Do you now or are you thinking of giving your Chihuahua a real raw bone? Many say you should and many say it is dangerous.

Raw diets are now very popular and are growing in popularity. It’s called B.A.R.F. the acronym stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food and Bones. Many claim it is the very best way to feed your dog because that’s what their ancestors ate.

Is Your Chihuahua a Descendant Of The Wolf?

There is a wide belief that our domestic dogs are descended from wolves. Wolves and wild dogs ate fresh raw meat and the bones from the prey they killed and so it is “biologically” better for our dogs. That makes sense, right?

There are two reasons that reasoning is not sound or even correct. It is true that domestic dogs descended from and are a member of wolve-like candis — thousands of years ago — and were the first and only large carnivore to be domesticated. According to “Wikipedia”:

“Genetic studies show that dogs and modern wolves display reciprocal monophyly (separate groups), which implies that dogs are not genetically close to any living wolf population and that the wild ancestor of the dog is extinct.^[4][2] An extinct Late Pleistocene wolf may have been the ancestor of the dog,^[3][1] with the dog’s similarity to the extant grey wolf being the result of genetic admixture between the two.”^[1] 

How Did Our Chihuahuas Come Into Existence?

So our pet dogs are not actually descendants of wolves. Without going into a lot of scientific jargon, about 30,000 to 40,000 years ago there was a divergence from ancient wolves to what is called our “modern” wolves. Our pet dogs are descendants of the “modern” wolf. The “modern” wolf appeared approximately 30,000 to 40,000 years ago.

Our pet dogs have some genetic similarities, but they are not exactly the same as even the more “modern” wolf. Remember they have been domesticated and bred into all the many different breeds that are now our “pets”. Through this process of breeding being done over thousands and thousands of years, they have been genetically changed from the “modern” wolf.

The Risks Of a Chihuahua Eating Raw Bones

Choking

Pieces of bone can break off and get lodged in the esophagus on the way down to the stomach. Sharp pieces can actually pierce the esophagus or can penetrate the soft tissue at the back of the throat. A piece of the bone can get stuck in the trachea (windpipe) and interfere with the dog’s breathing. That is an emergency!

Can Get Stuck In The Stomach

If a part of a bone breaks off it can get stuck in the stomach causing a blockage. Should this happens surgery or endoscopy is necessary to remove it. When a piece of bone is sharp it can penetrate the stomach which will cause leakage into the intestine. This in turn can turn into peritonitis — an infection that can be fatal.

Can Get Stuck In The Small Intestines

Small pieces of fragments of bone can get stuck in the small intestines or the colon and cause a blockage. A blockage causes severe constipation and that will require surgery to remove it.

They could travel far enough to lodge in the large intestines or colon. Once there they can collect may also cause a blockage that will require surgery.

If that happens these fragments will scrape the lining of the colon and rectum and is extremely painful for the Chihuahua and can cause permanent damage that results in severe bleeding from the rectum.

Injuries To The Mouth And Tongue

The broken edges of bones can be very sharp. A Chihuahua can break off razor-sharp shards that can cut the tongue, cheek, or the roof of their mouth.

Can Get Looped Around The Lower Jaw

You know those round bones that you can buy? They can get stuck behind the lower teeth. For a dog that is a very scary experience! Most of the time the poor dog has to be sedated in order for it to be removed.

Broken Teeth

A Chihuahuas teeth are strong, but sometimes they are no match for some bones. It is much easier than you may think for them to break a tooth or teeth while chewing on a bone. Have you ever had a broken tooth? It can be painful and you may have to have a root canal to save it. For a dog root canal is not really feasible, it would be very expensive.

But a broken tooth or teeth for a dog means extraction. This is also very expensive and the dog must be sedated.

Contamination

Raw meat and bones have certain pathogens (a bacteria, virus, or microorganism) that can cause disease. They can be contaminated with E. coli, salmonella, and listeria. No, these may not make your adult Chihuahua sick, but it can make puppies very sick. But the biggest risk is to your family. If a dog has eaten or digested raw meat or bones that are contaminated and then licks your child or your elderly grandmother and even some susceptible adults, they can become very ill.

Conclusion

Wolves may very well eat raw meat and bones from their prey, but they only live on average 5-7 years because of the above reasons and disease. I am sure that you want your Chihuahua to live many more years than that!

Do you still think you should give your dog a bone? Well, that is certainly up to you, however, you are not only risking a huge vet bill, but you very well may be putting your Chihuahua’s life and in some cases, your family’s life in danger.

What Do I Know, Anyway?

Who am I and what makes me the expert? Most of you know that I work in a very busy state-of-the-art veterinary hospital. People bring their pets to us because other veterinarians don’t have the equipment to care for them.

Although I am not a vet or even a vet tech, I am close to two of the vets there because I have been a client and all my Chihuahuas (and cats) have gone there for over 30 years, since they were just the friendly neighborhood veterinary clinic. Over the years they have allowed me behind the scenes, so to speak. I’ve witnessed up close many surgeries. Some very serious.

My point is I am very well aware of the reasons our patients come into our hospital. We get so many, every single day, with one or more of the things mentioned above from just chewing on a bone.

So, If you do decide to give your dog a bone, please supervise closely — don’t take your eyes off him — while your Chihuahua chews on his bone. Take it away from him and throw it away when it gets small enough that he could swallow it. Never ever give him chicken bones or cooked bones of any kind. These will splinter and are very dangerous.

What You Can Give Your Chi Instead

The number one rule is it should have some give to it to prevent broken teeth. You should be able to indent it with your fingernail. Don’t let your Chi chew on any hard plastic or nylon chews. These simply are not digestible and your Chihuahua will absolutely ingest some of the plastic and/or nylon.

The right kind of chew toy is much better for them than any kind of chew treat that they can ingest.

These will satisfy their chew drive without harming them in any way. Just make sure it is not small enough for them to swallow. What is the best chew toy for a Chihuahua? The very best without a doubt chew toy for a Chihuahua is the classic KONG. Be sure that you get the right one for your Chihuahua. Read our posts: Why are Kong Toys The Best On The Market? and: The Ultimate Guide To Healthy Kong Stuffing Ideas For Your Chihuahua.

Here’s A Tip

If you are looking for something for your Chi to chew on that will help scrape off plaque and tarter the best thing you can give to your Chihuahua is a carrot. Be sure it is washed and don’t peel it. While chewing on the carrot not only will it help to scrape off plaque and tartar, but it is super healthy for them to eat. As a caution, please supervise closely, because they could still swallow a piece that is too big and they could choke. But that is true of anything that you give your Chihuahua to chew.

Do you give your Chihuahua raw bones? Has this article changed your mind? Leave your comment below ….