Oxtails for dogs, being an excellent source of iron and protein, is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. Traditionally speaking, oxtails normally come from oxen. But in today’s world, simply any tail from beef or cattle is called as oxtails.
Oxtails can be a great snack for dogs. However, you need to consider if your dog is big enough to eat it. Dogs of smaller breeds and puppies have a hard time eating raw oxtail and its bones. So, as long as they are big enough to swallow big pieces, they will be fine.
Besides human consumption, a lot of pet owners today feed their dogs with oxtail. In this article, you will find out if raw oxtail is good for your dog. You will also see if it’s really safe for your dogs to swallow oxtail bone.
Oxtails for Dogs – Is Raw Oxtail Good For Dogs?
One of the most common questions asked by pet owners is if raw oxtail is good for their dogs. When you do a quick Google search or even ask your friends, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll get different answers. Questions like this never seem to have one definite answer.
Some sites will suggest you feed your dogs with raw oxtail regularly, while others will say that your dog will die if you give them oxtail. Likewise, some websites will say that it’s safe, while others will call you cruel and ignorant for thinking about giving your dog raw oxtail.
Regardless of what these websites say, raw oxtails can be a great snack for dogs.
While feeding raw oxtail to your dogs, you also need to keep an eye on them. It is because oxtails bones can be a choking hazard for your dogs. Normally, you can get either cut pieces or full-length pieces for dogs to eat. Those cut pieces can be risky, so make sure your dog does not eat the whole piece at one go. But for full-length pieces, you can allow your dogs to chew on the bones as a recreational activity.
Raw Oxtail Advantages
Raw oxtails, or just raw meat in general, has a ton of benefits for your dog. Here are some of the main benefits of feeding raw meat to your dog, according to veterinarians and several studies:
Firm and Smaller Stools
Do you want your dogs to have firmer stools? Feeding your dog with raw oxtails can help prevent those liquid stools. By adding some supplements to your dog’s diet along with raw oxtails, you can say goodbye to this problem.
Shinier and Healthier Coats
There’s a reason why wolves and wild dogs always have healthy and shiny coats. It’s not like they have some secret routine in the woods. It’s simply because of their diet.
Likewise, if you also want your dogs to have healthy coats, you need to fully take care of their diet. Feeding them some raw oxtail will do the work. You won’t need to feed them additional supplements or fish oil.
Healthier Gums and Cleaner Teeth
Another advantage of feeding raw oxtail to your dog is clean teeth and healthy gums. Raw food, in general, can clean off your dog’s dirty teeth, which commercial food cannot. Besides cleaning the teeth, raw food will also improve the gum’s health and eliminate bad breath.
Hence, by feeding raw oxtail, you won’t feel the need to move away every time your dog tries to lick you.
Better Digestion
Raw oxtail can also improve your dog’s digestion. It is not uncommon to see a dog with a lot of gas and digestive discomfort. Sometimes you may also see your dog throw up after a heavy meal. You can do away with all these problems and give your dog better digestion simply by giving them raw oxtail.
Enhanced Immune System
A good reason why you should feed your dogs with raw oxtail is because it enhances the immune system. Giving them raw oxtail regularly can improve their body’s immune system to fight off diseases. Raw oxtail also contains several fatty acids and immune-system boosters that can help dogs live longer.
Besides that, raw oxtails can also prevent inflammation in dogs.
Fewer Allergies
Most commercial pet food contains corn and wheat, which are some of the top food allergens. By replacing them with raw oxtail, you can eliminate all kinds of allergies for your dogs.
Improved Physique
One common feature that you’ll normally see in dogs that eat raw food is a good physique. Dogs that feed on raw meat such as oxtail do not struggle with weight issues like obesity.
Chewing on oxtail bone is also an exercise in itself, which prevents weight issues in dogs.
Raw Oxtail Disadvantages
Besides all these benefits, there are also some risks of a raw oxtail diet that you should keep in mind. They are:
Consumption of Bacteria
One of the biggest risks involved in feeding raw oxtail to your dog is bacteria. It is a general fact that uncooked meat contains a lot of bacteria. When dogs consume these bacterias, it can lead to several complications like infections and diseases. So, it is important to look out for any signs or symptoms.
Risk of Unbalanced Diet
Sure, raw oxtail comes with a lot of benefits. But if you keep feeding your dog raw oxtail for a prolonged period, your dog may suffer from an unbalanced diet. Like all pets, your dog also needs different kinds of nutrients. The absence of one nutrient can lead to severe complications in your dog’s health.
So to maintain a balanced diet, you need to mix up your dog’s diet.
Choking Hazard
It is very likely for oxtail bones to get stuck in a dog’s throat, which can cause severe discomfort. In extreme cases, a bone stuck in the throat can kill a dog. Besides that, oxtail bones can also get stuck on the digestive tract, which can cause further damage to the intestine.
