Is It Ok For Dogs To Chew Bark. However it is bad for your dog to eat sticks if they are swallowed. Even the bark from nontoxic trees when ingested in large quantities can cause issues by creating intestinal blockages. Many dogs love the feeling of chewing sticks and bark and can even be a stress relief for some. A lot of issues such as punctures choking and even death have reportedly occurred in dogs who used store-bought bone treats.
I only know because I used bark chippings once as a mulch on my border and a group on FB which I came off where up in arms about how I could poison my dogs. This can lead to blockages in their intestines this could be fatal in the worst-case scenario. Some dogs require constant chewing stimulation and will chew anything they can get their paws on without a proper distaction. However it is bad for your dog to eat sticks if they are swallowed. Commercially-prepared bone treats are not advisable to be used for dogs according to the FDA. Its risky to allow a dog to eat mulch of any type but certain mulches are even more problematic and dangerous.
It has many benefits including dental health provides mental stimulation and cures boredom and for puppies it provides relief when they are teething.
Chewing the wood is certainly dangerous but your dog can become ill by eating food or drinking water from the surface according to Partnership for Animal Welfare. Chewing trees can damage your dogs teeth and small splinters of wood can dislodge and become stuck in your dogs mouth and esophagus. For information on poisons for dogs that is reliable and authoritative look here at the Veterinary Poisons Information Bureau. Bark more likely to be an obstruction or to splinter than to be poisonous but as Mirage has told you avoid using cocoa mulch as it contains theobromine the same ingredient that makes chocolate poisonous to dogs. Large pieces of wood can cause even more significant problems including perforated intestines or stomach lining and obstruction of your dogs bowels. Many dogs love the feeling of chewing sticks and bark and can even be a stress relief for some.