Well, many people believe that since dogs' primitive relatives chewed bones that they must be good for dogs. Others believe that bones also promote healthy teeth and gums.
      

What do I think? Well, the answer is ... bones are not good for all dogs. 
Some dogs may never develop a problem associated with chewing bones, but some may.And this occurs often enough that most veterinarians you ask will NOT recommend bones.

  I'm one of those vets.  I see a lot of bone-related emergencies ... enough to make me believe that bones are not good for dogs. Recently I stopped by a friend's clinic and in walked a chubby and very cute Beagle named Ralphie. He had been given the marrow bone from a steak. Ralphie got the bone caught around his lower jaw and it was stuck there. He was miserable crying and pawing helplessly at his mouth. He was in so much pain that he actually bit his owners when they tried to help him. So they brought him into the emergency clinic where the bone was cut off. Ralphie was fine, but it cost the owner an emergency visit and unplanned medical expenses.
      

Another dog who had bone-related problems was a 2-year-old Lab named Mocha. She got into the trash and ate over 50 chicken wing bones! Bones do not break down easily, which means the dog may have to pass the bones through the stool. This often leads to a serious impaction and constipation, requiring a trip to the veterinarian. This is what happened to Mocha. She was miserable. She was straining and straining and straining to have a bowel movement and only passing some blood. Her owners decided to take her to the ER clinic. After treatment with enemas and medications, Mocha was fine. But she very well could have needed an exploratory surgery ...
      

Pet emergencies like these can happen at any time. And how many times could you afford to cover the expenses out-of-pocket like this? If this makes you think twice about the cost of care, imagine if your dog had even more costly emergencies.
      

Have you looked into pet insurance yet? If you have not done so, take a minute now to find out how pet insurance can help you do the best for your dog in situations like these. 
To learn about the benefits of pet insurance, go to: petinsurance.com.
      

The lesson learned here is that bones are not good for every dog. The safest thing to do is to only give "bones" that have been designed for dogs to chew on. This can include Nylabones© which tend to be relatively indestructible and are often flavored.
      

So, to be safe, keep all bones away from your dog.  Keep your trashcans covered and keep your dog on a leash to minimize exposure to your neighbors' trash.
For additional information or more help go to: www.petplace.com