Hey there, fellow dog lovers! It’s no secret that our furry friends love to chew on bones – just take a quick scroll through social media and you’ll see pups of all shapes and sizes gnawing away. But when it comes to our beloved Dobermans, is it actually safe for them to indulge in this favorite pastime? As a curious canine enthusiast, I decided to dig a little deeper and craft a helpful article to answer this question and more.
So, can Dobermans chew on bones? Well, the answer is a bit complicated. While it’s not always recommended by veterinarians and can sometimes be unsafe, there are certain types of bones that are safer for our pups to chew on. Raw bones, such as lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, and oxtail, are generally considered to be safer than other types of bones like rawhide or cooked bones (like ribs or pork), which can splinter and cause a whole host of health issues for our furry friends.
That being said, the topic of whether or not to provide bones to our Dobermans is a hugely controversial one. While some owners swear by the benefits of bones for their pups, others are hesitant to take the risk. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual owner to weigh the benefits and risks and make an informed decision for their pup.
So, if you’re considering giving your Doberman a bone to chew on, it’s important to be aware of all the potential benefits and risks beforehand. And as always, be sure to consult with your veterinarian if you have any concerns or questions about your pup’s health and safety.
Is it safe for your Doberman to chew on a bone?
Frankly, we can identify both health benefits and risks by giving Dobermans bones to chew on. So, it’s essential to educate yourself on this matter.
Of course, bones have some kind of a risk to your Dobe’s health. Unfortunately, if any problem occurs, that’s due to the owner’s inability to ensure that given bones are safer for the pup.
Mainly, there are two types of bones you can give to your Doberman.
- Recreational.
- Edible.
These recreational bones can give your loving pooch chewing and pleasure. Usually, these edible bones can be used to feed the dog apart from the main diet.
Since edible bones are relatively light due to their hollowness, feeding the Doberman with edible bones won’t affect badly for their health. But, make sure not to overfeed the dog.
Here are two examples for edible bones,
- Turkey necks.
- Chicken quarters.
Here are some examples for recreational bones,
- Knuckle
- Deer, cows, or bison bones. These bones should be non-weight-bearing bones.
- Large pieces of beef.
- Bison bones that have marrow inside.
But, I would like to mention here that usually, veterinarians say not to let dogs chew on bones whatsoever.
This subtitle is gonna be a little longer; because I need to give you every piece of information that I know.
We know that people used to let their dogs chew on bones due to various reasons, including keeping the dog busy, satisfying the dog’s appetite, and many other reasons we will discuss later in this post.
But for now, let’s figure out whether that is safe or not.
| Safer bones to chew | Perhaps okay | Not okay |
|---|---|---|
| Raw lamb bones | Store-bought bones | Pork bones |
| Raw chicken bones | rawhides | Rib bones |
| Raw turkey bones | Any type of cooked bones | |
| Raw beef bones | ||
| Oxtail |
You can get a clear idea from the above table on which bones you should let your Doberman chew on. Here, you don’t wanna worry about safer bones.
Recommended reading: Are Dobermans good for running?
But, let’s consider bones that are perhaps okay to chew on.
So, as seen on the table, above mentioned raw bones are safe for your Doberman. Raw bones mean nothing but not cooked bones. We can see raw meat inside these bones.
But here, we should worry about Store-bought bones and rawhide bones.
Rawhide bones.
Usually, rawhide bones different kinds of bone or also be considered as a dog treat. Most people used to give these bones to their dogs. Do I personally like to share these bones with my Doberman to chew on? Nah, certainty not.
Because if you check out the ingredients of these rawhide bones, perhaps you also won’t prefer. The nature of this product is somewhat similar to leather.
Here are some of the ingredients contains in rawhide.
- Gelatin.
- Artificial sweetener.
- Artificial flavoring
- Dye or food coloring.
So, what do you think?
Store-bought bones.
Oftentimes these store-bought bones are dried. Most producers produce these bones by smoking or baking. In fact, preservatives, as well as flavorings, have been added to these bones.
If someone asks me, “would like to give your Doberman store-bought bones, ” my answer is a big “NO” because I simply don’t like ’em.
Bones that should never give your Doberman to chew on.
Even you decided to give your dog bones that are somewhat okay, NEVER EVER provide the bones mentioned in the table.
So, let’s consider rib and pork bones.
These bones are extremely harmful to your Doberman. It doesn’t matter whether these bones are raw or cooked. It’s always recommended not to feed them.
In fact, rib and pork bones are kind of splinter types. So, these types of bones could be caused to damages or problems in internal organs.
Now let’s consider cooked bones.
It doesn’t matter which bone type. Letting your Doberman chew on cooked bones is way… harmful and can be caused to loads of problems.
In general, cooked bones are softer and tend to splinter quite easily. Here are several problems that can be encountered by feeding your dog cooked bones.
- Possible injuries to throat and mouth.
- Blockage problems.
- Teeth damages.
- Constipation conditions.
Without any drought, you don’t wanna let your pup let these conditions occur. So, if you prepare for a family dinner with nice chicken curry, never ever let your Doberman eat cooked bones. In fact, now you should feel the danger.
Read this to understand whether Dobermans are picky eaters.
