Health & wellness
Good nutrition is central to your dog’s health and wellbeing, and bones are a topic that sparks a lot of questions from dog owners. Can dogs eat bones? Are they good for their teeth? Do the benefits outweigh the risks?
The short answer is that the RSPCA doesn’t recommend feeding bones to your dog. Bones, whether raw or cooked, can break teeth, cause internal blockages, and carry bacteria that can make your dog, and the people around them, unwell. Here’s what you need to know as a pet parent, including safer ways to support your dog’s dental health and wellbeing.
Table of contents
- Why the RSPCA doesn’t recommend feeding bones to dogs
- Do dogs need bones in their diet?
- Raw bones versus cooked bones
- What to consider if you decide to give your dog a bone
- Safer alternatives to bones
- How pet insurance can help support you and your pup
Why the RSPCA doesn’t recommend feeding bones to dogs
While bones are sometimes thought of as a treat for dogs, they can pose serious health risks, which is why the RSPCA doesn’t recommend feeding them to dogs.
Both raw and cooked bones can cause serious problems, including:
- Broken teeth
- Choking
- Internal injuries
- Intestinal blockages
Raw bones can also carry bacteria that may make dogs and people sick if they’re not handled carefully.
Today’s commercial dog diets are formulated to provide complete and balanced nutrition, so your dog doesn’t need bones to stay healthy. If you’re unsure what diet is best for your dog, your vet is the best person to ask.
Do dogs need bones in their diet?
In short: no. Dogs have evolved significantly from their wolf ancestors, including developing the ability to digest starch and fat, and now live longer, healthier lives than ever before. Given the range of quality, nutritionally balanced commercial diets available, bones aren’t needed to provide complete nutrition or keep your dog healthy.
Bones also aren’t essential for dental health. While many people believe chewing bones helps clean a dog’s teeth, the risks associated with feeding bones outweigh any potential dental benefits.
Raw bones versus cooked bones
If there’s one rule every dog owner should know, it’s this: never feed your dog cooked bones.
Cooking changes the structure of bones, making them brittle and much more likely to splinter. Those sharp splinters can become lodged in your dog’s mouth, throat or digestive tract, causing painful injuries and potentially life-threatening complications.
Raw bones don’t splinter as easily, but they’re not risk-free either. They can still break teeth, cause intestinal blockages, and expose dogs and their owners to harmful bacteria.
What to consider if you decide to give your dog a bone
If you choose to give your dog a bone despite the risks, consider the following precautions:
- Never feed your dog cooked bones.
- Only offer raw, human-grade bones.
- Introduce bones gradually and always supervise your dog while they’re chewing.
- Choose a bone that’s too large for your dog to swallow whole or fit completely inside their mouth.
- Avoid pre-packaged meat and bone products containing preservatives such as sulphite, which can destroy thiamine (vitamin B1), an essential nutrient for dogs.
- Speak with your vet before offering bones to make sure they’re appropriate for your dog’s age, size, and health.
Please note:
While these precautions may help reduce the risks, there’s no completely safe way to feed bones to dogs. Bones can still cause broken teeth, internal blockages and other serious health problems.
Risks and warning signs to watch out for
If your dog has eaten a bone, it’s important to watch for signs that they may be unwell or injured, including:
- Choking or difficulty swallowing
- Gagging or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Constipation or straining
- Blood in the stool
- A swollen or painful abdomen
- Any other unusual changes in your dog’s behaviour
If you notice any of these signs, contact your vet as soon as possible. When it comes to intestinal blockages or internal injuries, early treatment can make a big difference.
Safer alternatives to bones
Chewing is a normal behaviour for dogs, and there are safer alternatives to bones that can help satisfy this need while also supporting their dental health.
Dental chews can help reduce plaque and tartar while giving your dog something satisfying to chew on. Choosing a product approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) can help give you confidence that it has been independently assessed for safety and effectiveness.
Your vet can also recommend chew toys and dental products that are appropriate for your dog.
How pet insurance can help support you and your pup
Even when bones and other risky items are kept well out of reach, accidents can still happen. Dogs may swallow bone fragments, develop intestinal obstructions, or experience other ingestion-related injuries that require urgent vet treatment.
And these unexpected emergencies can lead to significant vet bills. With RSPCA Pet Insurance, you can manage these costs with confidence, while also supporting the RSPCA’s vital animal welfare work across Australia.
To learn more about how RSPCA Pet Insurance could support you and your pet, click here. Or, if you’re ready to take the next step, you can fetch a commitment-free pet insurance quote online.
Disclaimer
As with any insurance, terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Please read the Product Disclosure Statement to make sure this cover suits your needs.
References
[1] RSPCA Australia. What should I feed my dog? RSPCA Knowledgebase. Available from: https://kb.rspca.org.au/categories/companion-animals/dogs/caring-for-my-dog/what-should-i-feed-my-dog
[2] RSPCA Australia. What should I feed my puppy? RSPCA Knowledgebase. Available from: https://kb.rspca.org.au/categories/companion-animals/dogs/puppies/what-should-i-feed-my-puppy
[3] Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC). Accepted Products. Veterinary Oral Health Council. Available from: https://vohc.org/accepted-products/
FAQs
No, the RSPCA doesn’t recommend feeding bones to dogs. Whether they’re raw or cooked, bones can break teeth and cause choking or internal blockages. Raw bones can also carry bacteria that may make both your dog and the people handling them unwell.
The good news is that dogs don’t need bones to stay healthy. A quality, nutritionally balanced diet provides everything most dogs need to thrive.
There’s no completely safe way to feed your dog a bone. If you decide to offer your dog a bone despite the risks, it should always be raw (never cooked), large enough that your dog can’t swallow it whole, and introduced gradually. Always supervise your dog while they’re chewing and avoid pre-packaged meat and bone products containing preservatives such as sulphite, which can destroy thiamine (vitamin B1), an essential nutrient for dogs.
No. Modern dogs thrive on a quality, nutritionally complete diet, so bones aren’t necessary to meet their nutritional needs.
If you choose to feed your dog bones despite the risks they should always be raw and introduced gradually. The RSPCA recommends dental chews as a safer alternative if you’d like to provide your dog with a longer-lasting chewing activity that may also support their dental health. The Veterinary Oral Health Council lists dental products that meet standards for safety and effectively reduce plaque and tartar.
Cooked bones should never be fed to dogs. Cooking makes bones brittle, which means they’re much more likely to splinter when chewed. Those splinters can cause serious injuries to your dog’s mouth, throat, and digestive tract, and may lead to intestinal blockages or other life-threatening complications.
This applies to all cooked bones, regardless of their source.
Dogs are naturally curious, and sometimes that curiosity leads them to eat things they shouldn’t. If your dog suffers an accidental injury after eating a bone or another foreign object, treatment can quickly become expensive.
RSPCA Pet Insurance can help cover eligible vet costs for accidental injuries, so you can focus on getting your dog the care they need. And with every policy contributing to vital RSPCA animal welfare initiatives, it’s protection with purpose. For your own pup, and thousands of others across Australia.
As with any insurance, terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Please read the Product Disclosure Statement to make sure this cover suits your needs.
