[anonymously]

Orijen and Nutrisca for dry food are my favorites, check Chewy.com. For a reasonably priced wet food/topper, check out Newman Organics.
Your dog is a senior and therefore prone to developing bladder stones (breed) so I would soak her kibble in water prior to serving and maybe add a splash of water especially if she is not a water drinker. Make sure she gets out for frequent bathroom breaks/opportunities to urinate.
Also, check her teeth and get a cleaning and extractions if needed. Brush her teeth daily (see YouTube for how to videos)

PS: I just reread your post, if you want to feed only dry, presoak the kibble in water overnight, it will be soft, easy to chew and digest. If the food you are using agrees with her, then stick with it. You can always add a bit of scrambled egg or cooked chopped up lean meat/chicken (no bones)
Has she had a senior workup? Ask the vet that examines her what he recommends.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by anonymously.

[Kelly P]

My 13 yr old Mini Schnauzer has been blessed with great teeth all her life. She used to go through those really hard Nylabones like mad when she was younger. Apparently with no adverse effects on her digestive tract.

Now she doesn’t seem to have any chewing interest. I’ve tried different toys and bones. Then I got her some of the Milk Bone Dental sticks. Good God, within a day or two she was letting loose with the most rancid farts I’ve ever smelled. I’m sure it was them because I never smelled her farts before and yes I’m aware that at least humans and dogs fart.

In fact, right now I am on the far side of my MBR and she’s on the bed. I just got another blast. At least it’s still cool at night and I can air the place out. She’s looking at me like, “Are you talking to me?”

I will be ceasing these tomorrow. I had her at the vet on Friday and Schatzie let one fly. We were in a relatively small exam room and thankfully I was her last client of the day.

I might some of the ones mentioned above or just let her be. Her teeth are still perfect. I just thought it would be fun for her.

[Haley H]

I really like the ingredients of Farmina N&D. The lamb one is for all life stages as well…

Problem (which could also be a benefit) is that it’s made in Italy…meaning no supply store in CA. however, chewy.com has it. You’d think this brand would be more popular because of its high quality ingredients, I guess I’m wondering why it isnt…

Thoughts?

I’m planning on a fusion type diet, some raw (green tripe, mackerel, eggs, raw ground meat combos), some home cooked, some freeze-dried, all variants based alongside a high quality kibble. Also, like Dr. Ian Dunbar’s puppy training books suggest, I’ll be skipping the use of a food bowl…encouraging foraging “hunting” for food via puzzle/enrichment toys…like kongs (and the ethical pet tpr stuffables), both fresh and dried trachea tubes, raw hooves, bones, etc

I’m considering this brand for my malamute puppy, who will be coming home at 8 weeks this July.

Thanks in advance for the advice and input!

[theBCnut]

So far, the only fish I don’t feed bones and all is catfish, but I feed raw. My dogs have had salmon, tilapia, perch, herring, sardine, whiting, bass, drum, and a few others. I prefer to feed small whole fish, but I order whole fish grinds too. I also feed whole shrimp.

[theBCnut]

You feed the amount of organs and bones that goes with the amount of raw that was fed. The kibble has calcium, vitamins, and minerals to balance the kibble portion. It shouldn’t have excess. Personally, I think the vitamins and minerals in their natural form are better utilized.

[Cannoli]

“No wonder you had problems. No one should be mixing Kibble and raw food together”

This is another myth that needs to be dispelled. You can feed raw with kibble. Obviously you probably don’t want to feed the organs and ground bones since the kibble provides the calcium and necessary vitamins. But you can definetly feed the raw muscle meat with kibble. I do it all the time.

Seriously I eat raw steak tartar and sushi with cooked rice and yet you telling people that dog’s stomachs are so weak that they can’t handle this combination but humans can?

Also the digestion studies I read about how raw digest quicker than kibble blah blah hence you should never feed together is silly science.

[alexis w]

@Cannoli, thanks for the info, it really helps. i didnt think fish bones were safe, and i learned something new, you can have the store debone the fish!

