Can Chew-Bones Be Harmful or Even Fatal to Dogs?

Dog dental chews are beneficial for our dogs in terms of health benefits that they can derive from it. They provide relaxation and amusement from their day to day activities and from emotional stresses that they might have. It keeps them preoccupied so as not to be a nuisance in our own activities. It provides some exercise and activity for their mouth and it helps strengthen their gums, too. It helps clean their teeth in hard-to-reach areas. So why do some experts warn us about some possible or potential danger that these chews could pose in our dogs? Let us take a look if these chews could really kill.

Let us first examine the common material in which it is made up of. Most producers of these dental chews use either compressed vegetable protein or animal rawhide. They in themselves are harmless so what is its possible health disadvantage?

There is a possibility that your dog may swallow bigger pieces of these chews than they could handle. This causes intestinal blockage. Intestinal blockage occurs because these bigger pieces could not be digested by your dog's stomach and they become stuck in your dog's intestines. When this happens, the blood flowing to his intestines gets blocked out from entering into it. Hence, the intestinal cells die out of starvation from oxygen and nutrients. The intestines will then begin to rot thus leading to your dog's death.

The symptoms of an intestinal blockage include abdominal pains, diarrhea, vomiting or regurgitating food, and refusal to eat. If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, bring him to his veterinarian immediately. Blockages require surgery because dogs cannot clear them up by themselves.

Some of the ways in which you can avoid intestinal blockage from happening to your dog is by replacing them when it has already been torn into smaller pieces by your dog and by keeping a close eye when your dog is chewing them. If it so happens that you cannot do so, then it would be wiser to refrain from giving them the treat.

Dog chews are healthy but they can also get our dogs into some serious trouble. Owners may not agree into the total removal of the dog treat since it s useful for cleaning their teeth and it provides some preoccupation for them. It gives them something to be busy with during those idle hours. But the possibility of your dog dying from the chew is also there so being responsible owners of dogs, we should be mindful of the safety of our dogs and remove any possible chance of them getting into trouble.

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