Dog Community

recreational raw bones question

Posted : 6/18/2008 9:51:52 AM

So we are in teething hell with our pup and thinking that a raw meaty bone would be a good thing for her to gnaw on but I'm a little confused as to what kind I should be asking for/looking for in the grocery store (and I hope they have some - since we do not have a butcher around here that I can find).

I've convinced my SO that the are safe to give :) and I think at this point ANYTHING we can get her to chew on would be a good thing...we have several different kinds of chewies for her (toys that is, rubber Kong, a round thick rope with balls of rubber with different textures and another hard ring with differnet kinds of bumps, spikes and smooth textures - she perfers the latter toy). Oh and a nylabone which she ignores entirely.

I can't do a raw diet entirely - not comfortable with it nor is my SO, but I woudn't mind supplementing with raw bones for eating and for recreation and maybe some homecooked depending on how easy it is. But I think Kibble will remain the staple of her diet.

brookcove

Posted : 6/18/2008 10:30:47 AM

What size/breed puppy? Rec bones here (Border Collies) are beef/bison/deer rib size and up. For larger dogs, you'll want "soup bones" - beef knuckles, shanks, and long bones. Usually they know what you want, if you ask for beef soup bones. Rib bones, ox tails, and fresh feet are plenty big enough for small and toy dogs. Pork ribs might be good for a toy puppy. Zhi (Crested), was always able to handle what the big boys could, but really tiny dogs might need softer/smaller bones.

The idea is to find what will entertain your dog, without the abillity to completely consume the bone. Gnawing off bits is okay and desirable, but the bone shouldn't make a meal.

the_gopher

Posted : 6/18/2008 10:57:27 AM

Brookcove she is a 20 lbs. 11-week old flat-coated retriever puppy. I got some local information on nearby to my work butcher shops so I just need to get myself over there to get some bones for her. Might have to experiment a bit to find what will work for her the best. It's hard because I honestly have NO IDEA what these types of bones look like - so I'll have the butcher show me a couple of options (and hopefully he won't look at me cross-eyed Wink )

Thank you!!!

brookcove

Posted : 6/18/2008 2:39:19 PM

Here's a description of a beef marrow bone: http://www.hare-today.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=157 You can browse around that web site to see other bones and raw products and familarize yourself with their use.

the_gopher

Posted : 6/18/2008 3:53:00 PM

Thank you! The site is definitely a lot of help for me who has no idea what bone is what :) Now hopefully Ari will like these bones!

Sunshinegirl

Posted : 6/20/2008 8:58:18 PM

Freeze them and she will be in doggie heaven!!! My girls absolutely love them and t makes them last longer! And you can leave the bones out indefinitely. Dogs don't get sick from that. Mine keep going back to the same ones for a while (they have a basket of all types of bones). As they get new ones, I throw the older ones away. Get the camera out!!!! :)

the_gopher

Posted : 6/21/2008 6:15:52 AM

Sunshinegirl
Freeze them and she will be in doggie heaven!!! My girls absolutely love them and t makes them last longer! And you can leave the bones out indefinitely. Dogs don't get sick from that. Mine keep going back to the same ones for a while (they have a basket of all types of bones). As they get new ones, I throw the older ones away. Get the camera out!!!! :)

Oh so it is ok to leave these larger bones out??? Will do! We do freeze them, I love watching her eyes pop out when I take the bone out of the freezer for her, cracks me up - plus it entertains her for quite awhile so I can get a few things done around here without my precious little 12 -week old puppy "helping" me. While I appreciate the help, well....I'm sure you all know!

caveninit

Posted : 6/26/2008 9:15:12 AM

When my Callie was a puppy she loved those bones...and in all honesty I think having them to gnaw on really taught her NOT to gnaw on the furniture. lol I used to remove most of the marrow though....too much marrow would give her diarrea.

Jewlieee

Posted : 6/26/2008 9:27:43 AM

I recently gave a raw knuckle bone to my foster pup and she went at it so hard that she came away with bleeding gums! I felt horrible the poor thing. I do love giving my dogs those bones though. It keeps their teeth really clean and keeps them entertained for hours.

the_gopher

Posted : 6/26/2008 10:25:28 AM

Oh no Jewliee! Thankfully no bloody gums from Ari, she does like to gnaw on these bones - but still prefers to bite me (we're working on this). We also introduced her to bully sticks and those were a huge hit.

I give her the bone frozen and she LOOOVES it that way - she'll actually ignore it somewhat when it's been at room temperature for too long. I'm sure the cold feel probably feels good on her teeth and gums!