If I am giving bones to dogs, does it matter if they are cooked or raw?

Answer by  traumatised (3285)

Yes, it does. Do not give cooked bones to dogs. Cooking a bone dries it out and it is more likely to splinter into sharp little pieces. If ingested, splinters may cause tearing or lodge in your dog's digestive system, requiring a dangerous and expensive surgical/endoscopic procedure to remove them and repair the damage.

Answer by  Jacob (21)

It usually doesn't matter if the bones are cooked or raw. Raw or cooked, the most important thing to make sure of is that the bone is large enough and hard enough that the dog can only gnaw on it. Eating large shards of bone can cause intestinal problems.

Answer by  lcapurro812 (237)

No this does not matter in the case of a dog. Canines are adapted to chewing raw tissue such as bone, so as long as excessive access to bone chewing is not happening, dogs can chew on raw or cooked bones. In fact, raw bones may be better since their stomach is not adapted to cooked foods.

Answer by  Bonnie (89)

Raw bones are actually best to give to dogs. However, if the bone is already cooked, as in the case of beef rib bones, they can be given to the dog. Cooked chicken and pork bones should never be given to dogs as they tend to splinter too much and can cause severe digestive problems.