Can dogs eat bones? No! No! No!

Feeding bones to Fido is satisfying but not recommended.

I know it's cool when you see your family pet wagging his tail, looking expectantly. It's like watching toddlers realize Christmas presents have arrived, but the risks are too numerous.

Problem #1: Broken Teeth

The carnassials are most likely to fracture because these are the bone-crunching teeth.

Here is a bone-chewing incident where the upper carnassial has sustained a slab fracture. Those two dark spots are exposed roots. Bacteria invade the exposed roots leading to an abscess necessitating removal of the entire tooth.

Here's what the outside looks like when the bacteria form a pus pocket at the top of the tooth.

Treating a periapical abscess is to remove the entire tooth, which is difficult because there are three roots, making this to most difficult tooth to extract. The dog will be put on antibiotics and anti inflammatories.