[boobear27]

@neezerfan My dogs did great for their first time:) I was really nervous to give it to them at first, but they turned out doing just fine. I got it at the Turkey meat section at Stop and shop from a brand called Shady brook farms and it was already cut to a nice small size for my small dogs. They were pretty inexpensive as well I bought some that had to be sold that same day and put it in the freezer as soon as I got home.

[pugmomsandy]

Boobear27,

What are you feeding for dinner? Necks have alot of bone compared to meat. Could tend to make harder than normal stools. Just FYI. And raw fed dogs have small, formed stools that turn ashy in color BTW. For dinner, I would suggest some muscle/organs or whatever they are normally eating. I can feed 3 meals a week of RMB without worrying about nutritional deficiencies. I give my pugs 1/3 to 1/2 a turkey neck or 1/2 a duck neck. Actually I should give them 1/2 a duck neck, but I gave the whole thing! Generally speaking, they would only need 6 oz a day total of raw food so when I give them a big bone like that, they only get a small snack for dinner. Chicken necks are alot smaller and easier to measure out. I gave mine chicken wings when I first started too.

[boobear27]

@pugmomsandy, My dogs eat Wellness small breed dry kibble twice a day..I plan on replacing a meal twice a week with a RMB..I’m afraid if I give then kibble with a RMB they might get stomach/constipation issues…My Toy poodle is susceptible to teeth problems I’m hoping the Turkey necks help keep her teeth healthy:)

[Laura P]

Hi,
I’m wondering what the best source for raw meaty bones is? I called a butcher and they only have organs, and not so much in by products (pork necks, chicken necks, etc.). They recommended contacting a meat packer, but wanted to ask what others have done before I go that far. Thanks!

[Cyndi]

I get mine from my butcher, chicken backs and turkey necks. I also order from Hare Today and they carry chicken necks, duck necks, turkey necks, etc.

[C L]

If it wasn’t so late as I was watching your dogs eating the chicken necks and backs, my eyes would have be popping out of my head! Just watching that chicken neck disappear little by little, as you hear the crunching! Your dogs did very well.

I’m just investigating feeding bones. I bought marrow bones for my 3-1/2 pd 12 year old Chi. She eats Nature’s Variety raw organic chicken mostly, so she’s used to raw food. I put an old bedsheet down, thinking maybe she will understand I want to to eat this bone on it, and she did stay on the sheet, long enough to bury the bone in the sheet by pushing the sheet over it with her nose! I tried giving it to her again, but this time, I dug some marrow out & put it on my finger, which enticed her to eat the marrow, but I took it away before she ate all of the marrow.

I gave her this other type of bone that’s supposed to be a femur, but sliced lenghwise in half and lightly smoked with some meat on it. She really got into that to pull the meat off and the fat and I could see how that would clean her teeth.

[theBCnut]

Just be very careful. Marrow bones are harder than the bones we recommend and many dogs break teeth on them. The smoking process cooks them to some degree and some of these smoked bones splinter dangerously. IDK how much of an issue it would be for a dog as small as yours though. Make sure she doesn’t get too much marrow, so she doesn’t come down with panceatitis. And finally, some smoked bones have nasty chemicals in the “smoked flavor” and really aren’t good.

[Lord F]

I give my dogs RMBs several times a week; as a regular part of their meals and for recreational chew time. My oldest dog (he’s a 100lb lab) swallows pork ribs whole. I haven’t seen any problems in him. His poops are healthy and he never heaves/vomits. Is this okay for him? They get a pork rib every other day, sometimes he’ll chew it, sometimes just swallows.

[pugmomsandy]

Have you tried turkey neck?

[theBCnut]

I wouldn’t give him pork ribs if he swallows them whole. They are pretty small and may never cause an issue, but then again, they might. And if you aren’t checking his poop, you don’t know that they aren’t all still in there and may yet cause a problem.

[Lord F]

Yeah he chews up turkey necks just fine. They get chicken feet and wings, pork neck and femurs, turkey neck, marrow bones, lamb femurs, whole rabbit, and pork and beef hooves and he seems to chew everything really well. It’s just the pork ribs that he’ll swallow.
Is there anything I should look out for as far as there being a problem with the ribs he’s swallowed?

[theBCnut]

Maybe giving him 2 ribs still attached to each other would encourage him to chew his pork.

Watch for signs of bellyache, vomitting, and watery diarrhea. It likely won’t cause any problem at all. He is big enough to pass them, but it’s best to be safe.