[Cannoli]

With the salmon they come in pounds already deboned. I never feed fish bones raw or cooked…way too dangerous. They are always sharp.

With the Mackeral I have it deboned by the store.

The Sardines I just removed the main backbone as the rest of the other bones are very soft after it is cooked. There are hardly any bones left when I removed the main spine backbone.

The sardines heads are small about the size of two quarters…He loves to chump on them and he loves the taste of the eyeballs…God bless his heart he takes after me. I love fish eye balls.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Cannoli.

[alexis w]

thank you so much for your insight on the matter @Cannoli! that is a great way to feed fish, i had been told to remove the bones, do you leave the bones in? i see you feed sardines with the heads. i am still new to all of this so still finding out and figuring out what is safe and what is not.

[John K]

Sorry to hear about all your dogs. My 8 year old shep mix went through this 6 years ago. She went blind in a week and gained weight. Unfortunately it turned out to be tumors. It’s a horrible disease and leaves you feeling hopeless. Vet bills were in the thousands. I feel for you and your dog and all other owners who are going through this. I really believe it was because of her diet.

I rescued 2 dogs 5 years ago and had them on a raw diet. 1 chicken leg and thigh in the am and again in the pm bones and all. They thrived on this diet. However I had to travel a lot and my family didn’t share my affinity for raw chicken. So I was thrilled when I found this site which guided me to an acceptable diet of Fresh Pet rolls and Orijen senior kibbles. I also mix this with raw pumpkin, organic chia seeds, and organic raw dried cranberries.

[Haley H]

Hi everyone!
This is my first post, but I’ve been a constant on this page for quite sometime. I have a malamute baby coming home to me this July and I want to give him the absolute best!!

I’ve found a great local-ish supplier of green tripe, raw hooves, and all sorts of cow bits. I was all about tracheas and gullets until I read the study that links thyroidtoxosis to feeding gullets/trachea with thyroid tissues present. I asked my supplier if their raw tracheas and gullets had thyroid gland on them, they assured me that their sources removed thyroid glands beforehand.

I’ve looked all around the Internet, to no avail…I’m fairly certain the entire feeding of gullet is out…too close to the thyroid glands, however do you think the trachea, sans thyroid tissue, is safe to feed???

I was planning on using the fresh or dehydrated tracheas to serve part of my puppy’s meals in. I’m a huge fan of Dr. Ian Dunbar’s positive reinforcement methods, and also his idea to allow the dog the opportunity to work for their food…something crucial to all working breeds imho. So I was going to use both forms of trachea, filled kongs, and stuffed raw horns, hooves, and bones instead of using a bowl at all for food. I know this is another topic altogether, but I’m curious to hear what everyone here thinks.

I was planning to do a 25/75 kibble/RF plan, where his kibbles are fed in the morning, his midday and evening feeding being raw, with kibble occasionally used as training reinforcement. I have read lots of the opinions on combining RF and kibble, but a study done (I’ll share the link here), shows via x ray, that the rate of digestion largely has no effect on a dog when it comes to raw versus libble, being that raw food actually takes longer to digest because the dog’s body is working to utilize ALL goodness.
LINK: https://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2015/01/08/digest-this-kibble-may-actually-digest-faster-than-raw/

I may transition him completely to raw by age 2, but I’m not entirely willing to risk messing up his joints or growth feeding strictly raw from the time I get him (which will be 8 weeks)

I’m super excited to be here, obsessed with canine nutrition, and eager to talk to someone who can follow what I’m thinking about right now…no one in my life really cares much for my research and pontificating. LOL.

[anonymously]

From the same site you consider to be a reputable source: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/frozen-carrots-as-a-doggie-chew-treat/
Excerpt below, click on link above to see full article:
“Did you know that large frozen carrots make excellent, edible dog chew treats? As do semi-frozen sweet potatoes or many other large, frozen vegetables. The trick is to make them large enough to prevent choking (don’t use baby carrots), and be sure to wash them before freezing. These healthy, edible goodies are a safe choice compared to Thanksgiving poultry bones which can splinter and cause serious damage if ingested”.

