10 Best Dog Bones for Big Dogs (2019 Reviews)

Food & Feeding
/ By Jennifer Nelson

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Looking for the best dog bones for big dogs?

Dogs love to chew, but chewing the wrong thing can cause serious damage to your dog’s teeth, mouth, or digestive system, even resulting in death. So which are the best bones for big dogs? The answer isn’t as simple as you may expect.

Let’s talk about raw bones versus cooked bones along with alternatives to bones that may be safer for large dogs.

Here’s a quick table with our top picks before we go into more detail about what to look for when choosing bones or bone alternatives for your big dog to choose from.

Our Top Bones for Large Dogs

The Best Bully Sticks for Big Dogs

Pawstruck 12″ Braided Bully Sticks for Dogs

No artificial ingredients, hormones, or chemicals
Made from free range, grass fed cattle
Low odor

The Best Edible Dog Chews for Big Dogs

Nylabone Nubz Natural Dog Chew Treats

Made in the USA
Highly digestible
Good value

The Best Dental Treats for Big Dogs

Dozers Dental Dog Chews

Made in the USA
Gluten free with no artificial colors or flavors
100% all-natural ingredients

The Best Yak Chews for Big Dogs

Native Pet Yak Chews for Dogs

Low odor
Long-lasting
Full of protein but no gluten, grain, or lactose

The Best Chew Toys for Big Dogs

Nylabone Power Chews

Made in the USA
Designed for powerful chewers
Flavor throughout

Why Do Dogs Chew?

Think about what wolves eat – they kill an animal and eat as much of it as possible. Small prey may be eaten whole, while the meaty bones of larger prey can be worked on after the rest of the kill has been eaten.

Bones are a great source of calcium, and the inside of weight-bearing bones has marrow, which contains vital nutrients.

Your dog may not resemble a wolf very much, but they still have that instinct to get as much meat off of or marrow out of a bone as they can to add nutrition to their diet. Without access to bones or other items that are appropriate to chew on, your dog might decide your shoes or furniture are acceptable substitutes.

That’s why you should always make sure your dog has access to toys that they can chew on when they’re alone and bones or treats that they can chew on when you’re around to supervise.

While it may be tempting to leave your dog home alone with a bone or chew toy, many of them can cause problems if large pieces are swallowed whole, so you should watch your dog with it, especially if it’s something new.

Cooked Vs Raw Vs “Other” Dog Bones

You may already know that you should never give your dog cooked bones (especially small ones, like chicken bones). Just in case you haven’t heard, cooked bones can splinter and get lodged in your dog’s throat or intestines. Pieces of bone can puncture or get trapped in your dog’s digestive system and cause serious problems, including death.

Raw bones are now commonly recommended by vets and proponents of raw diets in place of cooked bones. Raw bones aren’t without their risks either, though.

Some risks associated with giving your dog raw bones include:

Pieces of bone (or whole, small bones) can get stuck in your dog’s throat or intestines
Constipation caused by bone fragments
Rectal bleeding caused by bone fragments
Peritonitis, a severe infection caused by pieces of bones piercing your dog’s stomach or intestines
Mouth or tongue injuries
Broken teeth
Risk of bacterial infection to dogs and humans

If you do choose to feed raw bones, here are some guidelines:

Always supervise your dog. Keep an eye out for choking and remove bones when they get small enough to swallow.
Limit where your dog can eat raw bones to places that are easy to clean, like outside, in a crate, or gated in the kitchen.
Don’t give them to dogs with dental work or a predisposition to pancreatitis.
Separate dogs to prevent fighting over the bones
Don’t give a bone to a dog strong enough to break off large chunks and swallow them whole.

Luckily, there are alternatives to raw or cooked bones, including:

Bully sticks – Only one ingredient – baked beef pizzle
Edible dog chews – Meant to last longer than other treats
Dental treats – Designed to clean dogs teeth and gums
Yak chews – Made from Himalayan yak milk, it’s a hardened cheese
Chew toys – Non-edible sturdy toys designed for chewing

What About Rawhide?

Rawhide is undigestible and can cause blockages in your dog’s intestinal tract. It’s also processed using a lot of chemicals. There are far healthier things for your dog to chew on than rawhide.

You should also avoid antlers and hooves. These treats have become increasingly popular, but they don’t have any “give” and can break your dog’s teeth because they’re too hard. Hooves and pig ears can also get stuck in your dog’s mouth or throat.

best dog bones for big dogs

What Are The Best Dog Bones for Big Dogs?

Since we don’t recommend giving your dog actual bones, we’re going to talk about the top 2 products in 5 different categories: bully sticks, edible dog chews, dental treats, yak milk chews, and chew toys.