[C L]

theBCnut, thank you for your input. I’m trying to read as much as possible so that I help my dog and do not harm her in the process of helping her. I did read the marrow bone should be on the larger side so they can’t get a good grip to clamp down and break a tooth. I also read about the marrow thing, and how rich it can be, so I don’t let her consume it all in one day. Bones make me a little nervous , but I see how it does her good, and the level of enjoyment she has as she works on the bone. I picked out a marrow bone with as much meat as possible so she could work the outside of the bone. The butcher cut it down for me, since it was a big long bone, but not too small.

The smoked bone that has a good amount of meat on it is hormone & antibiotic free. They told me it was naturally smoked. They told me how they do it, but I’ll have to ask again when I buy them.

I’d like to try her on chicken or turkey necks next. I’m still a little nervous about her being able to eat the bone. I read that it could be good to hold onto it to see how the dog consumes it, to make sure they don’t gulp it, but I think holding it could encourage some dogs to want to consume it quickly as they resource guard it.

[C L]

LordF, I am new to feeding bones, but I think this one is a no brainer. Don’t give him pork rib bones anymore, problem solved, since he does so well with other things. Btw, you have a beautiful dog (looking at profile pic).

[theBCnut]

Hi CL

Yes, for some dogs holding it is much worse. You can try clamping a set of vice grips onto it to make sure they take it slow. I know of an old poster here that used the old metal tube from his vacuum cleaner and attached raw to that to slow his dog down. Most dogs do learn that they have to chew their food. The bones in turkey necks are small enough for large dogs to pass, if they don’t chew them. The bones in chicken and duck necks are small enough for small dogs to pass. But for a toy dog, I think I would hit them with a hammer, if I wasn’t sure if the dog would chew.

[Rhonda L]

New dog… new to raw… new to healthy bone options… oh, mercy! So much to learn. Thank goodness for you all. I’ve ordered Darwin’s pre-prepared raw food so we can get going while I’m learning. When feeding a raw bone, do you take your dogs outside? (Trying to chill about it, but struggling with the idea of raw bones being smooshed all over the floor.) If they haven’t eaten it all in a certain amount of time, do you remove it? If they bury it, do you just leave it for a future discovery? I always thought I was a semi-intelligent person — may have just been kidding myself — but this raw diet / bone business has had me reading for days, and feeling sadly under-informed. Still, determined to figure it out. My sweet rescue pup deserves a little dinner love.

[C L]

Rhonda, I’m new to raw myself. What I see people do is to feed their dog in a space that’s easy to clean up, so a tiled area. You can feed your dog outside. You can provide a piece of linoleum for your dog to consume raw on it. You have to teach your dog to stay on it. Some put down a cloth, or you can use a drop cloth (plastic). It is a messy thing to feed raw. I’ve seen people feed their dogs in a large wire crate.

You can take a bone or meat away and refrigerate it for another day. I’ve never seen anyone address if they bury it.

Depending on the size of your dogs, some bones are more appropriate than others. People tend to feed bones that can be consumed. One that are hard are the ones that a dog can chip/break a tooth on, so many serve chicken. Where ever you feed your dog, you need to watch your dog consume the bone. They can choke. You have to be ready for that. I don’t see it mentioned on my raw site, but Capri got the keel bone of a chicken breast stuck in her mouth. I looked over and she was not moving. I removed it and gave her a few pressure compressions, because she looked like she wasn’t breathing, then she was okay. No one talks about that, so it’s something to be aware of and that they can choke.

I belong to a raw FB page called Raw Feeding. You can join and ask questions there. They have files on the page that they want you to read up on first, because they can answer questions (they’re articles). I’m still learning.

Something that they do that I didn’t learn right away is “trading up”. If your dog is at the end of their piece of meat or bone and you think they will gulp it, you offer them something they like better to get it away from them.

[Kelli A]

Just wondering – I’m looking to attempt to try prepping my dogs raw meal. What is a good bone for a 70lb dog to eat for meals? She needs 2.8oz of bone per day (apprx). Before this she has eaten 80/10/10 ground. I gave her a chicken back once, and I feel like it might’ve been too small as she just kept trying to put the whole thing in her mouth (after she started with trying to pull some of the meat off). She’s definitely a gulper? – she was used to eating her kibble non-stop, barely chomping at all. I’m so lost on this meal prepping, etc… any help is greatly appreciated!

[Tyrionthebiscuit]

Try chicken leg quarters. I’ve read of some people taking vice grips and using it to hold an end of the bone to help slow the dog down as well.

