If you are someone who makes delicious ribs at home and looks down at the empty plate with bones and wonders if your dogs can eat rib bones, there is so much you need to know about it.

Because throwing a bone to your dog can be complicated at times,and it might put your dog in danger. It doesn’t matter if the rib bones are raw or cooked; there are various risks associated with it.

Raw Rib Bones

Whenever humans cook food and meat, they use an extensive cooking process to ensure it becomes more digestible. This is because bones are often cut down to soften them up and are cooked to remove bacteria and contaminants that prevent the chances of sickness. For this reason, if you feed your dog raw rib bones, you will be putting your dog’s life at risk.

This is because, given the bacteria, raw ribs and meat have a chance of causing food poisoning. In addition to dogs, handling raw meat and bones also poses a risk for humans because it carries the risk of transmitting the roundworm. This roundworm can cause trichinosis in dogs as well as humans. In addition to this, dogs might break down rib bones into smaller pieces, and they might swallow them.

This swallowing will lead to small bone pieces getting stuck in the digestive tract. So, can dogs eat rib bones? It’s best if you don’t give them to your dog.

Cooked Rib Bones

Many people think that cooked rib bones would be safe, but it poses a greater risk as compared to raw ribs. This is because cooking tends to dry out the bones and weaken them, resulting in higher chances of bone breakage. The cooked bones pose a risk to dogs to cause foreign obstructions in the dog’s body, which will need surgery for removal.

In addition, the rib bones’ slivers are likely to perforate the digestive and intestinal tract, which leads to sepsis and demise. Although it’s possible to get the broken bone pieces from the tract, surgery will be extremely expensive.

Cooked Rib Meat

There is nothing poisonous and toxic about cooked rib meat, but people usually cook it with BBQ rubs, seasoning, sugar, sauces, and salt, which can result in an upset stomach in dogs. This is because too much salt in rib meat will adversely impact the dog’s health because they don’t need sodium. Moreover, eating cooked rib meat will lead to fat buildup in the dog.

The fat buildup can inflame your dog’s pancreas, leading to health issues. Common symptoms of an upset stomach include vomiting, appetite loss, and diarrhea. So, if you really want to serve cooked rib meat to your pet dog, make sure there are no additives to the meat and only use lean meat. Also, make sure you don’t add garlic and onions because they can be toxic for dogs.

Rawhide Bones

The rawhide bones are made from dried animal skins, and they are pretty popular as a snack. However, they aren’t safe either because they are extremely tough, which can break the dog’s teeth.

The Dangers Associated with Feeding Rib Bones to Dogs

First of all, there are chances that the dog will choke, and it’s pretty common for dogs to choke on the bones. In such cases, you will need to take your dog to an emergency room. When a dog chokes, the dog will try coughing and collapse, given the low oxygen circulation.

Secondly, if the bone piece gets lodged in the esophagus, the dog will drool and cough excessively. In addition, it will rub its neck and head along the floor, and there will be a chance for vomiting. If the dog has consistent vomiting, stomachache, lethargy, and bloody stool, it’s a sign of a lodged bone, and you should take your dog to the vet clinic.

Thirdly, the raw rib bones can splinter into smaller shards, which triggers severe damage to the throat and mouth. Also, when the bone is chewed into smaller pieces, it blocks the intestine.

As a result, there will be lacerations of internal organs and mouth as well as constipation. Then, if a dog consumes the fatty layer of the bone, it will result in diarrhea and vomiting, which results in protein loss and dehydration.

What to Do in Case of Accidental Bone Swallowing

If your dog has accidentally swallowed a bone or small piece of a bone, but the distress symptoms aren’t there, it’s still suggested to visit a vet clinic. The vet is likely to take radiograph images to determine the bone’s position and devise a method to remove the bone.

Safe Alternatives of Rib Bones

It’s pretty clear that it’s not safe for dogs to eat rib bones, irrespective of the fact that they are raw or cooked. However, there are still various safe options for dogs to chew on. Some of them are discussed below.

Raw Cow Bones

If you are sure that the raw bone is from a cow, it’s safe for the dog to eat, but make sure it’s frozen in the freezer. For this purpose, choose the sturdy and thick bone because it allows them to chew without breaking off smaller pieces or chunks.

It will prevent the chances of your dog swallowing the bone chunks. In addition to this, if your dog is big, you can opt for the beef knucklebones, but they wear down after a few hours, so be sure to supervise your dog.

Raw Bison Bones

The bison bones are of the same size as beef bones, and the texture is also the same. This ensures that the bison bone won’t convert into shards, but it’s best to source the bone from a local butcher shop because you will be sure that it’s actually bison bone.

Commercially-Available Bones

If you cannot find a suitable bone for your dog at the butcher’s shop, you can get something from the pet supply store. For instance, you can choose antlers, bully sticks, and pig ears. In case you are still confused, you can consult a vet to be on the safer side. In addition, you can opt for animal-free and synthetic treats that aren’t edible but are fun to chew.

Additional Factors to Keep in Mind

As long as you are offering safe bone options to your dog, you should offer raw bones. This is because the cooked bones become soft and will break into smaller shards, which creates a choking hazard. Furthermore, the shards can injure the throat and mouth.

In addition to this, cooking the bones will remove nutrients from the bone, so it’s best for them to chew raw bones. Lastly, make sure that the bone is larger in size, especially larger than the dog’s mouth to prevent your dog from swallowing the bone.