We all subconsciously think that dogs like to eat bones, just like cats like to eat fish. It’s very natural and seems reasonable. But who is the source of the fact that dogs like to eat bones? Do dogs really like to eat bones? Today we are going to study.
Is it true that dogs like to eat bones?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an announcement in 2018 warning pet owners to avoid offering bone-based treats directly to dogs.
This year, there were 68 cases of dogs getting sick from eating bone treats.
At the same time, the FDA also recommends that pets pay special attention to chicken bones and turkey bones, which are too hard after processing and can easily scratch the stomach.
dogs like to eat bones
Is there any scientific evidence that dogs like to eat bones?
Since feeding dogs bones is so easy to cause trouble, why do most people still think that dogs like to eat bones?
Everyone knows that dogs are domesticated from wolves, so they retain some of the habits of wild dogs or wolves. Wild dogs or wolves in nature need to hunt their prey by themselves. After hunting the food, they will first eat the meat of the food, and then bring the bones to the cave for gnawing.
On the other hand, some scholars believe that wolves are pack animals, and the wolves with the highest status eat their food first, and then the grass-roots wolves will take their turn after they have eaten. If the prey is too small, there will be little meat left, and the grass-roots wolves will only eat Satisfy your stomach by chewing on flesh and blood.
dogs like to eat bones
Can dogs really eat bones?
Dogs love to eat bones not because of how delicious the bones are, but because the process of gnawing on bones is very happy for dogs. It can not only grind your teeth to pass the time, but also consume a lot of energy.
But dogs eat mainly by swallowing, and the bones of poultry are very sharp after being crushed, and it is easy to scratch the digestive system. Moreover, the calcium in the bones is not as much as we think, and most of it is crude ash. After eating too many bones, the dog’s stool will be calcified, the color of the stool is gray and calcium powder.
Coarse ash is mainly inorganic substances such as mineral oxidation or salt, which have very few nutrients.
Any substance will leave coarse ash after incineration, so coarse ash is also an indicator for detecting the quality of staple food. In the national standard, the crude ash index is set to ≤10%. Beneficial controls the crude ash content of each series of staple grains within the national standard. For details, please refer to the corresponding product batch test report.
dogs like to eat bones
Risks of feeding dogs bones
Try not to feed cooked bones, which are too hard compared to raw bones and face the following risks when eating:
damaged teeth;
Mouth and tongue scratches;
Broken bones are stuck in important locations such as the throat, trachea, and intestines;
The edge of the broken bone can easily scratch the digestive system…
dogs like to eat bones
Precautions for feeding bones to dogs!
You can use air-dried cowhide, fish skin, jerky, etc. to replace molars.
If you can only choose bones, try to use raw bones to grind teeth. Large dogs can use large bones such as cow hip bones to grind their teeth, and small dogs can use processed snack bones.
Usually let them nibble and take them away, and don’t feed them too often.
Please keep the dog chewing on the bones within your sight, and withdraw the bones immediately once you find any abnormality;
Families with multiple dogs should be fed bones alone;
Do not let dogs with dental disease chew bones;
Dogs with pancreatic disease and gastrointestinal disease are also not suitable for chewing bones;
Please feed the bones when you are full, so as not to eat the bones as meals due to hunger.
Finally, try to give your dog as little bone as possible!