A slice of nice pork cut makes a sumptuous meal, whether these fried pork chops, smoked barbecue ribs, or roast pork. And it’s common to have leftover pork bones after eating.
Unsurprisingly, your dog approaches you and asks for their fair share of what you ate. In this case, Pork Bones!
But can dogs eat Pork Bones?
It depends if they’re cooked or raw.
Dogs shouldn’t eat cooked Pork Bones because they easily splinter inside the stomach and cause severe problems like severe indigestion and internal bleeding. However, dogs can eat raw Pork Bones because they aren’t brittle and won’t easily crack.
In this article, we’ll give an in-depth discussion on the effects and differences between raw Pork Bones and cooked Pork Bones. We’ll also show you the advantages and disadvantages dogs can get from eating Pork Bones.
Are Pork Bones Nutritious?
Yes, Pork Bones are nutritious because they are a rich source of protein and calcium. These nutrients are essential for developing your dog’s muscles and bones. However, a 4-ounce serving contains 160 calories, which is a bit high, especially since a dog’s recommended daily calorie intake is just around 400 to 500 calories.
Should You Give Raw Or Cooked Pork Bones To Your Dog?
You shouldn’t give cooked Pork Bones to your dog because they can easily splinter inside the stomach when consumed.
Splintered bones will create sharp edges and dangerous fragments that can damage their intestinal lining and cause serious health problems.
It might be satisfying to see your dog happy after giving them a leftover pork ribs barbecue. But it’s not worth the risk because your dog can get seriously ill after.
Meanwhile, raw Pork Bones are safer for dogs because they contain more nutrients and don’t easily shatter when chewed. Just make sure that the raw Pork Bones are thoroughly cleaned and washed to get rid of bacteria.
Are Pork Bones Safe For Dogs?
Pork Bones are safe for dogs as long as they aren’t cooked. Raw Pork Bones are essential to your dog’s dental health because they are better at cleaning your dog’s teeth than dog biscuits and toothpaste.
Pork Bones are also high in protein, essential for developing your dog’s muscles. Pork Bones also don’t contain too much fat. So, you don’t need to worry about your dog suffering from obesity if they regularly eat raw Pork Bones.
Many dog owners also shifted their dogs’ meals into the BARF diet, which stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, because of the many health benefits, including higher energy levels, leaner build, and improved skin and coat.
Dogs eating raw Pork Bones also have less smelly feces because natural bones don’t have added artificial ingredients.
Can Pork Bones Poison Dogs?
No, Pork Bones cannot poison dogs because they don’t contain harmful and toxic ingredients. However, dogs can choke and suffocate if they swallow a huge cooked Pork Bone.
Cooked Pork Bones can also shatter when chewed, creating fragments with sharp edges that can damage their intestinal lining. This can result in internal bleeding, severe indigestion, and even death.
Why Shouldn’t Dogs Eat Cooked Pork Bones?
Splintered Bones
Cooked Pork Bones can easily splinter in your dog’s mouth while chewing. They can also crack and splinter after being swallowed.
Splintered Pork Bones feature fragments with sharp edges that can perforate their intestine and damage surrounding organs as the bones are being digested, which can cause internal bleeding.
Symptoms of stuck bones in the intestine are vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and loss of appetite. This is very dangerous for dogs because invasive surgery is sometimes required to remove stuck bones.
Bowel Obstruction
Cooked Pork Bones can obstruct your dog’s gut, especially if they’re large and elongated. These are hard to digest inside the stomach, which can cause extreme salivation, coughing, difficulty breathing, and stomach pain.
There are some cases when cooked Pork Bones make it to the stomach. Unfortunately, this doesn’t guarantee that the bones will be fully digested. The digestive action of your dog’s stomach isn’t enough to dissolve the swallowed bone.
Blood Flow Restriction
Obstruction inside your dog’s gut can restrict blood flow to their organs. This can lead to severe indigestion, vomiting, and extreme stomach pain.
The symptoms of intestinal blockage are diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain. A veterinarian might require surgery to remove the stuck bones from your dog’s stomach manually.
Dental Problems
Raw Pork Bones are healthy for your dog’s teeth because they remove cavities and plaque buildup when chewed. However, it’s different for cooked Pork Bones because they can break because of their brittle texture.
