Sugar bone is a dog’s favorite treat, even children know about it. That is, addiction to bones has nothing to do with hunger.

Bones contain a lot of calcium, but there are not many organic nutrients in them. Why do dogs need so much calcium, and where does the animal body use it? Many people ask this question.

Historical roots and genetics

Dogs are predatory animals that began to hunt in packs 8 million years ago. Hunting by organized groups, they received large, plentiful prey, and under these conditions their jaw apparatus actively developed. The teeth became larger, and the jaw became more powerful.

Like any other instrument, the dentition requires care, and it also needs training to enhance its qualities. Just as cats scratch objects to sharpen their claws, so dogs bite bones, and sometimes sticks, tree rhizomes to brush and sharpen their teeth, set the jaws to the necessary load, and train them. After all, at home they eat mostly soft boiled food, and they do not have enough such loads. Gnawing bones, and in their absence - other objects - this is a purely instinctive action.

Bones are also prey

In addition, dogs are not only predators, but also scavengers. Canids pick up the remains of other animals, can dine with what remains of the meal of a larger predator.Adjacent to the man, the dog used to eat leftovers from his table - it happened historically. Bones became one of her usual trophies, and the body learned to process them, digesting completely, both boiled and raw. This is another reason dogs love bones - they are also food, they can be put aside for reserve, on a hungry day, or chewed right away, for pleasure.

The dog’s body perfectly digests bones, taking all organic matter and nutrients from them, and directing calcium mainly to the coat. A dog’s coat changes regularly, molting occurs several times a year, and excess calcium is discarded along with old coat.

Interesting fact: if the dog gets a lot of bones, his skin becomes tough, prickly to the touch and shiny. If there are not many similar objects in the diet, the skin is more elastic.

Should I feed a dog bones?

So, the dog is perfectly adapted for feeding bones, it perfectly digests them. She seeks to play with them and gnaw them at the instinctive level, because nature requires her to maintain the dentition in good shape. But is it worth it to feed the dog with bones? Can I give them every day? Novice dog breeders often think about these issues. Giving bones every day, and even more so, forming a diet based on them is not worth it. Every dog ​​breeder should know that the dog is a predator in the first place, it needs meat, and with or without bones it will be provided - this is a secondary issue.Veterinarians indicate that bone abuse can lead to bowel blockage. In addition, the domestic dog receives predominantly digested bones, in which there is practically nothing useful left. Raw bones are healthier, but there is a nuance.

Veterinarians warn dog owners about the risk of feeding chicken bones, especially the tubular ones. Their fragments can pierce the insides of the animal. However, there were very few such cases; not all of them have been proven. Many dog ​​breeders ignore this warning by simply digesting the same bones to the point where they soften, and presenting them to the dog with cereals and other food.

Large bones of animal origin also contribute to grinding of teeth, the dog’s dentition, which constantly gnaws, experiences too much stress, teeth quickly deteriorate. On this basis, veterinarians also point out the need for moderate animal consumption of bones.

In the process of cracking the dog rid the teeth of the stone, grinds them. To some extent, they are necessary in any case, although small and medium-sized breeds can be provided with cartilage, a dried vein. These products will clean the teeth and satisfy the dog’s need for biting.

Thus, dogs need bones, this is a regular part of their usual diet, a source of calcium for the formation of dense wool, a kind of simulator for the dentition, sharpener for teeth. But it is necessary to provide them to the animal in a reasonable amount, despite the fact that the desire to chew on dogs is almost always.One beef bone per week, or for several days is a good option for medium and large dogs, which diversifies their diet.