Dogs can be seen eating bones in the movies all the time. But can dogs eat oxtail bones? Yes, of course they can eat eat oxtail bones! It’s a nice treat for your canine but there’s always risks involved. Oxtail bones are safe for dogs so you don’t have to worry about your beloved pet.
When giving oxtail bones to your dog, make sure that they can chew it. They should be used to eating bones. Most of the time, the uncooked bone is best for dogs. Raw bones are also known as soft bones. It means that it’s easy for dogs to chew on them.
Health Benefits of Oxtail Bones to Dogs
Giving oxtail bones to your dog can be good or bad when it comes to their dental health. Chewing bones in general can get rid of the dental calculus. It can also improve their dental health by doing this. Oxtail bones provide a lot of advantages for your canine.
1. Smaller and Firmer Stool
If you want your dog not to have watery stool, give oxtail bones to prevent it. Add some oxtail bones to their diet. You will see some noticeable changes when your dog poops after chewing and eating oxtail bones. When the dog’s stool is not watery, it means that your canine is healthy.
2. Shiny and Healthy Coat
Make sure to keep your eye on your dog’s diet. Giving oxtail bones can make their coat healthier and shinier than usual. Offer it as a treat so that your dog will look great. It’s also a sign of good health in dogs and other animals that have coats or fur.
3. Healthy Gums and Clean Teeth
When your dog chews oxtail bones, it will help to clean its teeth. This treat also promotes healthy gums. It will avoid bad breath and make the gums stronger. Dogs like to chew on oxtail bones and it’s also known to make their teeth and gums healthier.
How to Feed Oxtail Bones to Dogs
The nutritional value of oxtail bones can be beneficial to dogs. Although it will depend on how you prepare them. Cooked oxtail bones are not recommended to feed to dogs. The reason for this is because it can split when the dog bites it. This can result in an unbalanced diet and choking as well.
Dogs should be given raw oxtail bones so they can have a balanced diet. It will also improve their immune system to avoid getting sick. This can also reduce allergies on canines. However, your dog may have diarrhea if you give it regularly. Although it’s not poisonous, it contains a lot of nutrients.
The best thing to do is feed your dog 1 to 2 packets of oxtail bones. Don’t worry, it will not cause your pet to get fat as long as you keep its diet balanced. Oxtail bones are safe since they also supply the dog’s needed nutrition.
Keep in mind that oxtail bones will not make your dog overweight. It is because of the high nutrients it poses as well as strengthening their immune system. Oxtail bones will be better if it’s raw when feeding it to your dog.
Which is Better, Raw or Cooked Oxtail Bone
Some experts are still arguing if raw or cooked oxtail bones are better. Feeding raw meat to your dog is fine as long it’s free from salmonella and other bacteria. Experienced dog lovers learned that raw meat or raw bones are better for their canines. It’s safer and your dog can take advantage of the nutrients.
However, there are some experts that are still arguing if the cooked meat and bones a6rw safe for dogs. They recommend cooking to get rid of pathogens and other bacteria. Raw meat may have a negative impact on your dog’s digestive tract. Although some dog owners say otherwise.
When it comes to the nutritionist’s side, they said that cooking bones can make it dry. It will cause the bones to break that result in splintering. When this happens, it can harm the canine’s internal organs. Cooking the bone can also make it harder to chew.
For the raw feeders, they believe that raw oxtail has all the nutrients it has to offer. It’s the purest and original state. They said that it can provide better health benefits for canines. Although it still depends on the dog’s size and strength to chew either raw or cooked bones.
Why Would You Want to Avoid Giving Cooked Oxtail Bones to Dogs?
Giving your dog cooked oxtail bones can have a positive or negative impact. Some dogs may be fine chewing on cooked bones. Others may encounter some safety and health problems. There are dog owners who prefer giving the bones to their pets raw, while others prefer to cook them first.
1. They’re a Choking Hazard
Cooked oxtail bones can be a choking hazard. It’s because the bones can become dry and cause it to break or split. There’s a chance that it may be sharp and pierce the dog’s throat. It will cause your pet to choke especially if you have a small dog.
2. Cause Intestinal Blockage
If your dog swallows a bone that is too big to digest, it will cause intestinal blockage. Oxtail bones have different sizes that can be too huge for a small pup. It will end up blocking the intestine and indigestion or even worse things can happen.
3. Tooth and Gum Damage
Dogs like to chew bones but it can cause tooth and gum damage. If you feed oxtail bones to a small dog, it needs to extend its jaw. That may cause discomfort and if its teeth are weaker than the bone, it will not end well. Sometimes, sharp bones may even puncture the gums and cause bleeding.
4. Bacterial Infection
Some dog parents prefer to give their pet raw oxtail bones. It might lead to bacterial infection since raw food may carry Salmonella. Cooking the oxtail bones can kill some pathogens. However, many dog owners still prefer to give raw bones to their canines.
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