“Also at risk are your dog’s teeth. Angell Dentistry’s Dr. Bill Rosenblad warns against bones, “Bones can easily fracture a dog’s tooth, and when they do, it’s usually the most important chewing teeth (upper 4th pre-molar). I’ve had to pull many fractured teeth as a result of these.” Dr. Rosenblad goes on to say, “Dogs don’t show signs of having a fractured tooth or abscess in the way that humans do, and this can lead to tooth loss and more serious infections impacting the whole body.” Make sure your veterinarian gives your dog a good oral exam during annual check ups to check for fractured teeth or abscesses”.
About the author
Dr. Rosenblad :https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/meet-the-dentistry-team/
Another good article by him: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/tooth-fractures/

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by anonymously.

[alexis w]

thanks for that information @Shawna and @ZoeC ! that does make me feel better about giving my Callie the raw bones. On a different topic, I just was given some information that worries me considering I use kale in a lot of my homemade dog food recipes, https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/human-foods-to-avoid-feeding-to-your-dog/
a close friend of mine was looking out for me and let me know about this, I looked into it further and found it to be accurate information. I am currently in the process of modifying all of my dog food recipes to reflect this new information.

[Shawna]

It is known in human circles that poor nutrition can lead to poor dental health. I would assume this holds true with dogs too and that dogs raised on less than desirable diets might have teeth that are more brittle and likely to break. If this is the case, the blame of the problem is being misplaced however. Chewing of bones is not the problem but rather the poor quality diet fed during growth should be blamed. Could, of course, be nutrition during development as well. LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of dogs chew on “appropriate” bones without losing and cracking teeth however femurs and other weight bearing bones are not recommended.

[anonymously]

Interesting……PetMd.com also printed the elongated version of the FDA warning. Read the comments too, for a variety of opinions. Hope this helps.
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/jcoates/2012/mar/dogs_bones_dangerous_combination-13528#

[alexis w]

thank you all for your replies, this has been very informative, it is very clear that we all have very distinct points of views on what is right and wrong concerning our dogs, especially concerning bones and that we all love our dogs very much.

[anonymously]

I provided a link to the material I posted directly preceding it, I also provided a link to the FDA report.

You are free to interpret both the article or blog however you like, just as any one of us reading them can.
I chose to believe they meant the information included “all bones”
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm208365.htm?s_cid=w_c_PetHealth_cont_001

This is a link to the material I posted:
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bones excerpt below:
“The Food and Drug Administration issue a warning about feeding bones to dogs recently. Just like feeding milk to cats (which also isn’t a very good idea), giving bones to dogs is a cultural cliché that we learn about as children. Bones are often the symbol for all things canine. Unfortunately, the idea that they are a fun and healthy part of the domestic dog’s diet is a myth. Eating bones can result in all sorts of medical problems, some minor and some serious. The FDA warning lists some of the more important:”

[anonymously]

“In regards to raw bones I am too lazy to teach my dog how to chew them so I just use a blender and do a fine ground either using small raw pork rib meat bones, raw chicken feet, and recently I added raw duck necks”.

“So no concern for blockage or death”

Ground up raw bone is what caused my dog to have a blockage (x2) I saw the x-rays, looked like gravel in the stomach and colon, it hardened and caused pain and discomfort for several days, Just lucky surgery wasn’t needed. I gave my meat grinder to the Goodwill.

“You also changed the list of dangers in the report from the original:”

Incorrect, I listed the source of what I posted right above it:

Also: Give a Dog a Bone (Not!)–FDA warns of dangers of feeding bones to dogs http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm208365.htm?s_cid=w_c_PetHealth_cont_001
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bones excerpt below:

1.Broken teeth. This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.
2.Mouth or tongue injuries. These can be very bloody and messy and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.
3.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.
4.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.
5.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!
6.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 stuck bone from the stomach.
7.Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage. It may be time for surgery.
8.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.
9.Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous. It’s time for a trip to see your veterinarian.
10.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 because peritonitis can kill your dog.

