RAW (not cooked) rabbit bones are safe for canine consumption. There are dangers associated with consuming raw bone, including rabbit bones. The most common dangers associated with bones are broken teeth and suffocation from swallowing a bone piece. Keep an eye on your dog while they gnaw on a bone.
There’s a lot of confusion about which bones are safe for canines to eat because of the conflicting advice online. Rabbit bones are a great illustration of this.
Can I Feed My Dog Rabbit Bones?
For the most part, yes, raw rabbit bones are just as safe as any other raw bone to give to a dog.
However, the issue of whether or not bones are safe for dogs remains contentious.
Some people think it’s fine for dogs to eat bones because they evolved eating meat. Some people believe that feeding your dog rabbit bones is beneficial, while others argue that the risks are too great.
We’ll discuss the risks associated with allowing your dog to chew on things like rabbit bones, as well as some ways to mitigate those risks if you do decide to give your dog access to bones.
Dangers of Feeding Bones to Dogs
It’s true that dogs can digest bones without issue, but there are still some risks they face when doing so.
Chipped Teeth
Dogs can chip or crack their teeth if they chew on hard objects like bones.
This causes the dog a great deal of discomfort and will likely lead to high veterinary costs.
Common dental problem-causing bones include:
- raw bones
- beef femurs and other femurs from large animals
These bones are typically more dense, requiring more effort from the dog as it attempts to break them apart.
Bone Shards Lodged in Mouth
A splinter from a bone could become stuck in your dog’s throat or mouth if you give it to them.
It’s painful for the dog, and you risk being bitten if you try to remove it.
Symptoms of a bone fragment lodged in the oral cavity include:
- jaw action
- crying
- Scratching One’s Face
- drooling
In case you do, have your dog’s mouth examined. Bone fragments tend to get stuck in the following places:
- lingual palate
- below the gums
- Between the cheek and gum, along the gum line
Remove it with ease if at all possible. Make sure you don’t risk getting it stuck in the pharynx by forcing it further in.
Choking
One obvious risk of giving a dog a bone is that it could become a choking hazard.
Especially true if:
- The dog can’t eat that bone.
- fragments of bone too small for the dog’s consumption result from the bone’s breaking.
- As the bone cooks, it can sometimes splinter instead of break cleanly.
If your dog exhibits the following symptoms, he or she may be choking:
- It seems he is having trouble breathing or is coughing constantly.
- blueness of his gums
- He can’t utter a peep.
- Frenziedly, he paws at his face.
Do the canine Heimlich maneuver and contact an emergency vet immediately if your dog is choking on a bone.
Intestinal Blockage
A bone piece can become stuck anywhere in the body, not just the mouth and throat.
It is possible for bone fragments to travel all the way to the intestine, where they can become lodged and cause a blockage.
It is possible for bone fragments to cause fatal perforations in the intestinal wall.
As a result, your dog will be in a lot of pain and may even die. The cost of veterinary care for you alone is bound to be quite substantial.
Blocked Stomach
A bone that doesn’t pass through the digestive system completely may cause an obstruction in the stomach.
Stomach blockage symptoms include:
- lethargy
- Diarrhea or vomiting
- dehydration
- decreased hunger
If you think your dog has a blockage in his stomach, you should take him to the vet immediately.
Food Poisoning
In general, feeding your dog raw bones rather than cooked bones is a good idea.
However, a dog runs the risk of getting sick from eating raw food, especially if it contains animal products.
- Salmonella
- Listeriosis
- Cases of Campylobacter Infection
The symptoms of these diseases can vary widely, but they all share the following hallmarks:
- fever
- lethargy
- diarrhea
- vomiting
Since dogs evolved from wolves, some argue that it’s perfectly safe to feed them raw meat. The truth, however, is that domesticated dogs have lost some of their natural resistance to harmful bacteria in their diets because they have become accustomed to eating less raw food as they have adapted to human society.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, is a painful condition that develops when a dog consumes an excessive amount of fat.
Consuming large amounts of bones, especially those rich in marrow, can cause pancreatitis due to their high fat content.
How Can I Safely Feed My Dog Bones?
There are some significant drawbacks to giving your dog bones, as we’ve already discussed, but bones also have some significant benefits.
The following are some precautions you can take to keep your dog safe while he or she is enjoying the taste of bones (including rabbit bones).
Supervise the Dog At All Times
The only surefire way to keep your dog safe while he’s chewing on a bone is to keep an eye on him the entire time.
Whenever the bone shows signs of splintering or shrinks below an acceptable size, it can be removed.
If he starts to choke, loses a tooth, or gets a bone shard stuck in his mouth, you can quickly intervene.
Choose the Right Size Bone
All bones will eventually wear down from the dog chewing on them, but injuries can be kept to a minimum by selecting the appropriate size bone.
Increasing the risk of choking, giving a large breed a small bone. On the other hand, a small dog is more likely to suffer dental damage if you give it a large bone to chew on.
Choose the Right Type of Bone
Likewise, the type of bone matters.
Bones used to support an animal’s weight are much more dense than other bones, posing a greater dental risk due to their difficulty in chewing.
Favorite dog bones include:
- chicken
- turkey
- rabbit
- mutton or beef (no load-bearing bones allowed).
Never Feed Cooked Bones
Dogs can safely gnaw on raw bones, but they should never eat cooked ones. Bones can be used for one of two purposes after cooking:
- increased risk of choking, obstruction, and bone fragments becoming lodged in the mouth because the bone splinters rather than breaks cleanly
- increase the likelihood of tooth breakage by making the bones too hard and dense.
Alternatives to Bones for Dogs
If you’re still hesitant to give your dog bone, there are other options that will still satisfy his natural urge to chew while keeping him occupied.
Alternatives that are worth considering are:
- Nylabones are durable chew toys made from a tough nylon plastic.
- Durable and multipurpose, Kongs can be played with as a fetch toy or a puzzle.
- Carrots, yes, carrots — they’re cheap, nutritious, and dogs go crazy for them.
Rabbit Bones Are Safe – Just Be Cautious
Feeding your dog a rabbit bone is entirely up to you. But if you do, take extra care to shield him from harm.