[Therok90]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I used to feed my dog a chicken neck and he enjoys it.

[Sloane K]

Wow, so much helpful info in this thread. Thanks everyone!

[Hiren P]

However, am not trusting my maths and am upset that I’m not conniving the number that I’m given them properly. employing a figure of two.5% for the % of their weight that I’m selecting to feed, is that this correct:

I’m feeding guided missile as if he were seventy five lbs, that the maths is seventy-five x .025 = 1.88 lbs total daily divided by 2 meals is .94 lbs per meal, right?

When we get to seventy pounds, the maths is seventy x .025 = 1.75 daily divided by 2 meals is .88 lbs per meal.

Bella, is 15 x .025 = .38 daily divded by 2 meals is .19 lbs per meal.

I found this conversion chart to convert pounds to ounces which is able to create this a euphemism of heaps easier to work out once I get my digital room-scale. how many ounces in a pound

It’s simply that for a few reasons, the maths is throwing ME off. You gotta hand it to kibble within the convenience department once it involves conniving parts.

[william M]

The controversy isnt one. Kind of like my 78 year old vet. He’s convinced raw is terrible, chicken bones deadly and most other bones and basic meats a waste of money and time , and would love to see my hounds on some science diet scam. I’ll pose to all for you the same question I do to him….When have you found a dead coyote or wolf with a chicken bone in their throat? Same goes for every other wild carnivore eating my chickens from skunk and coons to weasels and fishers. Time to pull the collective head out of our dark holes and realize, your DOG is a canis Lupus. That means wolf from the get go, or wild dog. they do well with raw as well as cooked meats. They love the awful (body cavity parts especially liver, kidney, lungs, heart etc.) and all the connective sinew on the bones and joints. Does their teeth and general oral health immense good.
All this said, let me just qualify my “EXPERT STATUS” as it were. I have raised and managed over 1200 head of beef cattle for several years for market, Had ranches and farms with EVERYTHING from waterfowl to ginnies. I am 55 and have had various breeds of dog from cockapoo’s to almost every breed and crossbreed of hound from germans to pointer to my latest and likely most clearly bred WALKER coon. All have been working hounds i.e. hunting or herding. I have always maintained one large crockpot for my dogs. I will say I have found one minor issue with my dogs and raw meats, and it’s the same for all wild critters….they get a taste for the raw meat of whatever they are eating. So if your raising chickens, best not to give too much raw chicken unless your discipline style with your dogs far exceeds their need to eat chicken. Just saying. Natural law dictates your dogs DNA drive to hunt, kill or just the desire to sniff and retrieve. Play up those traits based on the breed you got and they will be happy, healthy and live (in some cases) longer than you may think. End note… I have had dogs I would use to move cattle for miles with, or hunt for days with, but they were the worse house pets! And every one of them thought they were a lap dog when in the house! Hopes this helps a few on the fence about raw or cooked or processed foods. We use taste of the wild dry kibble as their 24/7 go to if they are peckish. They get a meat and some potatoe or squash mixed “wet or real food” once a day. I make my own with the crock pot and it varies from week to week from chicken to rabbit to beef and pork…..with the occasional venison or elk thrown in as a treat with livers, kidneys and heart and gizzard thrown in. Always good to check with the local stores to pick up all these items when they are close to pull dates and you can get them for up to 50% off. Wallmart carries 10lb frozen leg quarters fo 5.95 per bag. Thats .59 cents per pound for dark meat chicken….my dogs love it and between the two it serves them for a week. Hope all this helps.

[Jerry R]

My 18lb dachshund has no problems with working the marrow out af far as he can in the bigger beef bones.
Loves the turkey wings too. I break them into 3 pieces. He likes the very end best and that 4-5″ wing tip is gone in 20 minutes.
He’s a hunter by nature so he’s right at home eating these bones, cartilage, and all.
One of these days he’s going to catch one of these squirrels and have a real treat. If he wasn’t fenced in he would have already.

[anonymous]

Make sure you have the phone number and directions to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic handy for you or anyone else that wishes to engage in this risky practice “raw meaty bones”.
I speak from experience.
Best of luck!

[Jerry R]

I wonder what all the wolves do when they need an ER from eating bones? Must be a lot of dead ones out there from this dangerous practice.
Mine chews them thoroughly and is always supervised.
Did you know more dogs choke on dry kibble than they do bones?

