bone guidelines

[Eleni]

I have never given any dog fresh bones, but im curious what the guidelines are to follow to give them safely to a dog?

im thinking sam might like a real bone to chew one once in awhile since hes a pretty big chewer and im finding i need to provide him alot of stuff to chew on to keep him from chewing on inappropriate stuff

Eleni

[Lissa]

When I was feeding a raw diet to my older dog she got a lot of meat bones - mostly beef marrow bones but also lamb and even turkey and chicken bones. I have personally never had a problem with bones splintering but it is recommended that you stay away from chicken bones because they splinter -especially cooked one's.

My puppy gets beef marrow bones whenever my grocery store has them. I would given them once a week if they were always available. They do work wonders on keeping teeth clean and usually dogs enjoy them!

Melissa

[Eleni]

the marrow bones, did you just buy them from the meat department

did you then freeze them to make sure they stayed fresh?

how long do you let the dog keep the bone before it should be tossed?? or is it just look for splinters and toss it when you see any kinda thing?


Eleni

[Lucky Rescue]

Dogs have a real need to chew, and I think bones are great! I give my dog marrow (or knuckle or "soup" bones) with lots of meat on them.

If there are suitable ones in the meat counter - bones not too big and about 4 - 6" inches in length) I take those. If there are not, I ask the butcher to cut some for me. I also try and make sure they have some meat left on them. Your dog will strip the meat, then get the marrow out. If bones are longer than 6 inches, the dog will have difficulty getting all the marrow.

These bones are very thick, and raw bones don't splinter as cooked ones do.

Your dog will love this, and it's very satisfying for them.

NOTE: Your dog may have a little loose stool the first time eating these bones, but that will pass.

[Beetlecat]

Rather than getting large marrow bones, many people like to get smaller, softer bones/meat that can be chewed up and eaten within 15 minutes or so. It's easier to regulate the amount the dog is eating (some of those knucklebones can be huge) and stops the leftover meat on the bone from getting dried out and smelly.

As long as they are not cooked, you can feed almost any kind of bones. Chicken necks and backs can often be found for cheap and are a staple in many raw diets.

The chance of a dog getting sick by eating raw meat or bones is pretty much negligable.

[Lucky Rescue]

That's very true Beetlecat, but you're talking about a meal, or raw feeding.

This is about recreational chewing, and harder and larger bones are good for that.

[Lissa]

Yes Eleni, I buy them in the meat section - sometimes they have already been prefrozen. There are usually 2-3 in the package and I keep one out to give in the next 3-4 days and the rest go in the freezer. Once they are frozen they last for a pretty long time!

[Eleni]

im gonna pick some up when i do grocery this week,

hes got this huge need to chew, ive been fining if his toys arent available to chew then he begins mouthing at me and the kids.

im at a loss as to what to do to stop this aside from providing lots of chewable stuff for him.

ive been stopping him from mouthing us by looking him right in the eye and saying "no bite' and then stop the playtime.

Eleni

[lezzpezz]

My 3 dogs are HUGE marrow bone fans. I keep them frozen so they last longer for the dog. The ones I get at the grocery store, (that keeps them in stock just for me!!) are about 4-6 to a small styro flat, prefrozen and about 2" thick and 3" across. I try to avoid any bones that have smaller bones attached to them and just look for solid one-piece bones, to avoid any possiblility of choking or splintering.
After the dogs have cleaned out the marrow, I will wash the bones if they are suitable and stuff them with peanut butter and refreeze them for yet another snack, or for when I forget to buy fresh marrow bones. At least they have something to chew on in a pinch.

[Beetlecat]

Originally Posted by LuckyRescue

That's very true Beetlecat, but you're talking about a meal, or raw feeding.

This is about recreational chewing, and harder and larger bones are good for that.

Well, I guess it depends on how much chewing your dog needs to do. I know that once the meat is stripped, my dog isn't intersted in large bones. Then they just litter up my house. I supoose if you continue to swap them out though, then they'll be good.

In any case, I'd suggest knucklebones since the different shapes and nooks and cranies make them pretty intersting. You can peanut butter up those spots when the bone is all used up and that'll make it interesting again. I personally don't like stuffing marrow bones 'cause I don't like that slurping sound Ky does when he's licking them out lol.

You'll find out what works for you.

[snooks]

Ok the first thing I need to tell you is I have a dog named Chewie. LOL Thats what he does the best. Most toys do not keep him occupied long enough, stuffies are killed and unstuffed as soon as they reach the house, soft rubber is destroyed. Raw marrow or knuckle bones are they only things that work in our house.
I let both dogs have a bone every 4 - 5 days. I don't like too much meat on the bones, but thats just me. I also cut off any fat because they don't need that either.
The marrow is usually cleared out of the bones pretty quick, but before we go to bed all bones are picked up,checked and either put back in fridge, put up for later, or chucked. I don't leave fresh bones out for the dogs unless I am home to supervised, but if the bone is cleaned, and strong, they can have it while i'm away. Bones are my friends.