Pkingy   10 #1 Posted May 8, 2016 Was talking to the vet on Friday and the subject of giving bones to your dog came up. He said never ever give bones to your dog they could splinter and stick in the dogs gums or worse if it gets stuck in the throat it could be fatal. No more bones for my dog. What do others think? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
*Peaches* Â Â 10 #2 Posted May 8, 2016 I know a lot of breeders and dog owners feed raw food bones included, its only on very rare occasions do bones have problems being fed. I have always avoided pork bones, but happily fed chicken carcasses, lamb necks etc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
andrejuan   10 #3 Posted May 8, 2016 The vet is probably referring to bones from your joint or the butcher, I tend to agree it is not wise. However, pet shops sell specially treated bones for dogs that do not splinter and are in fact beneficial to the dog. The dogs love a bone, it would be a pity to deny them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
H_Hounds   10 #4 Posted May 8, 2016 A vet will also recommend commercial dog food, which is very poor quality food.  Raw bones are absolutely fine. Cooked bones splinter. I wouldn't touch the treated bones from pet shops personally, no nutritional value whatsoever. If I had an obsessive chewer there are better things available.  We went raw about two years ago and wouldn't go back! We used to get minced stuff from online suppliers but now we get chicken wings etc from the supermarket and they eat them whole, bones and all, and their teeth are strong and beautifully clean. We cook them tops off carrots etc when we cook our dinner for veggies in their diet.  A vet will see lots of cracked teeth etc but if dogs are fed poor quality commercial diets, their teeth won't be very healthy and so will become damaged when they bite something hard like bones. Healthy teeth will be fine.  Also, if your dog has gleaming teeth, you wont be needing £150 descaling every couple of years Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
rubydo1 Â Â 10 #5 Posted May 8, 2016 Also antlers are a good alternative and last for ages and they don't splinter . I have one dog that's allergic to pork and one that's allergic to chicken . Dried duck necks aswell ( although I have to limit these cos mine get giddy if they have too much protein ) Tried some stuffed hoofs from a well known national pet store and both dogs were violently ill so I agree stick to natural because it's rubbish that's in pet treats ( even so call natural ones) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
medusa   16 #6 Posted May 8, 2016 (edited) Molly is raw fed and has raw chicken carcass every day. I wouldn't feed cooked bones, and I'm careful with things like beef leg bones as they really are very hard so if bits come off (Mol is a GSD so she has a seriously strong bite power) they can be very sharp edged, but chicken carcass, turkey neck and the like are all quite soft and flexible bones and I just don't believe that they cause an issue.  Cooked bones and long bones are the issue, not ALL bones.  As for antlers, I've read so many things about dogs loving them so much that they are prepared to break their own teeth on them that I now won't offer them either. GSDs are at a particularly high risk of breaking their teeth on antlers because their bite strength is so high.  Molly used to have rawhide as a chew snack until I saw how bad that is nutritionally (the choking risk wasn't ever so bad for Molly because she was very sensible with it). Now she has plain cooked pork rinds and beef tendons which we buy from the 'other' company called Burns (not the ones who make the famous dog food, another company, based in Lancashire) along with her favourite dried black pudding and liver jerky.  These come very much recommended:  http://www.dogs-takeaway.com/#!product-page/c10at/30533ee5-cf88-e1b8-cad0-25eb4353e7a5  EDIT- and just to add, I don't clean Molly's teeth any more because she has perfect pearly whites even now, approaching 10 years of age and her vets always comment on how fabulous her teeth are, just being cleaned by bones and tendons and having no refined carbs in her diet to make the plaque grow. Edited May 8, 2016 by medusa Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
rubydo1 Â Â 10 #7 Posted May 8, 2016 I guess you have to find what works for your dog . Never had a problem with antlers . But yes GSDs do have a powerful bite so might not be as good for them . I also fill big Congs with carrots and a bit of cheese which they love . Raw hide is a definite no no for mine but the pet shops stock loads of the stuff so someone must be buying it . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Chelle-82 Â Â 10 #8 Posted May 12, 2016 I would personally say no to any sort of bones, especially small breeds! Â I feed my three dogs on a dry complete biscuit which doesnt contain the nasty's like wheat and soya which isnt very good for your dog. Every other day they have oily fish like mackerel or salmon (cooked salmon only), they have lots of different types of veg and fruit and they are given full carrots to clean their teeth.. My dogs have beautiful white teeth, shiny coats and all have a healthy weight. Â My parents have fed their dogs on this diet and they all had long happy lives, they had a cocker til 18yrs, a springer til 16yrs and a JRT til 21yrs!!! Â There are other options other than the usual meat and bones diet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
mosaic91 Â Â 10 #9 Posted May 12, 2016 We feed our pooch 'beef marrow bone' we pick up in morrisons for a treat every now and then. He just licks out the marrow from the hollow of the chunky bone and leaves the actual bone bit. We always keep an eye on him whilst he has it. I personally think this is okay. We don't feed him other bones as we are worried about splintering too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
mike84 Â Â 13 #10 Posted May 18, 2016 Bones are generally fine for dogs to eat as part of a balanced raw diet. If your dog is t used to eating raw meat & bones they can be difficult for you dog to "pass" Â My dogs are raw fed and have bones every day, about 10% of every meal they get is bone. Raw fed dogs have more acidic stomach acid and helps to digest bones much easier. Â Cooked bones and weight baring bones of large animals (cows for example) are very hard and can cause dental issues. My 2 enjoy whole rabbits / pheasants (including fur & feathers) etc regularly and have no issues, they also have a variety of other bones like chicken wings, lamb necks & ribs, pig trotters. Â I raw feed my cats too and again, they eat and digest raw bones regularly with no issues, obviously much smaller ones! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
ccit   10 #11 Posted May 19, 2016 (edited) AFAIK the British Veterinary Association/British Small Animal Veterinary Association do not recommend the use of bones. Clearly they take this stance because they are at the receiving end when things go wrong. People who advise that bones are absolutely fine are really saying that their dog/s have been OK using them but that is all. Whose advice is it best to follow? It is worth remembering that it is the vet to whom we turn in the case of problems, not the person who gave the advice to feed bones in the first place.  Nothing is 100% safe. The risk can be minimized by giving the correct type of raw bone (never cooked) but owners should be aware that there will always be an element of risk if they allow their dog to have one. Just this morning I have read an account of a dog that has required surgery on it's oesophagus due to splintering of a bone. Sadly, there is now a stricture and it has required further surgery to widen it. This has had limited success and the dog is now having difficulty eating with resultant regurgitation at times. All that the dog has and is suffering could have been avoided. Edited May 19, 2016 by ccit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...