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Dog Bones

Dog chewing bone.

Have you ever wondered why dogs like to keep bones in their mouth all of the time? Well, apart from them having no pockets to carry their bones in, they have an innate instinct to chew and grind their teeth. It stems back to their wolf ancestors; having sharp teeth and a sharp mind allows them to be ready at any given moment. When they don't have a bone, you may have noticed your furry friend chewing on household objects or other types of food. But, apart from their primal instinct, there are other reasons dogs like bones.

10 Best Dog Bones in 2024

Products Information Price
Bones & Chews Roasted Marrow Bone Dog Treat.
Roasted Marrow Bone
Lifestage: Adult
Breed size: Medium breeds, large breeds, giant breeds
Food form: Treats
Special diet: N/A
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Bones & Chews Roasted Marrow Bone 3
Bones & Chews
Lifestage: Adult
Breed size: Small breeds
Food form: Treats
Special diet: N/A
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Bones & Chews Beef Foreshank Bone Dog Treat.
Dog Treat
Lifestage: Adult
Breed size: Large breeds, giant breeds
Food form: Treats
Special diet: N/A
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Bundle: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula.
Bundle
Breed size: Large breed
Comes with: 30 lb-bag of Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Senior Dry Dog Food (Chicken & Brown Rice) and a 6" Bones & Chews Made in USA Roasted Marrow Bone Dog Treat
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Smokehouse USA 6
Rib Bone
Lifestage: Adult
Breed size: Small breeds, medium breeds, large breeds, all breeds
Food form: Treats
Special diet: N/A
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Smokehouse USA Meaty Mammoth Femur Bone Dog Treat.
Smokehouse USA
Lifestage: Adult
Breed size: Small breeds, medium breeds, large breeds, all breeds
Food form: Treats
Special diet: N/A
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Barkworthies Beef Rib Bone Dog TreatÑŽ
Beef Rib Bone
Lifestage: Adult
Breed size: Small breeds, medium breeds, extra small & toy breeds, giant breeds
Food form: Treats
Special diet: N/A
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Beef Marrow Bone Dog Treats.
Dog Treats
Lifestage: Adult
Breed size: Small breeds, medium breeds, large breeds, all breeds
Food form: Treats
Special diet: N/A
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Smoked Wild Boar Bone Dog Chew.
Bone Dog Chew
Lifestage: Adult
Breed size: Large breeds
Food form: Treats
Special diet: N/A
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Nandi Nguni Beef Marrow Bone Dog Treats.
Nandi Nguni
Weight: 14.1 ounces
Lifestage: Adult
Breed size: Small breeds, medium breeds
Food form: Treats
Special diet: N/A
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Why do dogs like to chew bones?

In addition to their inner desire to chew, dogs also can become bored easily if they've not been paid attention. The chewing movement helps train their mind and also releases endorphins. If you're not familiar with endorphins, these are natural hormones that make you feel good.

Alongside this, there are other benefits to why dogs chew bones. One of which is that it's great for their teeth; when they chew a bone, it removes a lot of plaque and excess tartar. Therefore it helps maintain good teeth hygiene and often goes towards preventing them from having bad breath. Plus, depending on the type of bone you give your pet, they can extract many calcium, minerals, and vitamins out of it, bettering their long-term health.

But, you must get the right type of bone for your dog as it could put itself at risk. If unsupervised or has the wrong bone, your dog could develop stomach problems, break its teeth, gain infections or poke holes in its stomach or intestines. Therefore you must get the right bone for your dog. To help you, we've come up with a list of the best types of dog bones for you to watch out for.

What kind of bones are safe for dogs?

Synthetic vs Raw

We know it can be tempting to finish any chicken you have or any other meat and keep the bones left for your puppers. Likewise, it can be equally tempting to go out shopping and see dog bones for sale in a grocery store. But have you ever wondered which one is safer or better? Well, the answer is, they're both great but for different purposes.

Raw dog bones

As the name suggests, raw dog bones are natural dog bones that have not been cooked. There's a lot of debate in the dog world, which is safer raw or cooked natural dog bones, but most experts tend to indicate raw are. Raw dog bones can contain a lot of leftover dog meat and, as a result, be full of natural, nutritious enzymes. Even though most of the meat on a raw dog bone is gone, these bones contain bone marrow, making your dog go crazy.

Likewise, raw dog bones are strong and sturdy, meaning they're perfect for your dog's teeth. But, if you're giving them a dog bone, make sure it's raw and not cooked! Cooked dog bones can easily break and decrease into splinters, causing your dog an injury.

Synthetic dog bones

If you're looking to give your dog a treat without worrying about any mess, then a synthetic dog bone can help you. These bones are stain free, so you don't have to think about your carpet or furniture. Plus, if your dog is on a diet, these bones contain zero calories, so they won't affect their calorific intake.

Whether it's a natural dog bone or synthetic dog bone you wish to use for your dog, one of the most important points to consider is the size. The most appropriate dog bones are large, larger than their muzzle. This is because your dog will less likely chew it all and eat it, reducing the risk of it going into splinters when it goes in its stomach.

Best Dog Bones.

Types

Beef Bones

Beef bones are fantastic bones for dogs; they're large in size and less likely to fall apart when chewed. They tend to be harder than other types of animal bones and are great to chew on. In particular, beef bones like a beef shank and will help their teeth. The bone marrow in these bones has adiponectin, which reduces the risk of heart attacks in dogs and cancers. It also contributes to their kidney and digestive function, promoting long-lasting health.

Chicken Bones and Turkey Bones

Just because you saw beef above, you may be reading this thinking it's ok to give your dog chicken or turkey bones. The truth is, it's not. Unlike other dog bones, chicken bones can easily break and splinter, in fact they're one of the weakest to eat.

