You must have heard about the word “milk bone” if you ever had or anyone you know has a dog or a puppy as a pet at home. So the first question that must come to the reader’s mind is, “are milk bones bad for dogs” or if they are beneficial for them. Obviously, keeping a dog as a pet comes with huge responsibilities. If you ever had the chance to visit a grocery store for pets, you must have seen milk bones almost everywhere, as it is famous pet food.
Whatever you are giving them to eat determines their health and the way how they behave. Be careful and do your proper research before giving them anything. In this article, I will try my best to explain the two questions that arise with the word milk bone:
Are milk bones bad for dogs?
Are milk bones good for dogs?
You will know it yourself after reading this whole article. So let’s jump into the details.
Table of Contents
Milk Bone Composition
Milk bone is basically considered a biscuit for dogs. This biscuit consists of milk, minerals and meat, beef fat. It was originally known as maltoid, but later on, it was changed to milk bone. It is a bone-shaped biscuit, which is why it is known as milk bone, giving the dog an idea that it will eat like a bone. Minerals in this milk bone include copper, phosphorus, zinc, and calcium. Vitamins it contains include required vitamins like A, E, B12, etc.
Why are milk bones bad for dogs?
The reasons could be numerous but let’s highlight the most common and general ones.
BHA
Sugar content
Chemicals and artificial preservatives
Wheat
BHA is considered a carcinogen that has the ability to divide cells uncontrollably, causing cancers.
Wheat causes indigestion in dogs affecting their health.
BHA is a preservative in these milk bones and was initially considered to be safe but advanced research revealed its harmful nature and the health risks inclined with it.
Milk bones contain sugar, and usually, dogs do not get satisfied with one milk bone; they start asking for more and more so, causing excessive sugar intake, which is extremely dangerous for a dog’s health.
High levels of sugar can cause diabetes, and if your dog is already diabetic, this worsens the situation.
Chemicals present in milk bone can cause allergies and undesirable effects on your dog’s immune system.
Are milk bones good for dogs?
Now the question is if milk bone causes cancer due to the BHA ingredient it contains, then why companies use it, the FDA still considers this product safe for usage; that’s why companies are allowed to use it in manufacturing the milk bones. Yes, BHA is indeed harmful, but FDA has still considered it safe for usage after experimenting with it.
Many rumors even said it causes diarrhea in dogs, but actually, it doesn’t. It is only the excessive amount of milk bone that is dangerous. Excessive amounts might cause gastrointestinal problems, which can cause diarrhea.
Milk bones have a good effect on teeth:
Milk bones play a role in renewing and refreshing the breath of the dog. Numerous vitamins in it are perfect for a dog. The design and pattern of this milk bone avoid plague being up.
SAFETY
Are milk bone dog treats safe for usage or not?
How many bones can I give my dog to ensure it would be safe for it?
However, there were rumors about it, but FDA defended this biscuit, but you should use it in certain limits by not exceeding the amount, e.g., if the dog weighs 8 to 15, give him only one treat every day.
If the weight is 16 to 25 lbs, give him only one treat. Dogs weighing 26 to 50 should be treated once or twice per day. If the weight exceeds 50, then treat your dog more than twice.
If you still don’t feel like feeding your dog with milk bone, there are still many other options available out there.
Do these biscuits really cause cancer?
The answer is No. Although it was considered because BHA is a carcinogenic substance, later on, after a lot of tests, these biscuits were considered safe.
Are milk bones for dogs good or bad?
CONCLUSION:
These milk biscuits are great for your dog with no major harm found in most cases, and your dogs would definitely enjoy it; however, you still can’t consider it the healthiest snack out there. If you feel like your dog has an allergy, then immediately stop giving it.
I hope this article made many things clear for you, check if your dog is doing fine after eating it, like in terms of allergy, you are good to go; only give it to your dog in prescribed amounts. The case may vary from dog to dog. If you have any questions in your mind contact us on SPOT CANINE CLUB and we will hire a pet expert to resolve your dog diet-related queries.
