly sourced
  • Subscription box from Real Dog
• Lamb Horn by Icelandic
  • Available in different sizes
  • Fully digestible
  • Sustainably sourced
  • Completely natural
  • Good dental cleaner

And here’s a bunch more you can check out:

• Himalayan Yak Chews
• Big Bull Tails
• Beef Cheek Rolls
• Olive Wood
• Coffee Tree Root Wood
• Dogwood Calming Bone
• Heather Root Chews
• Gorilla Chews
• Beef Collagen Sticks
• Earth Animal No Hide Chews
• Beef Tendons
• Pork Chomps
• Frozen Carrots
• Kongs
• Playology Bone
• Lickmats
• Benebones
• Groughnuts Dog Toy

Some food for thought from Dr. Becker:

“I believe that hard plastic or nylon chews, sterilized bones, cow hooves and antlers are too hard to be safe for most dogs. Rule of paw: don’t buy any chew toy that you wouldn’t want to be whacked in the knee with. Instead, I recommend buying chew toys that have some flexibility or ‘give’ to them, even for large, powerful dogs….It’s better to replace chew toys more frequently than it is to have to spend hundreds of dollars to have your veterinarian repair or remove a broken tooth.”

What Next?

Head to your local butchers and get your pooch a raw bone, just make sure it’s bigger than their head. Or, if raw bones are not a good fit for your pooch, try one of the many dog chew alternatives to help satisfy your dog’s gnawing instincts.

With summer just around the corner, check out these awesome frozen dog treat recipes to cool down your pooch!

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