Therefore, it's not safe to give your dog as it could easily splinter the lining of their throat, mouth, and digestive system. If you plan to give your dog chicken bones, then you should give it tips off the chicken wings or neckpieces.

But before you do, make sure you cut them up into small pieces to avoid them causing any harm. The best age to give a dog a chicken bone is when they're a puppy due to their weakness. This is because their teeth are still weak and they won't be too strong for your dog.

Lamb Bones

Coming close to its beef rival, are lamb bones. Lamb bones are fantastic to give as long as they're raw and large in size, they will be a perfect treat for your dog. We say this because they have a density that is similar to those of beef bones. Plus, lamb is rich in Omega 3 and has anti-inflammatory agents.

Out of the other meats and bones out there, lamb is also considered highly hypoallergenic. Similarly if you feed your dog lamb, you should still balance it out with other types of bone too. Generally lamb bones like flaps, tail bones and ribs are the best to give your dog.

More choices available

Never give your dog pork bones

Out of all the different types of meat in the world, pork bones are not recommended to give to dogs. Irrespective of them being cooked or uncooked, these bones are weak and can splinter within seconds once in their mouth. We mean it no pork bones, no matter if its pork ribs, pork chop bones, ham bones, or anything else.

How to safely store and feed your dog their natural dog bone?

Given the information above, it's also essential that you not only feed your dog the right bone but you also correctly store it and sanitize it under the right conditions. This is to help your dogs health and protect yours and your families. To give you an idea, you will need to do the following:

  1. Purchase your natural dog bones fresh from a local butcher.
  2. When not using, freeze any remaining bones as this will kill any left over bacteria.
  3. If cutting the dog bone, make sure you sanitize and wash all your kitchen tools before and after preparation.
  4. After your dog has been chewing for 30-45 minutes, remove the bone. You must never let your dog chew on a bone for too long that has reached room temperature.

Synthetic

If you're looking to get a synthetic bone for your dog, you will most likely want to look for one made from nylon. Alongside this, make sure this is big in size, as the purpose of a synthetic bone is to make your dog feel like it's chewing an actual bone. On the contrary, synthetic dog bones will contain some artificial flavourings, so you will need to read the fine print about what they contain.

Unfortunately, we can't advise the best types of synthetic dog bone out there as it can completely depend on your dog's taste and tolerances. These bones are not expensive either they can cost anything between $2-$20 depending on the type of price you wish to pay.

Rawhide dog bones

We've already mentioned there are natural dog bones and synthetic dog bones, another type to consider is rawhide dog bones. These dog bones are made from dried animal skins and are tough, but then due to your dog's saliva, they become softer over time.

These types of dog bones are commonly made in the United States and tend to be on the pricier side of the dog bone market. However, because they're made in the United States, a lot of the materials have come from slaughterhouses in China. They often have been preserved in brine full of chemicals before they're manufactured into a dog bone. The best type of rawhide bone is to give your dog one which is horsehide or natural beef.

Depending on the manufacturer, your dog may ingest harmful chemicals, and it could be dangerous for them to consume. Due to the taste, some dogs can get excited when consuming these bones and try to swallow large chunks, causing digestion problems.

Dental dog bones

Dogs can often chew bones for boredom but also do so to help their teeth. While there are bones that can help remove plaque and tartar, the best ones for doing this are dental dog bones. These bones help fight your dog's bad breath, help improve their teeth and gum health.

Best Bones for Dogs.

If you wish to give your dog a dental bone, it should not replace their daily brushing sessions; instead, they should complement it.

What to look for when buying a dog bone?

Like any dog product, you must have a list of criteria to know what to look out for. When it comes to buying the best dog bones, you should consider a few things, which are:

  • Long-lasting dog bones: When looking to buy any dog bone, you will want to make sure it's durable. A dog's instinct is to chew for long periods; therefore, you don't want a dog bone that breaks into pieces easily and quickly. Because of this, synthetic dog bones tend to be the best for your dog as they're more durable. On the contrary, if you're looking at a natural dog bone, make sure it's raw and is either beef or lamb to enable the density.
  • Size of the bone: Depending on your dog's size, you will need to get the appropriate bone for its mouth. For instance, if you have a small puppy, you will want a small bone that fits their mouth. Whereas if you have a larger dog, you will want a big bone for its mouth. Never give a bone too small for a dog as it could swallow it and choke on it.
  • Ingredients: Any dog bone you buy, you will want to make sure the ingredients are digestible for your dog, and they're not toxic to consume. Look at the packaging, are the natural ingredients, or are there any preservatives? Look at where the bone has been manufactured, which might give you an idea of what might have been put in the bone.
  • Nutrition: Alongside ingredients, nutrition is also an essential factor. Normally synthetic bones aren't that nutritious, but you will want to get bones full of juicy bone marrow if you're looking at natural ones. This is because these bones contain lots of vitamins, minerals and are all around just great for your dog's teeth.
  • Flavor: When talking about flavor, most of the time, your dog will prefer to chew on a bone that has a meat taste to it. While natural bones are great for this, you can also purchase synthetic bones with a chicken, bacon, or beef flavor. Finally, the meat taste and smell can make them more tempted to chew on the bone itself and less likely on the furniture.

Final Thoughts

If you have a dog, then you must buy it a dog bone at some point in its life. Dogs have an instinct to chew and grind their teeth, stemming back to their wolf ancestors. Chewing bones are great as they can help remove plaque and tartar off their teeth and stop them from chewing your furniture.

In addition to this, some bones are full of nutrients, oils, and vitamins and can be a great addition to your dog's diet. When you're buying dog bones, make sure you read about the ingredients and make sure the bones are not too brittle for your dog. Restrict the times your dog has a bone to itself and only let them have for a maximum of 45 minutes at a time.

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