Raw bones and dog teeth: the fracture risk and safer ways to chew

The argument for bones is that wolves eat them. The argument against is a tooth I have seen too many times in vets' photographs: the big upper back tooth split down its length by something harder than enamel. Wolves break teeth too; nobody takes them to the vet. Here is the honest picture.

Why bones break teeth

A dog's largest chewing tooth, the upper fourth premolar, meets the lower molar like a pair of shears. When a dog bites down on something that does not give, all of the jaw's force goes through the edges of those two teeth. Enamel is hard but brittle, and a weight-bearing bone, an antler, a hoof or a hard nylon chew can be harder still. The result is a slab fracture: a piece of the tooth sheared off, often exposing the sensitive inside. It is painful, it usually needs extraction or root treatment by a vet, and the dog typically carries on eating as though nothing has happened, so it is found late.

The other risks

• Cooked bones splinter and can damage the mouth, throat or gut.
• Marrow bones and rings can trap the lower jaw, which is a trip to the emergency vet.
• Raw bones carry the same handling risks as raw meat for the people in the house.
• Small bones and bone fragments can be swallowed whole.

The thumbnail test

Press your thumbnail into the chew. If it leaves a mark, the chew gives before the tooth does. If it does not, the tooth is the softer of the two. Bones, antlers, hooves, hard nylon and ice cubes all fail. Natural rubber, braided cotton rope and most softer chews pass. It is not perfect, but it sorts out the worst offenders in two seconds.

What a safe chew gives a dog

Dogs need to chew; the aim is to satisfy that without a trip to the vet. A pliable natural rubber toy with a textured surface gives the jaw something to work on, and rope fibres get between the teeth. Our tyre rope flosser is a 14 cm natural rubber tyre with ridged tread and a thick cotton rope through it: fill the hollow centre with kibble or run a line of pet toothpaste along the tread and most dogs are occupied for twenty minutes. Supervise, and bin it when it cracks or frays.

Chewing is not brushing

No chew, safe or otherwise, replaces the daily brush. Chewing helps with soft food debris; it does not reach the gum line of the back teeth the way a brush does, and nothing you can buy without a vet shifts tartar that has set. Chew after the brush, not instead of it. Petdentist® products are non-medicinal daily-care products and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition.

If you suspect a broken tooth

Look for a tooth with a flat or missing edge, a pink or brown spot at the centre of a tooth, a dog that chews on one side or drops hard food, swelling under one eye, or a reluctance to have the muzzle touched. Any of these means a vet visit, promptly. A fractured tooth does not heal and does not stop hurting on its own.

What we would do instead of a bone

1. A daily brush with a pet toothpaste on a soft brush: thirty seconds, outer surfaces only.
2. Supervised play with a toy that passes the thumbnail test, most days.
3. A weekly look at the back teeth on both sides, same day each week.
4. A yearly vet check, and sooner if a tooth looks wrong.

Questions people ask

Are raw bones better than cooked bones?

Cooked bones splinter, which raw bones do less, but both are hard enough to fracture a tooth and both can trap the jaw or be swallowed. For teeth, neither is a good choice.

What about dental chews from the pet shop?

Press them with your thumbnail. The softer, pliable ones pass; the rock-hard ones fail, however they are labelled. Some edible chews carry the VOHC seal for plaque control, which is worth looking for, but no chew replaces brushing.

My dog has chewed bones for years without a problem. Why stop?

Fractures are a matter of force and luck, and a dog's largest chewing teeth take the full load every time. The risk does not go down with practice.

Read next: Dental chew toys: how they fit a brushing routine, Signs your dog's mouth needs a vet visit, Shop dental chew toys.

About the author. Dr Deepak Songra BDS (GDC 68552) is a dental surgeon with more than 35 years in clinical practice and the founder of Petdentist®. He is not a vet. He lives with Merlo, the Cavapoo you will see across this site.

This article is general information about daily care, not veterinary advice. Petdentist® products are non-medicinal daily-care products for dogs and cats and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are worried about your pet, please see your vet. Petdentist® is the trading name of Pet Dentist L.L.C-FZ, Meydan Grandstand, 6th Floor, Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE. UK orders are dispatched from Northampton.