[Cannoli]

In regards to raw bones I am too lazy to teach my dog how to chew them so I just use a blender and do a fine ground either using small raw pork rib meat bones, raw chicken feet, and recently I added raw duck necks.

So no concern for blockage or death

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Cannoli.

[alexis w]

to the person who said my foods are not balanced, that is why i recommend a supplement with each recipe, and i know dogs need calcium, i use ground egg shells like stated previously. the raw meaty bones would be an add on.

[Cannoli]

Home cooked meals require calcium just like raw meals.

Besides bones and eggshells you can get calcium from seaweed. I prefer the calcium from seaweed because in addition to calcium seaweed also gives you the following minerals:

Magnesium
Sulfur
Potassium
Phosphorus
Sodium
Zinc
Iodine
Selenium

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Cannoli.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Cannoli.

[theBCnut]

Hi Marie

Dogs eating home cooked meals have the same requirements for calcium that raw fed dogs have. Obviously, you don’t want to give cooked bones, so the calcium has to be raw bones or come from other sources.

[Debbie J]

I do not give bones. I had previously given antlers and my baby almost had a blockage

Will try bone meal or ground egg shells

[Bobby dog]

Hi InkedMarie:
I use Balance IT Carnivore Blend for my home cooked meals. Other than the fresh foods required for the recipe the only other thing I add is Carnivore Blend to make it a balanced meal. I have read some home cooked recipes that call for calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, bone meal, or crushed egg shells, but not whole bones as the calcium supplement. Maybe someone else has more info.

[alexis w]

thank you for the information, that is what i had read originally and was worried about, but my vet and the person that i had talked to that had the experience both said it was ok so its kind of a toss up i guess as to what to go with. I might steer away from the bones just to be on the safe side and stick with my egg shells for the calcium(i have chickens so egg shells are in abundance)

[anonymously]

Also: Give a Dog a Bone (Not!)–FDA warns of dangers of feeding bones to dogs http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm208365.htm?s_cid=w_c_PetHealth_cont_001
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bones excerpt below:

1.Broken teeth. This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.
2.Mouth or tongue injuries. These can be very bloody and messy and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.
3.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.
4.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.
5.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!
6.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 stuck bone from the stomach.
7.Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage. It may be time for surgery.
8.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.
9.Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous. It’s time for a trip to see your veterinarian.
10.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 because peritonitis can kill your dog.

[anonymously]

I am just sharing my experience which happens to be different from yours.
PS: The bones I fed my dogs were supervised, small, and only served once a week.

[alexis w]

i didnt state it as if i was a vet, never said i was, all i said is that is what i was giving my dog. it is what was recommended to me by someone who has fed homemade dog food with the help of a vet and nutritionist for many years. the bones cause problems when they are not properly supervised or are not the right size for the dog. please do not attack me.

[anonymously]

In response to the above post, are you a veterinarian? If not, you may want to be more careful about how you express your opinions. You may not know as much as you think you do.
It is one thing to offer an opinion, but opinion is not fact.

Raw meaty bones caused me at least 3 visits to the emergency vet with more than one dog.

“First do no harm”

[alexis w]

I am going to start supplementing with pre frozen(to kill the germs) raw meaty bones. you never want to give dogs cooked bones. if you prefer you can used crushed eggshell to give the calcium needed

[anonymously]

Also: Give a Dog a Bone (Not!)–FDA warns of dangers of feeding bones to dogs https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm208365.htm?s_cid=w_c_PetHealth_cont_001
https://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bones excerpt below:

1.Broken teeth. This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.
2.Mouth or tongue injuries. These can be very bloody and messy and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.
3.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.
4.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.
5.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!
6.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 stuck bone from the stomach.
7.Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage. It may be time for surgery.
8.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.
9.Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous. It’s time for a trip to see your veterinarian.
10.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 because peritonitis can kill your dog.

