dog and bone

[piglet]

Hi,

I thought I would start this one . . .

WHAT YOU WANT
Raw bones - I get mine from a butchers

WHAT YOU DONT WANT
Cooked bones - usually on sale in pet shops

WHAT YOU DO
They need freezing first to make sure that you kill the spores of neosporosis caninium (sp?) and if you have another dog make sure they have alot of space to eat their bone in, bones are a really mega treat and you dont want any growlies !

WHICH ONES ARE OK FOR US ?
Beef, Chicken, Pork, Lamb ...

Puppies .... rib bones, from tiny but they must be large enough not to be swallowed whole
Old Dogs ... if they havent had bones before, go easy on them

WHY HAVE DIFFERENT ONES ?
in general bones which help animals to stand are play bones, ones which make up the body are food bones.

[Joly]

oh claire glad you posted this saves me starting a new topic lol!!!

my question (and sorry if its been aksed before ut i just dont have time to go look!!_

im thinking of taking the plunge and buying honey some bones - now rib bones best right?? but do they have to come from the butcher or is it ok to pick up a couple from the supermarket - i only ask cos our butchers is a fair way away and as i dont drive!! If its not ok please say and i will HAVE to think of some way of getting there!!

[piglet]

Hi,

I am not 100% sure I dont know if supermarkets add things to preserve the look of meat or if they are pre-packed if any preservatives are added ?  They wont let you just have animal bones - you'd have to buy human boned food - ouch !! an expensive way to do it for me as i cant stand food with bones in !

  lol !

For little honey, I would say ribs of something she definately cannot swallow, frozen first then defrosted

Claire x

[Joly]

ok thanks - cost doesnt bother me too much its just being able to get some!!! i just want to get it right!!

[parker]

Suz I buy mine human boned food The butchers round here can be really funny so I just buy them. Also chicken necks and wings are great to start off with as well

[Joly]

  thanks hun thats put my mind at rest - specially as you two are alive and well lol!!!

[Joly]

right - decision is made - will be getting some chicken wings for honey as soon as pos will let you all know how she gets on!! oh and the collie is gonna get them too-  spoke to my mum and shes coming round to the idea - at 12 years old this will be his first proper bone!!!

[parker]

Awww bless, pics as well though right

[Joly]

aww yes of course - going to try and get some tomorrow but might be difficult if no where is open!!

[Val]

Just take care with the oldie try a wing say on Monday and another Wednesday so they have time to get through his system before the next one if after a week ten days they are going through and he is OK you can always up them, if he is a pig hang on to the bone while he graws it, don't let him grab run and gulp
Val

It's called teaching an old dog new tricks

[Joly]

ok thanks val will do  - he is a bit of a pig but has slowed down a lot - but then hes never had these bones before so who knows - im not planning on them having them every day just three days a week or something for the teeth cleaning!

[kizkiznobite]

to start - chix wings and necks
once they get going - breast of lamb is good - has the right mix of meat soft bone and hard bone - this is good for the gobblers as the size makes them work it as does whole rabbits.
if feeding bones as the days meal - give the eating types first and the gnawing types after that once the tums start to fill - then they will chew on the hard work bones with content instead of getting frustrated cos they hungry and not getting filled fast enough. bear in mind that if this is their first bones then they will get the runs and they will have the smelliest wind - see it through and open the windows  it is just the good bacteria adjusting - do not leave un- supervised - especially with eating bones.

[Joly]

oh just a couple more questions - (concerned mummy here im afraid!)

how bad are they likely to get the runs - im more concerned for honey to be fair busters tummy is cast iron!

is honey gonna be able to eat all the bones in the chicken wings nd if she doesnt chew them up properly is it gonna cause her anyharm - i could do without vet bills cos they get stuck!!!

oh and if she has a bone one day how much should i cut down on her food - should i skip the meal or just halve it? - she drops weight easy so dont want to under feed her?

[kizkiznobite]

she will crunch the wing bones - honest!

depends on how good her immune/bacteria system is now so cant answer that - you could give her some pro biotic prior to the bones if you think it is weak

if she a under weight maintainence type dog then dont cut down her food - assess later if she puts on too much weight - she will manage it herself and leave what she dont want/cantmanage

[Joly]

ok thanks kiz will see how she goes then!!!