bones for dogs

falabo

I started giving my dogs RAW bones (beef) and I was wondering if there is a limit to how many bones per week you can give them

Would it be safe to give them a small bone every day ?

I started giving them a bone each day in the past 2 weeks and their teeth are noticibly cleaner, their poos are great too

also would they need to be frozen first to kill bacterias ?

What about chicken uncooked legs ? I am a bit worried about samonella and things like that ....

Thanks

tk123

My dog gets chicken legs or wings every and no problems! ...or complaints lol!

Gloomtastic!

I think the rule with giving bones to dogs is that they should be raw and not cooked. Once cooked they can splinter and could be harmful when swallowed.

kassie

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

I think the rule with giving bones to dogs is that they should be raw and not cooked. Once cooked they can splinter and could be harmful when swallowed.

this is the rule!!! I've been feeding raw for nearly 4 years now to my 3 dogs, i don't keep track of how many bones they get. Some days they get bones and other days they don't.

Are you feeding a complete raw diet or are you just giving them bones as a treat??? With the raw diet you feed your dog according to its weight, they should get 2%-3% of their own body weight in food split into two meals per day, here is a calculator

http://www.raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm

with regards to the bacteria worry, dogs digestives systems are a lot hardier then ours and are "wired" differently and can tolerate the most disgusting things! Think about it, wild dogs and stray dogs rummage through all sorts and will eat even the most rotten of foods and they are fine! Even our own dogs if the find a decaying fish or dead animal in their path, they will attempted to eat it!!! Its disgusting to us but irresistible to them.

check out http://www.barfworld.com/ for more information on the diet, it makes total sense to feed a dog raw if you have the resources, stomach and time to prepare the food

falabo

kassie wrote: »

this is the rule!!! I've been feeding raw for nearly 4 years now to my 3 dogs, i don't keep track of how many bones they get. Some days they get bones and other days they don't.

Are you feeding a complete raw diet or are you just giving them bones as a treat??? With the raw diet you feed your dog according to its weight, they should get 2%-3% of their own body weight in food split into two meals per day, here is a calculator

http://www.raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm

with regards to the bacteria worry, dogs digestives systems are a lot hardier then ours and are "wired" differently and can tolerate the most disgusting things! Think about it, wild dogs and stray dogs rummage through all sorts and will eat even the most rotten of foods and they are fine! Even our own dogs if the find a decaying fish or dead animal in their path, they will attempted to eat it!!! Its disgusting to us but irresistible to them.

check out http://www.barfworld.com/ for more information on the diet, it makes total sense to feed a dog raw if you have the resources, stomach and time to prepare the food

great info from you all so far, many thanks

I give it to them as treats, one in the morning, I still feed them dry premium food so I have reduced this amount a bit . . .

The bacteria thing that I'm worry about , it's not for the dog, I assume their stomach would be well able to deal with it, it's for my floor, what if the bone is in contact with the floor ? (no children in the house, hoovered and washed every 2-3 days)

Whispered

If we give large bones it's not as a meal, because they just sort of grind away at them, stripping bits of meat and getting the marrow out. So a beef shin bone, each, might last a week. We would give them in the evening in their crates, so they can strip the meat, then it doesn't get smelly or anything. After that they are allowed bring them into the sitting room.

With regards to chicken, Mine would probably eat (among other things) a full chicken a week, bones and all, with no problems.

If you're worried, keep an eye on their poo. If they are straining, you might need to cut back a bit. I find giving things like heart and liver as well as bones makes the boney meat more digestable. But again, keep an eye, if they start to have runny poos, you might need to cut back on that too.

The raw food thread on the forum was a huge help when I started feeding raw, you should have a look.

With regards to the bacteria, with chicken I'm careful, it's only given in the crates and then the bowls are taken up and washed. With beef I'm more lax, once the meat is stripped I'm happy enough to have it in the sitting room. Floor is swept and washed every day.

falabo

I buy a bit of meat from my local butcher and I've been asking him for bones now, am I paranoid or do butchers hate doing this ? are they genuinely happy to give them away (less waste for them ) ?

Do they only have beef / pork bones etc or does anyone know where to buy turkey necks ? I'd be happy to pay for these cos I doubt my local butcher has turkey necks . . .

juniord

i get lamb carcasses off a butcher factory shop, if they are busy in the shop they just roll the bones bin to the door and let me help myself ( got 10 carcasses with neck bones on last time ) they dont mind giving bones if you are buying in the shop

jonon9

Been feeding my JRT raw for a year now and its been great but like owners make sure its a wide variety of meats but raw bone is great and for treats ask your local butcher for a big aul bone I get on every month she mostly chews on them

tk123

falabo wrote: »

I buy a bit of meat from my local butcher and I've been asking him for bones now, am I paranoid or do butchers hate doing this ? are they genuinely happy to give them away (less waste for them ) ?

Do they only have beef / pork bones etc or does anyone know where to buy turkey necks ? I'd be happy to pay for these cos I doubt my local butcher has turkey necks . . .

My butcher asks what size I'd like and have no problems giving them...butcher I used to go to would never give any so I switched butchers! You can get dried turkey necks on zooplus - ours arrived the other day but haven't tried him with one yet - it's prefer raw ones though!

bluecherry74

I'm pretty sure Prize Choice do bags of frozen raw chicken necks. If there's a Petstop near you check there as they stock that brand.

tk123

bluecherry74 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure Prize Choice do bags of frozen raw chicken necks. If there's a Petstop near you check there as they stock that brand.

Yep they do and they're about the same price as fresh. Are you in Dublin OP? If so head over to FX Buckleys on Moore Street - they always have chicken necks, oxtail etc. I almost bought rabbit one time but it had a skeleton head on it and freaked me out!