[anonymous]

Yes, they (wolves) die young and suffer greatly from broken teeth, infection, bowel obstruction, ,etc.
They also suffer and die from malnutrition and parasitic diseases. Alone, deep in the woods.

Bones are dangerous for dogs, anyone who is educated in veterinary medicine knows that.

[Jerry R]

That explains it…educated in vet medicine.
They could get hit by a car too. You’re barking up the wrong tree. No pun intended.

One of many vets that say otherwise. Including mine.

http://www.thrivingcanine.com/vet_opinion_raw_meaty_bones

[anonymous]

Hope this article helps some of the readers
https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/jcoates/2012/mar/dogs_bones_dangerous_combination-13528

Dogs and Bones: A Dangerous Combination

Dogs have been chewing on bones for thousands of years. This is what nature intended, right? Well maybe, but it’s an activity that is not without its risks.

As a veterinarian, I’ve seen the ill-effects of feeding dogs bones more times than I can count. The risks are significant enough that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has even gotten involved by posting the following “10 reasons why it’s a bad idea to give your dog a bone” on their Consumer Updates website.

Broken teeth. This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.

Mouth or tongue injuries. These can be very bloody and messy and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.

Bone gets looped around your dog’s lower jaw. This can be frightening or painful for your dog and potentially costly to you, as it usually means a trip to see your veterinarian.

Bone gets stuck in esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach. Your dog may gag, trying to bring the bone back up, and will need to see your veterinarian.

Bone gets stuck in windpipe. This may happen if your dog accidentally inhales a small enough piece of bone. This is an emergency because your dog will have trouble breathing. Get your pet to your veterinarian immediately!

Bone gets stuck in stomach. It went down just fine, but the bone may be too big to pass out of the stomach and into the intestines. Depending on the bone’s size, your dog may need surgery or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy — a procedure in which your veterinarian uses a long tube with a built-in camera and grabbing tools — to try to remove the bone from the stomach.

Bone gets stuck in intestines. This will cause a blockage and it may be time for surgery.

Constipation due to bone fragments. Your dog may have a hard time passing the bone fragments because they’re very sharp and they scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along. This causes severe pain and may require a visit to your veterinarian.

Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous. It’s time for a trip to see your veterinarian.

Peritonitis. This nasty, difficult-to-treat bacterial infection of the abdomen is caused when bone fragments poke holes in your dog’s stomach or intestines. Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian as peritonitis can kill your dog.

I look at feeding bones in the same way I do letting dogs run loose. Is it natural? Yes. Do dogs like it? Yes. Are there some potential benefits? Yes … until misfortune strikes. There are many ways to safely satisfy your dog’s desire to chew (e.g., toys made out of twisted rope fibers or dense rubber), to promote dental hygiene (e.g., daily tooth brushing or dental diets), and to provide your dog with the high-quality foods and balanced nutrition he needs to stay healthy.
Dr. Jennifer Coates

[Jerry R]

This is age old argument that will survive the test of time for many years to come. If feedings dogs what they are meant to eat and love to was as bad as makers of kibble and people like anonymous that promote and advertise for suggest, no one would be feeding it to their best friends.
Truth is, people that have seen first hand how healthy their dogs are seldom go to back to feeding that garbage to their pets.
Read the labels!

[Laura A]

This has been always been a very Debatable topic whether raw food is more beneficial than the cooked food? Some will have you believe that cooked dog food is superior to raw dog food because raw dog food brings the risk of illness due to bacteria Current research supports that there are benefits to real ingredients. The Best option to this Solution is Try out some Branded pet food as they are excellent alternative of cooked food as it contains all the nutrients in exact proportion. Also, it does not contain any harmful pathogen. Here is a link to one: https://animals.net/best-wet-dog-food/ In my opinion I agree that dogs and bones could be a possible dangerous combination. Try choosing safe chew bones for dogs and avoid the dangers of cooked bones.

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by Laura A. Reason: error

[Jerry R]

NEVER COOKED BONES! Raw only. Almost any poultry bones are soft enough for any dog to chew up and digest. I avoid turkey drumsticks as they are considerably harder for my little guy. I do let him chew the raw meast off them but the bones seem to be too hard. Turkey wings he puts away no problem.
Chicken feet on the other hand he chews on and swallows whole once he has them crunched up. He just put away 2 of them in less than 30 minutes. Those are his treats.
Excellent source of glucosamine and chondroitin. Glucosamine is a drug your vet will prescribe for arthritis btw. Avoid the need for such intervention by feeding it to your dog BEFORE he suffers such a painful condition.

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by Jerry R.

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