Can Dogs Have Steak Bones? 2024 Guide

Dog adores bones, agreed! That’s why most people feel that after smashing a well-prepared steak, the next is to send the remnant their dog’s way.

Alright, I get it. But as a dog owner, you have to watch what you feed your dog. This also concerns bones.

Some dog bones aren’t good for your dog. They can cause more harm than good. Now here’s the question.

Can dogs have steak bones?

I would say yes. If bones are as dangerous as many claims, all dogs would have gone into extinction. Remember, in the wild, dogs consumed everything about their prey; bones, flesh, and even down to the prey’s stomach content. So, T-bones are safe for dogs. But as a general rule, ensure your dog doesn’t eat bones smaller than its muzzle length.

A bone that’s smaller than your dog’s muzzle length will get swallowed easily. Again, don’t give your dog cooked or spiced T-bones or a leftover bone. Raw steak bones will make more sense. Avoid old bones from the butcher, because they may contain E-Coli, salmonella, and other organisms that may cause disease. These microorganisms develop when bones with meat aren’t consumed within a few days.

Why People Think Steak Bones Are Bad For Dogs

As a dog owner, experience sometimes is going to be your best teacher. You can also get knowledge from posts that will help you take proper care of your canine friend, I mean to your satisfaction.

Of course, the argument on dogs and steak bone has been on for quite a while. Most people believe for specific reasons, dogs shouldn’t go near a steak bone. Let’s take a proper look at those reasons.

Many claimed that dogs should steer clear of steak bones because they are dense and hard. It puts the dog’s jaw under extra pressure when trying to crack the bones and this could cause broken and chipped teeth.

But here’s what I understand you can do to help and need to know. When you give your dog a bone, don’t just walk away. Dogs have a voracious appetite for bones and won’t walk away from one easily.

Thus, you need to be there to supervise the dog. And once you observe that the dog is about to get into trouble, then make sure you get the bone off.

Also, don’t let your dog feast on a bone for an extended period. 10 to 15 minutes is enough to sound out the “give me” command to your dog to submit the bone to you (hope you have taught your dog such command? Okay, that’s good!)

Well, my final submission on the matter is that T-bones are bad if you have them cooked before offering them to your dog.

Again, another circumstance under which you shouldn’t administer such bones is when you won’t be there to supervise the dog or it’s bigger than the muzzle length of the dog.

Furthermore, don’t just cut off the meat and give your dog a bare bone. Come on. Your dog deserves better. Add some meat and ensure the dog is served in a neat place, probably a concrete floor, not a sandy one or dirty place.

How Dogs Benefit From Chewing Bones

It’s no longer a secret that dogs can give everything for bones. The love between both is inseparable.

Also, you need to understand that your canine friend is a natural chewer, and nothing would ever change that.

So, how do dogs benefit from the bones they chew on? Firstly, I would like to state that dogs benefit so much from bones.

Well, the first I would like to point out is that dogs obtain essential nutrients from bones. These include protein, calcium phosphorus, and more. They also get some of these nutrients from eating eggshells.

Another benefit bones and chews give to dogs is that they might help to curb the dog’s behavioral challenge.

Remember, dogs are natural chewers. So don’t be surprised or angered when the family coffee table or couch gets chewed up.

But when your dog can access a bone or chew whenever he feels like flexing its dental asset, you won’t have to worry over your furniture or couch getting chewed.

Again, chewing on hard bones provides your dog with enormous dental benefits. It can even save you from spending heavily on your dog’s dental care.

When dogs chew on hard bones or chew bones, it helps to scrape the plagues away from their teeth.

Plagues can cause bad breath and lead to severe dental health problems, in the long run. But when your dog has the chance to gnaw on bones (meaty one), the bone’s action against its teeth would not only help control tartar buildup but force plagues to come off.

Another benefit dogs derive from chewing bones is that it takes away boredom. Dogs get bored like humans and worst in some dog breeds. Most dog breeds can’t stay a day or two without their owner. It drains them emotionally.

So, in a nutshell, don’t stop giving bones to your dog. The dog needs it. If bones weren’t right for dogs, we would have had a single dog living among us today. It would have choked all of them to death. But thank goodness that didn’t happen.

The Dangers Of Real Bones

When you find people preventing their dogs from having anything to do with real bones, don’t blame them.

Real bones have their advantages and disadvantages. They can send your dog to the vet and cause you to spend heavily. I have seen that happen before.

Real bones can cause digestive problems. They tend to be too abrasive and can break or wear down a pup’s teeth. Most raw bones may have been contaminated or contain harmful microbes, which is a threat to your dog’s health.

Raw Bones – Types And Examples

We have said times without number here that raw bones are the real deal for dogs. Now, let’s talk about the types of raw bones out there for your dog.

