CAN we ever stop talking about your pets nutrition I doubt it. The popular cliché that you are what you eat probably gives credence to this. Since the preservation of life, be it human or animal, depends largely on food, it becomes very important to always talk about it.I have repeatedly cautioned pet owners against giving certain kinds of foods to their pets. However, it amuses me why a lot of owners still think they can tempt nature. When professionals give well-considered opinions, it behooves on those such opinions are directed to, to take a cue and do what is right. What we generally see these days is the dont mind them attitude, which invariably does more harm to these innocent creatures.There are certain foods that should never feature in the diets of your pets, especially dogs, because these foods have been found to give no benefits. They are in fact, sources of problems.Quite a lot of them are controversial and it is generally owners attitude to doubt the scientific claims. Much of this stance is predicated on myths and long held societal nuances. Take the issue of bone feeding for example; its been very hard to dissuade people from feeding bones to their dogs. It is a belief in most cultures that dogs and bones are like five and six.There is even a popular saying that the patient dog eats the fattest bone! This depicts the bone as a delicacy for the well-behaved dog! However, it is my belief that the association of the dog and the bones may have started from the fact that humans in the mediaeval times and up to this day only leave the remnants of their food, which are probably bones, for their dogs to eat. But, it is a wrong practice that had been imbibed by society over a long time.Scientifically, we know that the dog derives no benefit from eating bones, as they do not digest in any form and, therefore, cannot give any nutritional value. I have often heard people stretching it to the ridiculous by saying that they give bones to their dogs for calcium and strong bones. This is another lie, as dietary calcium can never be gotten through that route.For us as veterinarians, we hold it that pieces of bones can splinter off and can cut your dogs mouth while trying to crack it. Again, large or sharp pieces may be swallowed and cause choking or other serious problems (possibly requiring surgery to fix). It is not uncommon for swallowed bones to lacerate intestines or even cause impaction in the bowel.I have been asked at several fora whether certain types of bones can be given. And I have always maintained that no kind of bones should be given to any dog. Chicken head, chicken legs, fish bones, the so-called biscuit bones or even the universal large bones that a lot of owners claim is no danger to their dogs all have their negative sides. The chicken or fish bones should not even be contemplated at all.If you are an owner who has been indulging in this practice and your dog has had no issues at all, then you must be one of the very lucky ones. You should not push your luck too far by continuing. The proverbial saying that a word is enough for the wise suffices.Thus, from today, there should not be any excuses for giving bones to your dogs, especially with so many safe chew toys available!More discussions next week on bad foods for your pets.
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