[anonymously]

“Canine teeth (and incisors) are frequently damaged from random trauma (HBC, falls, etc.). The most commonly fractured tooth in dogs is the maxillary 4th premolar. This tooth is most often fractured due to chewing trauma. Bones (ANY actual bone), non-flexible nylon bones, antlers, hooves, and, a recent addition to the bad chew toy list, yak’s milk. These products are often advertised as long-lasting. Unfortunately, because they don’t break down, the teeth used to chew them, usually the maxillary 4th premolar, does fracture. Since these fractures occur from chewing trauma, rather than random trauma, dogs are likely to fracture both maxillary 4th premolars. A common fracture of the maxillary 4th premolar can be a “slab fracture, “fracturing a significant portion of the buccal surface of the tooth and often extending below the gum line to the root structure. (Fig. 2)”
excerpt from: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/tooth-fractures/
about the specialist: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/meet-the-dentistry-team/

[Shelley S]

Here are the ingredients in Milk Bones… Wheat Flour, Meat and Bone Meal, Wheat Bran, Milk, Beef Fat (preserved with BHA), Salt, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Wheat Germ, Calcium Carbonate, Brewer’s Dried Yeast, Malted Barley Flour, Sodium Metabisulfite (used as a preservative), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, … If you look up these ingredients individually, you will find out a lot about them and be able to make your own informed decision. I am a dog trainer by trade and am always changing the treats that my clients use to healthier alternatives. I personally have joined in a new treat company because the woman that created it approached me at a pet expo. I was unimpressed about being asked to become involved with them until I looked at the ingredients. Once I saw those, I joined the company and these are the treats my dog gets. It is now my desire to let everyone know about the treats but at the same time don’t want to spam. If you want to know more look up wonderdog superfoods, you can contact me from there. No matter what treats you use, please, do your research, they should not be an impulse buy. Ingredients are important, where they are sourced is important and where they are prepared is important. You can help to extend your dog’s life by doing your research and providing the best nutrition you can. With that, you can probably guess my feelings about milk bones/z lol

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Shelley S.

[Susan]

Go on Rodney Habib face Book page or Planet Paws F/B page.. Milk bones have BHA & cause cancer..
Link-scroll down & you’ll see a tan Labrador going to eat a Milk Bone…
https://www.facebook.com/PlanetPawsPetEssentials/?fref=ts

[Cannoli]

Hi Bcnut,

You make a good point about teaching a dog to chew. I tried teaching my boy with a bone once about 5 months ago but it did not go well and I gave up.

So I went to ground bones. Although now he is becoming a better chewer I might try teaching him again. I noticed that on raw and or home cooked meals he is chewing his food. When I feed him his kibble meal a few times a week he goes back to gulping. This is one of the points that many raw feeders make, that dogs over time on raw begin to chew their food.

In regards to plague I have read that dogs eating raw bones does help eliminate plague.
I also must confess that I love brushing my dog’s teeth. It’s a bonding experience between my pup and I. I bring out the tooth brush and he comes running up to my lap. Plus it teaches him good mouth manners. He knows that I can stick my hands in his mouth and he won’t bite me. As a result of this I am very bias towards teeth brushing and always point people to brush their dog’s teeth.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Randy O-
I buy Costco’s Kirkland Signature Dog Biscuits: http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/kirkland-brand-pet-food

I don’t get quite as fancy as some others on this site. My dogs do just fine with these. They each get half a biscuit every morning when we put them in their kennels before we go to work. So far no issues. I’m not sure how close the ingredients are to Milk Bones.

They are pretty calorie dense so I wouldn’t give too many. Plus treats shouldn’t make up more than 10% of your dog’s total calories. Best of luck!

[Jodi O]

i just joined this website as our family will have a lab puppy in a little over a week. As I narrow down a good puppy food, it got me wondering about quality dog treats. Am I better using a piece of dog food as a treat than bones? I’m sure my lab won’t care! Mike- I wondered what your opinion is. I want to be careful to watch the weight with treats but wonder if there’s no reason to use them if the nutritional value is inferior?
Thanks Jodi

[theBCnut]

It’s funny that you should post that. In my 41 years of owning my own dogs, the only tooth fracture I have had to deal with was from a nylabone. In the 14 years that I worked in the veterinary field(not a vet), we had about 5 broken teeth from Nylabones, close to 15 from chewing rocks(but a few of those were all in one Lab’s mouth), and 2 from aggressive bone chewers that were not raw fed dogs. I couldn’t even begin to guess how many from car accidents.

