Raw bones?

[gooeydog]

After going back and forth on it for a while, I'm more seriously considering giving the dogs raw bones to chew on every so often. Especially Annie, who has the most hideous breath (health probs have been ruled out, vets say it's just because she's small and plaque accumulates between her teeth more than for larger dogs, causing worse odor), she's had her teeth cleaned at the vets a few times, but within a year, needs it again, and I don't like the idea of having to be put under so often, so the idea of bones cleaning the teeth makes it sound even better. I don't know that I'll be giving Goo any, at least not at first, as she's much more sensitive to food changes than Annie (who has about a cast iron stomach), plus I have some concerns about bacteria (even though I know it's said that dogs can handle it) since she's an older dog.

I've done some reading on it over the years (more to do still if I do decide to give it a try), and know different people like to do things differently, so I thought I'd see what people here do.

- Where do you get your bones from?

- What size/proportions/cuts have you found to be best for your dogs?

- Do you sterilize them in any way before feeding?

- If you feed raw bones and kibble, is there still the concern as with feeding a partial raw/partial kibble diet?

- How often can you feed bones without worrying about upseting the balance of nutrients in the dog's current diet?

- Does anyone have a dog that tends to gulp food if they feel they might get it taken either by people or other dogs? And if so, how do you deal with it?

- What problems (even if they weren't really big problems) did/have you had in feeding raw bones?

- I also remember reading of a few people who feed raw, but do not give bones, and I'd be interested in seeing why that is as well.

[imported_Matty]

[quote]Where do you get your bones from?[/quote]
I get my bones from a local butcher, once you get to know them they give great deals. He will leave extra cartlidge and meat on my bones :wink: great for dogs with deteriating joint disease.
[quote]What size/proportions/cuts have you found to be best for your dogs?[/quote]
My dog likes the femur bone with the marrow in it. I also give her a leg of lamb every once in awhile.
[quote]Do you sterilize them in any way before feeding? [/quote]
I get them fresh and then throw them in the freezer. I don't sterilize.
[quote]How often can you feed bones without worrying about upseting the balance of nutrients in the dog's current diet? [/quote]
I never really thought about this. It never seems to have bothered any of my dogs health wise.
[quote]Does anyone have a dog that tends to gulp food if they feel they might get it taken either by people or other dogs? And if so, how do you deal with it? [/quote]
Never had this problem, I would be frightened that the dog would be an aggressive chewer and maybe get peices of bone stuck in the digestive system. A raw meaty bone may make your dog a little bit more protective of his new treat.
[quote]What problems (even if they weren't really big problems) did/have you had in feeding raw bones? [/quote]
I had one dog which was an aggressive chewer and broke off all of the tips of his teeth. I can't be sure if this was due to the bones or if it was because he liked to carry rocks.
I think some people give bone meal in replacement of raw bones as they feel they can perhaps control the ratio. Some people also worry about blockages.

[TDG]

- Where do you get your bones from?
since i live in a large city, i get mine from supermarkets. whole foods still does their own cutting and trimming at their stores, so they are usually my first destination. the huge plus is that all their meat comes from naturally raised and even organic sources.

- What size/proportions/cuts have you found to be best for your dogs?
depends on the size of your dog and how crazy they are about chewing. make sure to keep the pieces big enough so they can't swallow them. my dog is small, but i give fairly large pieces since he is a power chewer. the best thing are the knuckle ends of marrow/soup bones. they are soft, unlike the middle pieces.

which cut of bone depends on whether you are looking for something really hard that just gives a bit of chewing exercise (e.g. knuckle bones) or something that is good for chewing but also provides some nutrition, like beef necks, pork necks, pig's feet, turkey wings etc.

- Do you sterilize them in any way before feeding?
no, i give them as they come. when starting out i would recommend to trim most of the fat off and also remove some of the marrow, both are very rich and some dogs get digestive upset when they aren't weaned onto that slowly.

- If you feed raw bones and kibble, is there still the concern as with feeding a partial raw/partial kibble diet?
as far as i know, [b]there is no concern[/b] about feeding raw *and* kibble. i know the myths that are floating around allover the internet, but have never been able to substantiate them. even dr. pitcairn recommends to supplement kibble with some raw meat and other things in his book "complete guide to natural health for dogs and cats" and my holistic vet also said it's not an issue at all.

