Raw Bones

[highway61]

I give them to my two dogs once or twice a week. They love them and it keeps them occupied longer than anything else I've found. But reading the "Antlers: are they safe" has got me thinking.

 

Now that it's summer I spend more time with them outside and here's the routine. I'll give them each raw bone at the same time. The puppy takes his as far away from the old dog as he can and settles in to a chewing session. The old man immediately buries his and then tries to steal the pup's but I'm wise to him and head him off the pup. After the pup is tired of chewing his bone he'll leave it and then try and find where the old man buried his. And by the time he has it dug up the old man will chew the pups for a while then bury it too.

 

So here's the concern: Maybe later that /day/night or the next day they dig up the nasty, dirty bones and chew away. There have been no allergy or stomach problems of any kind but should I be trashing the bones once I see them dig them up? Should I only be giving them the bones in the house and not outside?

[waffles]

When you saw 'raw bones' are you talking about rawhide bones you buy in the pet section or actual raw bones like a chicken quarter or turkey leg?

 

If you are giving rawhides, then I can't imagine why dirt on them would cause an issue. There was just recently a very long thread about rawhides where many members gave their opinions on the safeness of them. Use the search feature and you'll probably find it.

[Gideon's girl]

You can pay good money at Swanson's to buy their Soil Based Organisms, but your dogs are trying to save you the trouble. I only give my dogs completely consumable bones out in the yard. I don't think I would be comfortable with mine burying something and then eating it the next day, though my dogs have eaten old dead squished things out on the road with no ill effects. They should be able to handle the bones, but that is too much ick factor for me.

[Gideon's girl]

When you saw 'raw bones' are you talking about rawhide bones you buy in the pet section or actual raw bones like a chicken quarter or turkey leg?

It sounds to me like he is talking about marrow bones or recreational bones.

[highway61]

Correct on the marrow bones. They are the frozen bones I buy at PCC or the healthy pet store (Mud Bay where I live)

[waffles]

I personally wouldn't feed bones so big and hard that my dog can't eat the whole thing. I think the huge cow leg bones and knuckle bones would eventually cause tooth problems in my dog. Many people feed those huge bones with no issues so everyone has a differing opinion. I would suggest feeding bones covered in meat (raw meaty bones some people call them) which the dog can eat the entire thing. That would solve your burying problem as well , most likely.

Everyone has their own idea of what safe is so it should be whatever you're comfortable with and what your dogs can handle. Dogs eat all kinds of gross to us human things so if you're feeding he cleaned up marrow bones from the pet store, I wouldn't think dirt wouls be an issue, to me anyways.

[GentleLake]

I agree about the marrow bones. Too much of a tooth breaking risk, imo.

 

After an expensive and painful (for the dog) tooth extraction after she broke a molar chewing bones like that, I don't take the chance any more.

[Alchemist]

I've heard of too many dogs fracturing molars on very hard bones. (But you'll also get dissenting opinions). I give my adult dog bones for his teeth - but usually either frozen raw chicken carcasses (or half-carcasses) or frozen raw turkey necks (or half-necks - just got a whole bunch of turkey necks from Wegmans for only $0.75 each). He eats the entire thing. The vet always compliments me on how great his teeth look.

 

I've read somewhere that when puppies get their adult teeth in, they're more fragile for the first year or so than they will be after they've "hardened" somewhat. I think something like raw frozen chicken wings are fine for pups, but I personally wouldn't give them harder bones. Again, I'm sure you'll get dissenting opinions.

 

The worst thing for dogs' teeth is tennis balls. Slimey tennis balls + dirt = sandpaper.

[Tommy Coyote]

Tommy flaked off the whole top of a back molar chewing on a marrow type raw bone. We don't do bones anymore.

[Journey]

The rule we use wrt to bones is - no weight bearing ones. Haven't had issues giving the rmb.

[Sue R]

One alternative that will solve the "burying the bones and digging them up later and are they safe" is to feed each dog their bone in the crate (remove crate pad or mat first). Whatever isn't consumed the first go-round, can be bagged and put in the fridge or freezer for the next time.

 

I am one that does feed beef bones, and that includes neck bones (my fav of all, whether pork or beef or lamb), cut marrow bones (I remove much of the marrow with a grapefruit spoon and then use it for fat supplement in smaller portions), cut knuckle bones (excess fat removed as in marrow bones), rib bones, steak bones, etc. Well, just about any bone.

 

If I had my choice, I'd probably feed nothing but chicken parts (with bones), and pork and lamb/mutton bones (primarily neck) but since we have our own beef butchered and get all our bones back, that's what's in the freezer. With Megan a very avid chewer, we've seen a lot of tip wear and some minor chipping over the years (she's 11 next month). With Dan an avid and strong chewer (he can totally consume beef neck bones), we have seen no damage (he's 4 1/2) so far. With Celt being a so-so chewer (some bones, he chews right down, and some bones, he just does some chewing), we have only one tooth that shows any damage, and it's minor and not needing attention. We've had more damage from cow kicks to our current and previous working dogs, than we ever had from bones of any sort.

 

I love the overall dental cleanliness and gum health that I see in dogs that regularly get chewable bones (I don't think that marrow bones offer much in the way of tooth-cleaning benefits the same way that chewable bones do), and my vets do, too.

 

Everybody's mileage varies and everybody's situation does, too.

 

PS - When I look at the sort of things my dogs pick up and consume outside, I'm not very worried about bacteria on their raw bones, within reason. But I do bones in crates (until the bones are very cleaned up) and fridge or freeze them between uses. That makes it more safe and more pleasant all around.

[highway61]

Thanks everyone for all the info! My bad for not describing better what I meant by "raw bones". They are the beef marrow bones that have some meat/fat around them and are frozen.

 

I am perplexed about the chicken and turkey bone recommendations. I've always believed dogs could/would choke on them so they've always been off the menu.

[G. Festerling]

Raw only. Not cooked. The cooked bones are to brittle and sharp is what I was told.

[Sue R]

Raw only for chicken, turkey, all poultry. Really, raw for all bones for all species.

[Maralynn]

Along with the other bones mentioned, my dogs really love beef rib bones. Easy to find, fairly long lasting (my dogs will work on them for at least 45 min) and consumable