Is it safe to give your dog a bone?

There's been a lot of debate about whether or not it's safe to feed dogs bones. Here are a few things to consider:

• You want them to chew the bone, not swallow it. So give them big bones as opposed to small bones or pieces of bone.
• Bones that are likely to splinter, like chicken and turkey, are not a good choice.
• Although bones have nutritional value, if you are feeding your dog regular dog food, they do not need bones for health reasons.
• Bones can help keep their teeth clean. I've found that compressed rawhide and Greenies are the best for keeping teeth clean.
• Some dogs, especially when they are puppies, like to chew on things. Giving them bones may save many of your other belongings!

Your dogs don't need bones but many really enjoy them. Select the bones carefully and keep an eye on your dog while they chew on them.

Photo by ¡arturii!.