Dogs love to chew, and this is very natural. If you don’t give them anything to chew, they may even end up chewing anything they find before them Reusable vs disposable dog pee pads. Chewing is an instinctive activity for dogs; they should, therefore, be provided with bones to chew. However, some of these dog bones are dangerous, while some are great for their health. But how can one be sure about their safety? This can be done by reading through this article. Below are some Pros of dog chewing on animal bones:
Nutritional benefits
Animal bones are a great source of both calcium and phosphorous. They can find phosphorus from the meat on the bones, and they can find calcium from the bone. However, they don’t contain carbohydrates, and this comes as a blessing because dogs are also supposed to maintain a healthy weight when chewing bones. When puppies get the right ratio of both calcium and phosphorous, they can develop in the right way.
Mental stimulation
Chewing bones gives psychological benefits to dogs. Therefore, if you present your dog with the right bone, then it can be one of the best chews for your dog.
Nutritious bone marrow
This helps in providing dogs with essential fatty acids, enzymes, fiber, and antioxidants. That is why you will see that several home diets have recommended meaty bones for dogs.
Dental benefits
Chewing bones provides dogs with an excellent way to exercise their teeth as well as gums. This means that it will not be easier for tartar to build in their teeth; hence, you will not need to have frequent visits to the dentist.
Cons
Chewing bones can crack the dogs’ teeth. You should, therefore, avoid giving your dog frozen bones as this may fracture their teeth. Additionally, when it comes to digestion, there is some difficulty with bones. And this is where the dog’s stomach acid will come in.
Pros of dog chewing on artificial bones
They help in promoting health chewing; in addition to that, they are not likely to cause dental fractures in dogs.They are very durable and can always be reused; you, therefore, don’t have to look for a new one every time your dog needs to chew.
It helps in stimulating the natural behavior of dogs. When dogs move from one place to another, trying to put the bone in position so that they can chew it properly, their natural behavior becomes stimulated. This can also bring a lot of psychological benefits to them.
With artificial bones, you don’t have to worry about your dog being choked. This is because the dogs cannot break then into small pieces.
Cons of dog chewing on artificial bones
Compared to animal bones, they are completely non-digestible; they are therefore very likely to cause intestinal obstruction. Because dogs are likely to struggle and swallow the bones, they may end up swallowing them, and this may come as a health problem to them.
Many dogs would always prefer to chew animal bones. While this may be a cheaper option, it is not always the safest option for dogs, and that’s why most of them don’t like artificial bones.
When it comes to choosing the best bone for your dog, you should first look at what your dog is comfortable with. As we have discussed above, some dogs don’t like artificial bones, so you won’t get your dog an artificial bone when you know he likes animal bones.