- How often can you feed bones without worrying about upseting the balance of nutrients in the dog's current diet?
i feed bones as a part of my dog's daily diet. they are mostly entirely consumable and not just for chewing (recreational bones, like beef knuckle bones or beef ribs), but there is no worry about upsetting the balance of nutrients.

- Does anyone have a dog that tends to gulp food if they feel they might get it taken either by people or other dogs? And if so, how do you deal with it?
i don't, but a friend does. feding the dog in a crate does help a lot.

- What problems (even if they weren't really big problems) did/have you had in feeding raw bones?
make sure you introduce bones slowly. do not give the dogs chunks of bonmes and let them chew for hours on end int he beginning. the more bone matter they consume, the more likely they will develop constipation from it until they get accustomed to it. keep a can of pumpkin (plain, not the pie filling mix) on hand to help with constipation if it occurs.

another thing that might be an issue is that not all dogs tolerate all types of bones equally well. my own dog does best on beef, turkey and lamb but has some trouble with chicken and pork, so i generally feed much smaller portions of those two items.

[DogPaddle]

- Where do you get your bones from?

Grocery store - soup/shank bones with meat on them.

- What size/proportions/cuts have you found to be best for your dogs?

See above.

- Do you sterilize them in any way before feeding?

No feed them as is, meat attatched, they love the marrow in paticular.

- If you feed raw bones and kibble, is there still the concern as with feeding a partial raw/partial kibble diet?

I've never had this concern. I know there is the arguement that kibble is designed to digest slowly so might cause meat to sit in the stomache too long but beef takes 3 days to fully digest in the stomache, I don't think the kibble is slowing it down.

- How often can you feed bones without worrying about upseting the balance of nutrients in the dog's current diet?

I usually give them once a week.

- Does anyone have a dog that tends to gulp food if they feel they might get it taken either by people or other dogs? And if so, how do you deal with it?

Shankbones are two large to swallow.

- What problems (even if they weren't really big problems) did/have you had in feeding raw bones?

Shankbone is an "O" of bone after they eat the marrow out. I bought one too large once and Zaphod got the "O" stuck around his lower jaw, behind the canines. We couldn't get it off, the vet had to sedate him and grind some of the shankbone away to get it off.

- I also remember reading of a few people who feed raw, but do not give bones, and I'd be interested in seeing why that is as well.

I feed kibble and cooked, can't help.

[gooeydog]

All good stuff to know, thanks guys :)

Annie is the one I worry about as far as gulping food, she's so worried that someone else might get what she has that as soon as you come near, she's trying her best to swallow it whole (she once ate one of those furry mouse cat toys when my nephew tried to take it from her, I had to make her puke it back up), even if she's in her crate. She has gotten better about it, but still will try sometimes if she has something really good. I'm just worried that when I go to take the bone (if it's getting too small, or she's had enough for one day) that she's going to try to scarf down whatever she has left whole. Would it be better to hold it while she chews, at least until she gets more relaxed about having them and it isn't such a rare treat?

Dogpaddle, you think that getting the bone cut in half lengthwise would help to prevent them from getting stuck on it? That's something one of ours would end up doing, I'm sure :roll:

And one more thing, if a dog has shown to not tolerate certain meats in foods well, is it best to avoid giving those types of bone as well? Just wondering, as foods/treats containing lots of beef make Goo sick, so if beef bones are likely to do the same, I'd rather avoid them from the start.

I think initially I'm going to get them from a store, but my dad occasionally does some work at a local slaughterhouse, so if the bones end up being a regular part of their diet, he could probably get them from there as well. Any concerns with that as opposed to buying from the store?

[DogPaddle]

Actually, cutting the "O" in half, is exactly what the vet suggested, that may work. However, my boys seem to get something out of the work it takes to get the marrow out of the "O" so I just check the size carefully.

As for the beef intolerance, I would think that if there was meat or marrow attatched there would definately be a problem. If its just the bone you might be ok though. I would definately develop a relationship with a reputable butcher, you can have him/her save you the bits that most people don't want but that your dog will be able to make use of.