CHOOSING THE RIGHT BONE FOR YOUR DOG
SIZE:
Make sure the bone is large enough for the size of the dog. If the bone is small enough to fit in the dog’s mouth, it is too small. It needs to be at least slightly larger around than the lower jaw of the dog. Also, when the bone has been gnawed down to a considerably smaller size that will fit in the dog’s mouth, it should be taken away.
BONE CONSISTENCY:
Make sure you choose a bone that is the right density for your dog. Pork and lamb bones are softer bones and are only recommended for light chewers. Beef bones are adequate for most chewers, with the shank bone and knee cap being the hardest, most dense bones available.
PROPER CONSUMPTION:
A bone is meant to be slowly gnawed down. This provides the plaque removing benefits to the teeth and gives the dog a great chewing experience. If large pieces or slivers of bone are being removed, make sure to take away the pieces broken off or take away the entire bone and try a different type of bone or chew. Knuckles contain soft cartilage material which will be completely consumed and the center bone piece should be slowly gnawed. Knuckles are available individually and as part of the Jumbo Bone and Dino Bone.
COOKED BONES VERSUS RAW BONES:
There are many differing opinions regarding which are better, cooked bones or raw bones. We have conducted pressure testing on both raw bones and Jones cooked bones, and the results are identical for both cooked and raw bones. Both bones maintain the same strength tests and breaking points. When the proper moisture level is maintained in the cooked bone there is no significant difference in the consistency of the bone materials. All of Jones Naturals bones are oven baked and carefully kept at the proper moisture levels. When bones are cooked at extremely high temperatures or too quickly, they can become brittle. Jones Naturals is careful to maintain consistent cooking schedules and high enough moisture levels to produce the highest quality product consistent with raw bones.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO AVOID OCCURRENCES:
BROKEN TEETH:
Be aware of the type of chewer your dog is. There are many levels of chewers from dainty, to average, to over-aggressive. If your dog is one of the over-aggressive chewers and can easily break pieces off bones, you should either choose from two of the hardest beef bones available, shank bone or knee cap, or you should give another type of chew such as bully sticks.
MOUTH OR TONGUE INJURIES:
This type of injury will occur with chewers that are able to easily break pieces off the bone. Use the recommendations in number one. Other types of chewers experience benefits to their mouth, tongue, and teeth by chewing on bones. It helps remove plaque and keep the mouth clean.
BONE GETS LOOPED AROUND DOG’S JAW:
Make sure you choose a bone large enough for the dog’s mouth size so the bone is never small enough to get stuck around the jaw.
BONE FRAGMENT SITUATIONS:
It is important to monitor your dog with the bone and choose the right bone for the dog. If the dog is able to quickly consume the bone, it is not the right bone for the dog. Bones should be slowly gnawed down by the dog, they are not meant to be ingested. This provides the benefits of the natural grease and marrow for healthy skin and shiny coats as well as providing teeth cleaning by removing plaque. There are many bones available on the market, from lamb, pork, and beef. There are recommended dog sizes on the labels. If the dog is able to remove large chunks or spiky pieces off the bone, the bone should be taken away. When the right bone is chosen for the dog, it will provide hours of chewing pleasure for the dog while avoiding the risks listed here.
OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR FEEDING:
Our products are meant to be a chew or treat and not food for your dog. We recommend limiting the amount of product you give your dog to one or two per day on the treats and one per day for chews. A bone may take several days for your dog to consume. As an option, you may choose to break the treats into smaller sections to feed to your dog throughout the day.