As a dog owner, knowing the various dog bones can help you decide what kind of bone your dog should have.

So, the two types of raw bones are;

1. Edible raw bones
2. Recreational raw bones

Here’s what the edible raw bones mean. These are the hollow and lightweight bones found in birds. They consist of chicken, turkey necks, and chicken wings.

What are the characteristics of edible bones that make them a wise choice for dogs? 

Edible bones tend to be pliable and soft, but they don’t have bone marrow. You can also crush them in your meat grinder and add them to your dog’s meal. That’s how tender they can be.

What are the benefits of edible raw bones to dogs? 

The benefit is the nutrients dogs derive from them. These bones are rich in phosphorus, and calcium, in addition to the fact that you can have them crushed without breaking a sweat.

They also contain a high quantity of trace minerals, and dogs can eat and digest these edible bones. Why? These bones do need an incredibly high acidic condition in the stomach to break down, and that’s what dogs can afford.

Here’s what recreational bones mean. Recreational bones are bigger than edible bones. Examples are beef’s big chunks, hip bones, and bison femur. You can’t crush recreational bones in the grinder, even if you have them cooked. Cooked bones aren’t right for your dog, either.

What are the characteristics of recreational bones that make them a wise choice for dogs? These bones come filled with marrow.

But they don’t provide enormous nutritional benefits to dogs, as the edible raw bones do. However, your dog can still benefit from such bones.

Recreational bones aren’t meant to be swallowed by dogs. The best your dog can do is to gnaw on them. Trying hard to chew such bones can crack their teeth because of the pressure applied.

Thus, when you present such bones to your dog, try to monitor them for a couple of minutes. You should also ensure the bone is bigger than the muzzle length of the dog for safety reasons.

What are the benefits of recreational raw bones to dogs? 

Recreational bones can give your dog some incredible mental stimulation. They improve the oral health of dogs.

Letting your dog have a recreational bone with some meat – particular with some soft tissue and cartilage – is beneficial to your dog.

It gives your dog’s teeth some good brush and floss, thus reducing its chances of developing gum disease or tartar buildup. That’s a good one, right? It sure is.

How Dogs Can Have Steak Bones Without Challenges

This concerns all bones, not just T-bones. The first impression I would like to create is that your dog can have steak bones, and a host of others, without damaging its health. But that can only happen if you adhere to the following tips.

• Avoid giving your dog cooked steak bones. No matter the temptation, avoid them. Boiling bones, whether it has some flesh or not, soften and makes them bristle. Thus, it can splinter into shreds in the dog’s mouth and stuck in the dog’s gum, or damage its digestive system.

NOTE – Shard of bones can create a lot of problems for you and your dog, so avoid cooking bones for your dog. Examples of these problems include tongue and mouth lacerations, diarrhea, broken teeth, intestinal blockage, serious cut in the dog’s mouth, severe constipation, choking, and vomiting.

• Avoid spiced bones. Never let your dog eat such. Some spices are toxic to dogs and could cause severe health problems for your canine friend.
• Give your dog some raw bones. It’s the right thing to do. Raw bones still have all their nutrients intact, unlike cooked ones. However, not all raw bones are ideal for your dog.

So, raw bones are good for dogs, but there are certain types of raw bones your dog shouldn’t have. Check them out below. 

#1: Rib bones. 

Under no circumstance should your dog be given a rib bone. Rib bone of any kind is dangerous to your dog. Why? It is small in size and can easily crack and get stuck in your pup’s throat or stomach.

#2: Pork bones.

Pork bones crack and splinter easily. So, they are not suitable for your dog, as they can shatter inside the dog. Also, you should not feed your dog raw pork. That’s because they contain parasites that may cause severe harm to the dog.

NOTE – If you must give your dog pork meat, have it cooked before you do so. Cooking will help to take care of the parasites that the pork is harboring. Of course, that’s pretty much better than losing a couple of nutrients, you know.

#3: Smaller bones

Your dog shouldn’t eat real bones or even chew bones that are smaller than its head. They can easily swallow such bones.

The best option is to let larger dog breeds, such as Bloodhounds, German shepherds, and even Mastiffs, have bigger bones.

Ensure the bone is larger than your dog’s muzzle length. That way, he can’t swallow the bone and put himself and your wallet in danger.

An example of a large bone that your more giant dog breed should have is a beef shank bone.

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Conclusion

If you want to know if a dog can have steak bones, yes, bones are highly beneficial to dogs.

But keep in mind that unless you are offering edible raw bones, which are soft and quite small in size, make sure any hard bone your dog is provided, is bigger than the length of its muzzle.

That way, it can’t swallow but gnawed on the bone only, which is great.

You should also remember to avoid giving cooked bones to your dog.