Can Dogs Eat Oxtail Bones
Bones are easily the most popular treat for dogs—people across the world feed dogs with bones as a meal or a recreational chew. However, in recent years, many people have questioned if it is safe for dogs to eat bones. If you are also one of those people wondering if dogs can eat oxtail bones, you’re in the right place.
According to experts, raw bone of just about every kind is very safe for dogs to eat. That includes raw bones of turkey, beef, chicken, and of course, oxtail. Besides being a tasty treat, oxtail bones are an excellent way to improve dogs’ dental health.
Some of the benefits for dogs eating an oxtail bone are:
- Great source of minerals
- Helps cleans a dog’s teeth
- Satisfies a dog’s desire to chew
- Keeps your dog occupied
- Can be an exercise
It is worth mentioning that the advantages of eating oxtail bones come with its own cons. So make sure that your dogs are capable of chewing and eating bones before giving it to them.
Cooked Oxtail Bones for Dogs – What You Should Know
Being a responsible dog owner, you should always know what a dog can and cannot eat. Knowing everything about a dog’s nutrition is one of the most important parts of being a dog’s owner. Just as you monitor your diet, you should also watch what your dog eats.
As you’ve already found out, oxtail bones are great for dogs and come with many benefits. But should you feed your dog with cooked oxtail bones? Let’s find out.
Naturally, dogs are designed to eat and digest raw bones. But complications may come up when you give cooked oxtail bones to dogs. When you cook oxtail bones, their physical structure tends to change. And as such, they become very brittle with a high chance to splinter.
Splintered bones are the main reason why you should never feed your dog with cooked oxtail bones. As dogs chew into soft and brittle cooked bones, they will break into several sharp pieces. Swallowing these bones can not only prove as a choking hazard but may also cause internal injury.
So as a general rule, you should always feed your dogs with raw bones specifically sold for dogs. And when you do give your dog a bone, make sure that the size is suitable for him/her.
Dog Swallowed Oxtail Bone? Here’s What To Do
It is a universal fact that dogs love to chew on bones. But while oxtail bones are generally safe, it may not be the best idea to let your dog chew on it. Oxtail bones, on any bone for that matter, are high-risk snack which can get stuck in your dog’s throat. In some cases, oxtail bones can even become lodged in your dog’s intestine.
So what should you do if your dog has swallowed oxtail bone? First things first, try not to panic! As mentioned before, oxtail bones are quite safe, and they will usually pass through without much trouble. What you should do is look for signs and symptoms that may indicate your dog is choking.
If your dog shows any of the signs below, you must contact your veterinarian doctor as soon as possible:
- Rubbing its neck and face on the ground: Normally, when dogs rub their face on the ground, it’s only because they’re trying to get rid of fleas. However, there can be several other reasons for it as well. For instance, your dog could be rubbing its face if it has just swallowed an oxtail bone, and it’s choking on it. If you see this sign after feeding oxtail bone to your dog, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.
- Gagging: There are a number of reasons why your dog could be gagging. But if your dog is gagging after eating an oxtail, you need to take him to a doctor immediately.
- Constantly trying to vomit: Vomiting is another sure sign that your dog has a bone stuck in its throat. If a dog is constantly trying to vomit after eating an oxtail, you will need to contact your
- Increased salivation: When dogs suffer from blocked airways, you’ll usually see an increase in salivation in their mouth. So, whenever your dog is experiencing increased salivation after swallowing an oxtail bone, you will have to take him to a vet.
- Showing signs of stress or panic: This is a common sign that we can usually see in humans as well. Whenever we have a bone stuck in our throat, we tend to get all stressed up and start to panic. Similarly, when a dog has an oxtail bone stuck in its throat, you will see signs of stress and panic.
- Showing signs of pain: This is one of the most obvious signs that you’ll see when your dog has a bone stuck in its throat. If you see your dog in pain after eating oxtail, it probably has a bone stuck in its throat.
Most of the signs above will usually appear right after your dog eats an oxtail bone. However, besides these signs, you will also need to look out for symptoms that may indicate issues in the digestive tract. These symptoms include depression, inappetence, lethargy, pain, bloody stool, decreased stool production, continuous vomiting, etc.
While a bone stuck in the digestive tract may not be as intense as choking, it can still be very dangerous. If you allow the bone to remain there for longer periods, more issues may arise. The sharp edges of the bone may cause further damage to your dog’s intestines. So if you see any of the signs above, you should contact a veterinarian soon.
Conclusion
Now that you know everything there is to know about feeding dogs with raw oxtail, it is now up to you to decide. It is important that you consider your dog’s size and feeding nature before you give him/her raw oxtail. If you follow the precautions properly, your dog can benefit a lot from feeding on raw oxtails.
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