Dogs can break a tooth due to chewing on cooked Pork Bones. Your dog will need dental extraction involving anesthesia to remove their fractured tooth. You surely don’t want your dog to go through any of these, right? If so, then avoid giving them cooked Pork Bones.
What Pork Bones Are Safe For Dogs?
Raw Pork Bones
Raw Pork Bones are best for dogs because they can be safely chewed and swallowed. They don’t easily crack and splinter, so there won’t be any fragments with sharp edges that can damage their internal organs.
Raw Pork Bones are also rich in calcium, strengthening your dog’s bones. These can also help clean your dog’s teeth and remove stuck food particles.
Recreational Pork Bones
Recreational Pork Bones are larger than regular Pork Bones. These are safe because they can’t be completely swallowed in whole.
The purpose of recreational Pork Bones is to provide entertainment and exercise for your dog because they’ll spend lots of energy trying to nibble down on the large hard bone.
These can also help improve your dog’s oral health because the hard surface texture of the bones can remove cavities and plaque buildup.
Flat Bones
Flat Pork Bones are highly recommended because they’re softer and have lower chances of getting stuck. These also have less bone marrow, making your dog’s stools loose and wet. Examples of Flat Bones are ribs, spine, pelvis, and shoulders.
What To Do If Dogs Eat Pork Bones?
Observe Your Dog
The first thing to do if your dog ate lots of cooked Pork Bones is to observe them. Don’t panic because this will aggravate your dog and make them more distressed.
Look for signs of distress like coughing, pawing, and gagging. Don’t try to remove food from your dog’s mouth because this can just push the bones deeper into their throat.
Clean Up
You should clean up bits of bones or spilled trash around the area where your dog ate the cooked Pork Bones.
This is important, especially if you have other pets in the house because they might eat up the leftover bones and suffer the same fate as your dog. Your dog might also continue looking for bones around the house, so make sure you’ve cleaned the entire place.
Don’t Force Vomiting
Never force your dog to vomit because this can just worsen the situation. Forcing a dog to vomit the bones they ate will just aggravate the situation because the bones can get stuck on the way up to their throat.
You surely don’t want your dog to get in more trouble when they’re already in deep trouble!
Contact A Vet
The best thing to do if your dog ate cooked Pork Bones, the best thing to do is to contact a veterinarian immediately. Ask them for professional advice on what you should do to your dog. Your vet might ask you to monitor their behavior to see if there are problems.
You can also bring your dog to the veterinarian to ensure utmost safety. The vet can personally inspect your dog and analyze its situation.
What Are The Best Alternatives To Pork Bones?
Chew toys with pork flavor are the best alternatives to Pork Bones. These are specially formulated to hold up even after long chewing sessions.
Chew toys can also crumble into small edible pieces, perfectly safe for dogs to eat. Even some chew toys have pork, chicken, and beef flavors that will make them more enticing for dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Pork Bones Clean Your Dog’s Teeth?
Yes, raw Pork Bones can clean your dog’s teeth because they have a hard surface that rubs on your dog’s teeth while chewing. These remove cavities, plaque buildup, and stuck food particles.
Meanwhile, cooked Pork Bones won’t clean your dog’s teeth because they contain flavors that will just stain their mouth.
Does Pork Bone Contain Fats?
Yes, Pork Bones contain fats stuck on their side area. But they don’t pose any real threat to your dog because they’re minimal. The fats will serve as additional flavor to make the raw Pork Bone tastier.
Are Pork Bones A Good Mineral Supplement For Your Dog?
No, Pork Bones don’t have many minerals aside and nutrients because these are mostly found on the meat and not on the bones. Nonetheless, Pork Bones are a great source of calcium and protein, essential to strengthening your dog’s bones and muscles.
So, Can Dogs Eat Pork Bones?
Yes, dogs can eat Pork Bones as long as they are raw. Raw Pork Bones are rich in calcium and protein, which help strengthen your dog’s bones. They can also clean your dog’s teeth and improve their oral health.
Dogs shouldn’t eat cooked Pork Bones because they can easily crack and splinter inside their mouth, throat, or intestinal tract.
Splintered Pork Bones create sharp-edged fragments which can cause severe indigestion problems and internal bleeding, which can only be solved via surgery.