Dog Bones

Dog bones serve many purposes. They satisfy the chewing instincts of the animal. In the wild, dogs had to rip and tear meat off of their prey. Your pet may never eat anything other than pellet dog food, but those instincts are still at work. On a related note, dog bones help to keep a dog’s teeth and gums healthy by strengthening the jaws and increasing saliva production. And they can save your furniture and your dog’s neck if you found him chewing on your furniture.

Dog bones are primarily made from rawhide or pure virgin nylon, although you can make homemade bones from whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, seeds, vegetable and linseed oil, molasses, eggs and milk. Rawhide bones, which are made from the inner skin of pork, cow, water buffalo or other cleft-hoofed animal, make a natural and effective chew toy, which dogs can safely consume. Nylon bones, made from, don’t support the growth of bacteria and can be sterilized by boiling, eliminating chances of illness. Rather than biting away chunks, your dog’s canines grind away the nylon.

If you want to give your dog real bones to chew on, choose carefully. The bones of small animals, such as chicken, can tear your dog’s intestines or serve as a choking hazard. Large animals, the cow in particular, are recommended if you choose to give your dog real bones to chew on. Beef dog bones can be bought from your local butcher. The large bones filled with marrow and served raw contain many nutrients for your pet and won’t easily break into shards or small pieces.

Dog bones usually come in meat flavors, chicken and liver being two popular varieties. Natural dog chews such as pig ears and trachea are a popular change, but the dog bone, in whatever form it comes, is still just as popular as it has always been.