The benefits by letting your Doberman to chew on bones?
Even though we discussed the danger of some bones, there are also some very impressive health benefits dogs can get from bones.
It’s really important to ensure the bone type that you gonna give the dog is safer in the first place. In fact, make sure to watch them as they chew on bones while ensuring they aren’t swallowing any small pieces.
Here are several benefits of bones for your dog.
- Provide mental stimulation: We know some dogs tend to chew shoes and be extremely destructive due to lack of mental stimulation and several other issues. So, letting your dog chew on bones can make the dog calm, relax focused. In fact, it’s a good stress reliever while working as a remedy for anxiety.
- Raw bones help clean teeth: By letting your Doberman chew on raw bones, it’s pretty much easy to keep their teeth clean unless you don’t brush their teeth on a regular basis.
- Bones are full of nutrition: In general, raw bones are safer for dogs full of glucose, calcium, and several other essential minerals.
- They like that: Not only Dobermans but also other dogs like to chew on bones. So, it’s something they want…
- Beneficial for gums: Chewing on bones can reduce the chance of gum disease.
- Beneficial for teeth: This behavior can keep the dog’s teeth clean and strong. But, make sure not to provide bones that are too hard for your Doberman.
- Beneficial for the stomach: Chewing on bones also so beneficial for a dog’s stomach muscles while advantageous to the digestive system.
Of course, as you think these all of the advantages are so useful for your dog. So, you might think that I should definitely give my Doberman a bone to chew on.
But, watch out!! You should always take into account all the disadvantages we discussed in the first place.
Rules to feeding your Doberman a bone.
Guys, this is really important! Several essential factors you want to keep in mind to keep this bone chewing experience are much enjoyable, safer, and interesting for your pup.
So, here are they,
- No bones after dental work: For any reason, if your Doberman had any dental work, it’s better to keep the dog away from bones for a specific period of time, depending on the type of dental work. So, you can get an idea about that from the Vet.
- Be aware of pancreatitis conditions.: It’s not recommended to feed bones with marrow if the dog has a pancreatitis condition. Because marrow has a high percentage of fat and that can be caused to several health issues.
- Supervise the dog: When you are away from home, keep the bones away from the dog. That being said, you shouldn’t allow the dog to chew on bones when they are alone.
- The size of the raw bones: t’s always better to keep the raw bones big enough for your dog not to chocked on. So, the suitable length for a bone is its muzzle length, making it impossible for your dog to swallow it.
- After mealtime: If you wanna reduce the chewing time, the easiest method is to allow your Doberman to chew on a bone after the meal.
Suggested Reading: Here the full guide to healthy and unhealthy foods for Dobermans.
Best bones to give your Doberman to chew on.
At first, we have discussed the bones that are safer for dogs. Let’s discuss here the most suitable bones for your Doberman. Here is our best pick.
Nature Gnaws Large Bully Sticks 5 – 6″ Dog Treats (Click the link to check price from Amazon)
We know that Dobermans are extremely active and need something always to engage in. So, letting your Doberman chew on bones perhaps the best solution to keep him busy.
So, This chew comes in many different sizes and shapes. That being said, you can customize this chew based on your requirements.
In fact, this chew will help to calm down some anxious dogs, which means it’s the best choice for your Doberman.
Here are some of the benefits of purchasing this product.
- Since Dobermans are considered medium-large dog breeds, large-sized bully sticks are really suitable without any doubt.
- This product doesn’t have any added hormones, chemicals, or preservatives.
- This chew is highly digestible and your dog will love it as it is extremely delicious.
- The most important part here, though, is every treat is selected by hands inspected before packing.
Things to be aware of.
Now you have an excellent knowledge of whether Dobermans can chew on bones. To be honest, you need to be aware of several other important things in order to become a responsible owner, and those points are much important. So, let’s find out what they are.
The age you should wait before giving bones
Although it has several health benefits from chewing on bones, it’s not necessarily ideal for younger Dobermans.
The recommended age for your Doberman is at least 10 months old prior to allowing them to chew on bones; a proper method to ensure whether your Doberman is ready is by when the dog has all their adult teeth.
What will happen if you give bones to puppies? As we all know, puppies have small, fragile teeth that tend to easily damage by chewing on bones.
Besides the fact mentioned above, we know that puppies aren’t mature both physically and mentally. So, that can make them choke bones extremely hazardous way as they don’t have proper control over it.
In fact, chewing on something is suitable for dogs during their teething period. But, it doesn’t mean that bones are suitable for that job! To do that, softer chew toys are always recommended.
Never ever give even smoked bones.
Same as cooked bones, smoked bones are more likely to splinter or break while chewing on them. So, as we discussed above, splinter bones can damage a dog’s stomach and mouth while causing many other health problems.
The frequency you should give a bone.
It’s always better to provide one or two bones every week, and it’s appropriate if you can keep 2-3 days of gaps between each serving time.
Conclusion
Letting Dobermans chew on bones is kind of a controversial topic among most canine owners. Because it comes with several benefits and drawbacks. Because of that, I decided to create a comprehensive guide that covers everything related to this topic. I hope you found this helpful. Have a nice day!
