dangers of feeding raw bones

He states that the bones are his dog's main/only diet. So, my question is......is this a nutritious enough diet for a dog? I am just asking because I have no idea, I thought that other foods, whether raw or otherwise, were necessary for proper nutrition.

 
 No, bones are not enough. It sounds like he is trying to feed a raw diet but hasn't done the necessary research to feed a properly balanced raw diet. I don't feed raw but I know that those on this forum who do have done a lot of research before starting their dogs on a raw diet.

Mudpuppy does bring up a great point. Even though Boss was already almost 9 months old when he came to live with me, because he'd been starved I have had to do some teaching on how to chew things properly without gulping. And as Jennie said she did with Emma, I held bones for him until he learned to chill out. Now all it takes is me to say chew nice and he knows not to gulp.
 
Because I have read this forum, and links like the one Jaye posted I am careful and monitor to make sure they are pooping like they should be and have no other obvious problems.
 
I started giving Gracie some raw as well.. started with chicken legs cut up, bone and all.
 
I haven't tried necks with either of them, but have done wings. They also get femur bones I buy at the grocery store and will buy soup bones and they both do well with those. I guess I feel safe with those bones because they aren't able to split them.. at least they never have so far.
 
Boss is healthier than ever and Gracie is growing so fast I can't keep up. I don't feed them only raw, but more and more is introduced each week and they are doing great and look forward to meal times each day. I can't say the word chicken around here without Boss running to the kitchen. Each morning they get a chicken leg and it's the highlight of his day, Gracie has caught onto that pretty quick too.
 
 

Thanks.  That is what I thought too, not nutritious enough ( I had sort of tried to explain that to him).  His reasoning for feeding the bones was "because he won't eat his dog food...."   I didn't want to argue with him, so I just dropped it, but it sounds to me as if he just sort of feeds his dog treats and bones, rather than dog food (raw or otherwise). 

yeah... my dogs wouldnt eat their dog food either if i let them only eat treats all the time.  and my kids wouldnt eat real food if i let them eat junk food all the time.   sounds like your friend needs doggy parenting classes or at least to visit this forum.

And therein lies the danger of folks feeding raw, or anything other than an excellent quality kibble without doing any research.  It ain't rocket science, but you've GOT to know what you are doing.
 
And Jaye makes an excellent point.  Not ALL dogs are food hogs who will eat anything, anytime.  Fill THOSE dogs up with treats and they won't eat the stuff that they need....much like children.  Of course the guy is probably feeding his dog something really wonderful like Ol Roy that he "won't eat"[:'(]

Thanks. That is what I thought too, not nutritious enough ( I had sort of tried to explain that to him). His reasoning for feeding the bones was "because he won't eat his dog food...." I didn't want to argue with him, so I just dropped it, but it sounds to me as if he just sort of feeds his dog treats and bones, rather than dog food (raw or otherwise).

It sounds like he's the type who may not be interested in doing what's best for his dog, but if you think he would be interested in doing it right, here are a few links you can share with him;
 
                [linkhttp://www.rawdogranch.com/rawdiet.htm]http://www.rawdogranch.com/rawdiet.htm[/link]
   
                [linkhttp://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/sampleraw.htm]http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/sampleraw.htm[/link]
 
               [linkhttp://www.rawlearning.com/]http://www.rawlearning.com/[/link]
 
                [linkhttp://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm]http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm[/link]
 
     You could also suggest mixing a little canned food with the kibble or buying pre-made raw such as Nature's Variety.

All good ideas, thanks!!  I emailed him the websites and I hope he will read them.

Hmm....intesinal impactions happen often with horses.  In fact colic (much of this is impaction colic, as it is VERY serious and usually requires surgery) is the leading cause of death in horses.  Therefore, horse people take whatever precautions they can to prevent it. However, there are risks and downsides to feeding ANYTHING.

This is how I look at this artical--there could be risks to feeding this item (but it's not like dogs are dropping dead left and right), be aware and be informed, and don't let your dog get into trash, dead things, etc.

BTW--I used to feed Sally cooked (the kind you get from the pet store) bones before I knew better.  One $350 trip to the emergercy vet fixed that.

I've read documented cases of greenies, rawhides, and kibbles killing dogs before, too. Plus, there are perhaps a scant few dogs who are hurt from eating raw bones, but how many dogs are hurt in the long run from poor nutrition, bad dental health, obesity, and any of the other health complications that come from a poor diet?

Besides, I have yet to hear a report of a dog eating raw bones in a controlled environment from a responsible owner who is well-educated and dying.