Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellie May  As somebody said on Yahoo Answers who lost her dog to the BARF diet (I know it's just one person's story, but it's the same as a pro raw feeders story), break one of these bones in half and see what you get. It's sharp edges and doesn't look too pleasant. She did everything right too and yes, they were raw bones. It happens with any chew, but when something is that sharp, it is a concern....And I think I recall Ellie's nutritionist saying that there are a lot of reports of obstructions, etc. but this is not news in the vet world b/c it is common. |
Yes, choking can happen with raw meaty bones. The primary culprit is a raw meaty bone that is too small for the dog (such as single chicken wings or necks). To prevent this from occurring, most feed big raw meaty bones. Additionally, dogs that have been eating commercial food must learn how to chew. They do not chew their kibble but typically "inhale" and gulp the food down; they try to do this with their first raw meaty bone and quickly learn that they need to CHEW their food. So choking can and does occasionally happen. However, think of all the other things that dogs choke on: kibble, pieces of rawhide, rocks, sticks, water, raquet balls, tennis balls, broken-off pieces of synthetic chew bones, pieces of toys. People tell you your dog will choke to death on raw bones, but they conveniently neglect to mention all the other things dogs choke on, including kibble and home-cooked food(ever hear your pet scarf its food and then suddenly give a nice big 'HORK'? Your pet just choked. Good thing they managed to cough it up; other dogs have not been so lucky.). Heck, dogs will choke on their own spit!! The truth of it is that any object the dog places into its mouth presents a choking hazard. I personally have heard of more dogs choking on and then dying from tennis balls than I have heard of raw-fed animals choking on their raw meaty bones (let alone dying from them!).
I suppose that obstruction/preforation could happen and have happened to dogs eating raw bones. However, as one
JAVMA article put it: "the actual incidence of complications resulting from the ingestion of raw bones is unknown".
People are claiming that this happens all the time without ever providing evidence for these claims. Raw bones generally are broken down chemically in the stomach and are soft and squishy (so it does not seem like they can do much perforating, then IMO). There are a ton of other things that will cause perforated intestines and obstructions much more so than raw dog bones including: cooked bones, chewed up tennis balls, sticks, strings, rawhides, etc.