VET Q & A : A Gnawing Question

Q: Are chew bones all right for dogs to ingest? My dog eats most of the kinds available at the pet stores. A: All the rawhide chew bones on the market are reported to be safe. In 1981, a chew bone marketed under the name Mr. Max allegedly was associated with hallucinations and “seizures,” but it has been removed from the market.

Some dogs may develop irritation of the pharynx from pieces of rawhide scratching the surface membranes. Rawhide will expand when wet, and dogs have swallowed such large pieces that the expanded portion in the stomach caused obstruction and had to be removed surgically.

Plastic bones and nylabones (from nylon) are not made for ingestion.