Are bone shards dangerous?

[tritonx]

I've heard that dogs have industrial strength digestive systems though from the number of posts about digestive problems I read here, you wouldn't think so. I gave Fraser a dried bone which he happily chews, but now it's got splintered ends and occasionally he breaks off a shard of bone. Seems to me that bones wouldn't be sold in pet shops if eating them is dangerous and presumably dogs are genetically build for digesting bone, but do dogs' digestive systems deal safely with bone shards? I'm talking bits of bone about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and have sharp ends. I wouldn't do well with such an object in my gut. Is Fraser likely to be okay?

ETA: also rawhide bones. I bought a huge one, thinking it would disintegrate more slowly as I'm worried about him choking. Eventually, he reduced it to chunks. Is there a definitive answer to the safety of rawhide? If a dog swallows a biggish chunk, can that be dangerous?

[ladylola]

I would throw them out when they get to that size.

To me it's just not worth the risk.

[fifer]

Roasted, steamed (sterilised) bones are all cooked and become brittle in the cooking process. Therefore they are potentially dangerous to dogs if broken into shards and swallowed as opposed to raw, meaty butchers bones which are ok. 

[Helen]

bin them when they start splintering - it's not worth the risk

As for rawhide - there are many horror stories out there about it, I do give mine the small rawhide 'cigars' but only under supervision.  If Fraser is likely to chew off large lumps then I again wouldn't risk it as it can swell in their stomachs and cause obstructions and also can choke them...mind you I know of a boxer that choked to death on a gravy bone so it can happen with anything 

[tritonx]

Right, that's it for his splintery bone. I've just removed it from his mouth and binned it. Thanks. Will check with butcher to see if i can get uncooked bone.

[ClareB]

As for dogs swallowing large lumps of anything, I think as a general rule of thumb if the piece is the same size as or smaller than a dry food nugget, then it shouldn't present any problems.  If either of mine were chewing off big lumps of rawhide and swallowing them, I'd take it away.   

[tritonx]

I went to the pet shop whose owners seem very knowlegable and only stock foods and snacks that are vetted for ingredients etc. Told the lady about the problem with the bone and came away with a knuckle bone which he's been chewing happily. He does break off bits, but they're spongy rather than sharp so don't present the same problem. He's very happy with it and I hear a lot of grating sounds, so presumably it will be good for his still snowy white teeth. Sounds a bit like a wolf cave in my house though, with the gnawing and grinding.