Bones for Puppies: Choosing the Best Toy

These are the advantages of giving a bone to your puppy to gnaw and play:

• Dogs enjoy the taste of bones.
• Playing with bones calms puppies down and releases them from stress.
• Gnawing on bones keeps a dog's teeth and gums strong and healthy, and it also prevents and removes tartar.
• A bone is a very entertaining toy - a dog can spend hours nibbling on one.
• Biting bones provides calcium and phosphorus, essential for the puppy's growth.

Before starting to give you tips on choosing the best toy for your dog, you must know that you can give your puppy bones provided that they are not cooked; bones for dogs should always be raw, because cooked bones become softer and may splinter your puppy's mouth.

In addition, we recommend you choose bones bigger than the puppy's head in order to prevent them from accidentally swallowing it.

However, you should also assess the disadvantages of giving bones to puppies and keep them in mind before choosing a toy for your dog:

• If you use poor quality bones, poorly refrigerated bones or bones of questionable origin, it can cause a bacteriological disease.
• Bones cannot be digested, so if you give your puppy a small bone and they swallow it, they may have serious trouble expelling it from their body and require veterinary intervention.
• Small and brittle bones can cause injury to the dog's mouth, esophagus, stomach or intestine through perforation or obstruction.

As the owner, you must determine whether or not to give your pet bones, and always think about their welfare and the advice that we have given.

Keep reading to discover the different types of bones for dogs, the advantages and disadvantages they have for puppies and what you should keep in mind.

There are two types of raw bones you can give to your little puppy, and both have advantages and different functions:

• Edible bones: These are hollow or weightless bones, usually from birds, such as the necks of chicken or turkey. These are flexible bones that can be crushed to provide calcium, phosphorus and minerals to your puppy's diet.

• Recreational bones: These are big, sturdy bones, from beef for example, which your pet can gnaw on and be entertained for hours. Big bones stimulate them mentally and although they don't provide calcium, they won't end up in their stomach. If there is some meat on the bone, you'll be helping your puppy clean their teeth.

If you give your puppy a raw bone, you should supervise them at all times and keep a close eye on them This way you can respond quickly to any situation that may endanger your pet. Before giving a bone to your puppy, consider whether it may be a choking hazard or whether it may shatter. In general, pork bones tend to splinter.

It is important to try and maintain general hygiene. For instance, never give your puppy a bone on a dirty floor, put it on a towel instead.

Rawhide bones for your puppy are available in various sizes. This is a totally natural product that softens if swallowed, meaning they do not cause health and safety problems like natural raw bones do.

You can find this type of rawhide bone in different formats, like the one you can see in the picture below or doughnut-shaped, for instance. Ask your local pet store to make sure that it is made with actual rawhide.

You can also find bones for puppies that are made using pig skin. We do not recommend them because they are very indigestible. If your puppy ingests a bone made of pig skin they may suffer from vomiting or diarrhea.

Calcium bones are very good for your puppy. These are natural bones stuffed with a calcium paste which considerably improves their development. Calcium-filled bones are suitable for puppies and also for large adult and senior dogs.

You can find calcium bones in the form of a cane as you can see in the picture, or as knuckles. They last much longer than the previous types of bone, but of course it is essential that you wash them occasionally to prevent the spread of any bacteria that might be on the floor.

Finally, you can find toy bones for puppies. These are totally harmless, impossible to tear apart and swallow, and thus they are a good choice for anyone looking for an toy that will last forever.

You will find toy bones for dogs in pets shops in all colors and sizes, with or without lights, with or without noises, etc. They are a good alternative for people who think their dog is already receiving an adequate diet. Remember to clean your puppy's toy bone regularly to prevent bacteria and dirt from accumulating.

You can also make a homemade bone for your dog from rawhide. Stay with us at AnimalWised to learn how to make a homemade bone for your dog.

If you want to read similar articles to Bones for Puppies: Choosing the Best Toy, we recommend you visit our Dental hygiene category.