We also had a number of blockages. One dog ate socks, credit cards, screws, chain collar, etc. Both of the 2 that had swallowed bones were not raw fed. Socks were the biggest offender.

If raw fed dogs are swallowing bones that are too big, their owners didn’t do enough research before starting to feed raw. You see, you’re supposed to make sure your dog LEARNS to chew up the bones. If they gulp their food, there are measures to take to slow them down and get them chewing.

[anonymously]

Also: Give a Dog a Bone (Not!)–FDA warns of dangers of feeding bones to dogs
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bones excerpt below:

Broken teeth. This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.
2.Mouth or tongue injuries. These can be very bloody and messy and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.
3.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.
4.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.
5.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!
6.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 stuck bone from the stomach.
7.Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage. It may be time for surgery.
8.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.
9.Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous. It’s time for a trip to see your veterinarian.
10.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 because peritonitis can kill your dog.

[anonymously]

The veterinarians I have consulted offer a different opinion:

“Canine teeth (and incisors) are frequently damaged from random trauma (HBC, falls, etc.). The most commonly fractured tooth in dogs is the maxillary 4th premolar. This tooth is most often fractured due to chewing trauma. Bones (ANY actual bone), non-flexible nylon bones, antlers, hooves, and, a recent addition to the bad chew toy list, yak’s milk. These products are often advertised as long-lasting. Unfortunately, because they don’t break down, the teeth used to chew them, usually the maxillary 4th premolar, does fracture. Since these fractures occur from chewing trauma, rather than random trauma, dogs are likely to fracture both maxillary 4th premolars. A common fracture of the maxillary 4th premolar can be a “slab fracture, “fracturing a significant portion of the buccal surface of the tooth and often extending below the gum line to the root structure. (Fig. 2)”
excerpt from: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/tooth-fractures/
about the specialist: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/meet-the-dentistry-team/

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by anonymously.

[anonymously]

Raw food doesn’t agree with some dogs and can cause GI distress. Bones (raw or otherwise) even when finely ground up can cause GI blockage. I no longer feed bones because this happened.
I have had excellent results with once a day dental brushing.

PS: Bones can also cause broken teeth.

[theBCnut]

Hi Cannoli

Feeding neck MAY cause HYPERthyroidism. This is because some sources do not remove the thyroid gland. This is most common in beef and other red meat grinds and not usually an issue with whole turkey and chicken necks.

And yes, feeding bones can prevent plaque build up. I don’t brush any of my dogs teeth and they all have completely spotless teeth, all the way to the back. It is definitely an individual dog thing. It has to do with chewing style.

Chewing style should also be the major determinant in deciding whether or not whole bones are safe to feed.

[pugmomsandy]

A half horse power grinder should be able to grind up chicken bones and small turkey and duck necks. Or if you can feed chicken necks or feet, they are small and would still count towards the bone requirement.

Have her teeth/gums been checked to make sure there aren’t any pieces of bone lodged anywhere in her mouth causing pain?

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Cannoli]

No I don’t strictly feed boneless. I am a strong proponent of a rotational diet. That means rotating meats, calcium sources, organs, and natural supplements to ensure that proper nutrition is met. But this comes with a caveat. As long as your dog can handle this.

So back to your question, I feed bones as long as they are finely ground. Safer for my dog and easier to digest for him.

In regards to plague. Only daily teeth brushing of your dog will prevent this. Dogs chewing on whole bones won’t always prevent plague. I brush my dog’s teeth as well as his gums and upper and lower inside of his lips. There are parts of the teeth and gums that a whole bone can’t clean. Like the teeth all the way in the back.

