Raw bones with meat

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Pam

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OK, so Beau is not on raw food. But the bones you can buy at pet stores seem to splinter so I am interested in getting him using raw bones which I understand are safer, better for his teeth, and healthier. He is a big time chewer still so I don't want to mortgage my house for bully sticks (besides they have lots of calories).

Do I have to freeze bones I get from the butcher? Which bones are best--beef marrow or other? Will it upset his stomach to have some raw when he is not used to it?

All advice would be appreciated.
 
Pam - I feed Zulu freeze dried raw, but not bones. Personal choice. Check out the book "Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs" by Lew Olson. It is one of the best books on feeding raw and/or bones to your dog. You can find it on Amazon, but I got my copy at half.com for less than $5.00
 
My dogs don't have a raw diet, but they did used to get bones (they don't any more because of Deska's cracked teeth). Meaty bones are better - they need something to chew, it's the chewing that helps the teeth. Freeze dried is not good - it dries out the bone which then tends to splinter into shards. Many butchers off-cuts are very fatty, which you'll also need to take care with as they can cause pancreatitis. Marrow bones are fatty, but he's probably alright give his age. It's better for his teeth tho if he doesn't try to bite through to the marrow if you want to save his teeth. I used to take the bones off my dogs and use a hammer to crack them open for the marrow (they used to get lamb shanks until they became trendy and too expensive). Keep in mind too that the bigger the animal, the thicker the bone. So beef bones are probably a bit too thick for a Sheltie that's a chewer. I'd avoid them unless you can take the bone off him once he's chewed the meat off.
 
I buy pork neck bones for Piper at the butchers. They're a nice meaty bone (some are like a rib bone but much harder while others are part of the spine...a bit smaller) and really works his teeth. Not a lot of fat on them either. I also feed him chicken backs (trimmed of all fat) and he loves them but they don't work his teeth as much.
 
Piper's mom said:
I buy pork neck bones for Piper at the butchers. They're a nice meaty bone (some are like a rib bone but much harder while others are part of the spine...a bit smaller) and really works his teeth. Not a lot of fat on them either. I also feed him chicken backs (trimmed of all fat) and he loves them but they don't work his teeth as much.
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Do you give them to him raw? Do you pre-freeze them to rid of bacteria or just give them straight from the butcher?
 
Nope, straight from the butcher (although sometimes they're frozen and I thaw and cut into smaller pieces and trim any fat). The only thing that really needs to be frozen first is salmon. The chicken backs I trim away all the fat. He loves them soooo much!
 
I was a big proponent of rec (recreational) bones for years to entertain and clean teeth, even though I do feed raw. I am now calling them WRECK bones, after Koko's abscesses caused by shards from a bone getting stuck in his gums and two chipped teeth--lucky he didn't break them completely!
If it is not a bone they can chew up for dinner they ain't getting it. Turkey necks are the hardest they get now. Vet bills to save teeth negate the savings from feeding raw...
Bully sticks do just as good. I factor in the extra calories. Costco sells 12" sticks in a pack of 12 for 28 bucks, if you have one you can go to...they last a few nights for my guys.
 
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