Bones can interfere with a dog’s bowel function.
Nutrition is one of the most important things in a dog’s life, not only for humans. Probably everyone remembers from childhood pictures of a puppy with a bone in its teeth. But does everyone know what dogs really need bones for?
Many dog breeders believe that dogs need to be given bones as a way of making up for their teeth. But is this true?
According to dog experts, only rodents sharpen their teeth because they grow them throughout their lives. Dogs do not need to sharpen their teeth. On the contrary, by gnawing on bones, they can wear down their teeth or break them off, damaging their enamel.
Puppies’ milk teeth grow into permanent teeth within 3.5 to 6.5 months, which last for life. How long they remain healthy and intact depends not only on heredity but also on diet. If you give your pet bones, a 6 to 8 year old dog will have small “roots” instead of teeth.
Broad-shouldered dog breeds (pit bulls, Rottweilers, etc.) lovers believe that the bones help develop the dog’s chewing muscles. However, the dog’s heredity and general physical condition must be taken into account. So, if you want your dog to chew on something, it is better to buy him a special chew toy or a smoked pig’s ear. If you like gory images, you can give your pet a calf bone with raw meat. The dog will eat the meat without chewing the bone.
However, chewing on the bone poses a high risk of damaging the dog’s stomach and intestines.
Veterinarians remind us that eating a lot of bones can cause diarrhoea or constipation in dogs. The cause is impaired bowel function. Often dogs ingest sharp bone splinters which can cause serious illness:
The bone can get stuck in the throat. It can only be removed under anaesthesia and sometimes surgery is needed. However, such cases are rare.
The bone does not pass from the abdomen into the intestines. Only surgery can cure the dog.
Kaulas gets stuck in the intestine, causing intestinal blockages (a damaged organ that leads to severe changes in the gastrointestinal tract).
This is the most dangerous disease when feeding bones to a dog. It can only be cured surgically. A fairly complex operation is performed – intestinal resection. After the operation, the dog has to be put on a strict diet and, unfortunately, it will not return to normal life very soon.
The bone fragments are lodged in the large intestine, where they become compressed and the dog cannot empty its intestines normally. The pet snorts and blood drops appear. In such cases, an enema with fat should be used. After that, a strict diet for a few days is required.
Here is a short story that will help dog lovers to look at their diet differently.
A woman kept two dogs of different breeds. They were fat, although they had no obesity-related diseases. It was just that the owner of the dogs was not feeding them well. She did not give them dry dog food, but fed them a variety of treats. Finally the vets managed to persuade her to try a special dog food.
However, after a month on this diet, the dogs still remained fat. Yes, the owner used to give dry food in the mornings, but out of pity for the dogs, she also fed them all sorts of delicacies: fatty salads, chicken in mayonnaise sauce etc. And this is often the case.
For some reason, people think that a dog will only be happy in life if it is fed 24 hours a day. But a dog is, after all, a full-fledged member of your family. It needs attention, love, care and companionship, and you can’t replace that with food.A dog will not be healthy if you feed it twice a day with junk food.
Pet shops are full of different brands of food for different breeds, years and lifestyles, e.g. Eagle, Eukanuba, Pro Plan, Royal Canin, Pedigree Advance Formula etc.
Not only dry food but also regular food. This can include:
Beef, mutton, horse meat.
Chicken (heat treated only).
Groats (buckwheat, rice, oats, corn, wheat).rs.
Dogs should also not be fed on compound feed for pigs, cows and poultry. This is not the same as dry dog food! Dairy products must be included in their diet: cottage cheese, whole milk, acidophilus milk, etc. Fruit and vegetables can be given, but only in small portions. It is written all over the place that dogs should not be given chocolate and other sweets, but owners do not understand this – “After all, a small bite won’t hurt”, they say. But sweets are a strict no! The same goes for smoked sausages, tenderloins, etc. Diseases of the stomach, intestines, liver, overweight, eczema and dermatitis are all causes of poor nutrition.