Give Your Pup a Treat With the Best Bones for Small Dogs

Now that you’ve seen the best bones for your pooch, why not take some time to peruse our handy buying guide. Here you’ll find lots of information on the benefits of dog bones, as well as everything you should look for before making a purchase.

What Are the Benefits of Giving Your Dog a Bone?

There are many benefits to giving your dog a bone. These include:

Stimulating cognitive development

When you place a bone in front of your dog, it starts working out how best to go about eating it. But, first, they need to figure out how to remove the tender parts of flesh and tendon from the bone. This offers them a slight challenge that stimulates their minds.

Promotes healthier gums, teeth, and oral cavity

A bone is not a good replacement for a dog toothbrush and toothpaste. However, the chewing action is a good way to remove large pieces of debris from the teeth. Some dog tooth bones come with added ribs to increase the cleaning action of the bone.

Provides a way for them to express their innate behavior in a non-destructive way

If a dog doesn’t have something they are meant to chew on, they will chew on something they are not meant to. Better they chew on a bone than your shoe, right?

Prevents behavioral problems and boredom

Dogs will often chew or destroy the home because they are bored. Giving them something engaging to chew on will prevent this behavior. It is important to note that a dog should not be left alone with a real bone. A dog will also exhibit less destructive behaviors if you are with them more often.

Things to Consider When Choosing Bones for Small Dogs

There are so many bones available for you to buy for your dog. However, not all of them are either safe or will be particularly enjoyed by your fur baby. To choose the best bone available for your small dog, there are several factors and features you can look into.

Size

An important factor in choosing the best bone for your dog is the size. Choose a small bone for a small dog and a larger bone for a medium to large dog. If a large dog gets hold of a small bone, it could get stuck in its intestines, and your dog will need an operation to remove it. As a rule, the bone should be longer than the length of your dog’s muzzle. 

Plastic bones

Plastic bones are chew toys that have been flavored and made to look like bone. If you are worried about bone splinters, plastic bones are an option for a small dog. However, if you can’t trust your dog not to eat the bone, you should not buy them a plastic one. 

Treats in the shape of a bone

You may find it difficult to purchase a bone that won’t crack or splinter and cause possible harm to your small breed dog. So instead, you might like to buy them a treat that looks and tastes like a bone. These are usually made from well-ground chicken and beef meat and bones.

Treats with a soft center

As well as getting the classic bone-shaped treats, you can buy treats that look like the tough outer layer of a bone with a soft center. These are completely edible and maybe more similar to a real bone than the previous treats mentioned.

Dental bones

Like the treats mentioned above, dental bones are made from reconstructed meats and made into the shape of a bone. They are normally a firmer, have less brittle consistency, and have breath-freshening ingredients such as parsley included.

Elk antlers

If you want a natural cruelty-free alternative to animal bones, you could give your dog elk antlers. First, ensure that the elk antlers are found and not hunted. Next, you need to select a large enough size that your small dog will not swallow but small enough for your dog to get its teeth around and chew comfortably. Elk antlers do not splinter and contain protein, fats, calcium, and phosphorus.

Raw bones

If you do choose to give your dog a real bone, ensure it has not been cooked. Cooked bones increase the chances of bone splitting and splintering. Never give a dog a bone from the family dinner, including beef bones. 

Pork bones

Never buy pork bones - they splinter and crack too easily. Also, avoid buying ribs because they are too small and could get stuck in your dog’s throat.

Raw cow bones

The safest bone you can give to your dog is a raw cow bone. It needs to be the size of your dog’s head to ensure they do not swallow it whole or bite big chunks. Make sure you throw the bone out after a couple of hours because raw meat can carry illnesses like salmonella. 

Organic cattle

It is always better to buy your cow bone from an organic farmer. It is better for your dog and better for the environment because it is not in contact with antibiotics or pesticides.

Customer reviews

Always read customer reviews. Find a customer review from someone who also has a small dog, and see if the bone was enjoyed and safe to eat.

Tips

Always supervise your dog when giving them a bone, and give them the bone after they have eaten the main meal. This will stop your dog from wolfing it down and makes it less likely they will chew off chunks of bone that could lodge in their throat or intestine.

How We Choose the Best Bones for Small Dogs

To choose the best dog bones for small dogs, we researched by liaising with veterinary professionals. We also judged the products based on their nutritional content, affordability, and customer reviews.

Bones for Small Dogs Price Range

For a plastic toy bone, you should budget about $15. For a real bone, you should spend around $2-$4. You can often buy these in bulk and freeze them. A pack of bone-shaped dog treats will cost you about $5 or more.