If I was you I would buy some calcium seaweed too so that you can rotate it with the egg shell. If you can afford a grinder..check out Amazon you or invest even in a Vitamix blender. You can than buy small ribs bones at the store and grind them up or blend them up in your Vitamix blender.

[Cannoli]

Hi John,

First I am not a fan of any neck bones. Read up in hypothyroidism in dogs, which can be caused by constantly feeding neck bones.

Secondly, not a fan of feeding whole bones either. Unless I can grind them. My dog choked a few times on whole bones.

I like to rotate my calcium as I don’t believe that bones can always provide the adequate calcium levels

I recommend ground egg shells about 1/2 teaspoon per lb of food which is about 1000 milligrams of calcium or natural calcium seaweed. Natural calcium seaweed not only provides the exact amount of calcium but it also provides other minerals.

Both ground eggshells and natural calcium seaweed are easier for a dog to digest hence they can absorb the calcium better and it is a lot safer for them.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Cannoli. Reason: typo
• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Cannoli. Reason: typo

[John P]

Hello all,

So I started raw feeding about a month ago. Started on Chicken leg quarters for the first two weeks and then introduced turkey necks on week three. She has been doing really well. Her skin and energy have improved tremendously, and honestly I wish I would’ve started this sooner.

I started introducing some boneless a week ago because her stools were really hard, so I figured too much bone content. I also added chicken hearts gizzards, which she loves.

Now all of a sudden, she doesn’t want to eat anything with a bone in it. I put the leg quarter or turkey neck outside and she doesn’t even touch it. I know bones are an important part of raw feeding, so I’m concerned.

Any suggestions on why she may have stopped eating them? Anyone had a similar issue?

Finally, if she just simply won’t eat it, can you recommend a solution for feeding boneless with a calcium supplement?

Thanks

[Cannoli]

I feed crush ground eggs shells or calcium seaweed. I like to rotate my calcium source and not just bones. When I feed bones I groundd them up

[Cannoli]

I believe in a rotational diet this is what I feed my dog below on a weekly basis I aim to balance on a weekly basis when it comes to the nutrition components:

High end kibble 3 meals a week- Origen. Usually chicken flavor since I don’t feed raw poultry.

The rest of the days for the week I feed as follows:

Since my dog is 60lbs I feed 2lbs a day with 80% meat 15-20% bone and 5 % organ of the follows:

Raw hormone free grass fed bison- from grocery store or fom Real Raw Dog food online
Raw or lightly cooked hormone free Venison- from Hare today Gone tomorrow
raw or lightly cooked hormone free elk from haretoday gone tomorrow
Raw or lightly cooked hormone free organic beef- fom grocery stor
Grass fed hormone liver, kidneys, and thymus from grocery store- every meat meal
On weekends he gets 2 meals of fish. Fresh caught whole sardines, or fresh caught salmon with skin, or whole Mackeral. Always cooked and these fish have the highest concentrations of omegas 3. I never use fish pills. Fish pills are crap
Green tripe from real raw once a week

for each meat meal I rotate on a daily basis the calcium to get 15-20%. Either ground rib or pork bones, or calcium seaweed, or egg shells. Never neck bones as I fear hypothyroidism.

Also each none kibble meal I add the following organic supplements to the meat dishes. I never feed synthetic supplements:
Tumeric
spirulina
Organic virgin coconut oil-4x week
Kefir- every other week
Apple cider vinegar with the mother-3x a week
Organic egg 4 x a week
Fresh organic blueberry smoothie with kefir
Fresh ground organic ginger

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Cannoli.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Cannoli.

[Cannoli]

I would stay away from necks as this might lead to hypothyroidism in dogs. If dogs eat too much necks they absorb thyroid hormone from these animals. Dogs eating too much thyroid can lead to hypothyroidism. I like to rotate between ground rib bones, egg shells, or use seaweed calcium.

If you want more calories use organic Virgin coconut oil stay away from any coconut oil that is not virgin. as none Virgin coconut oil has fillers and it’s processed.

[Rox B]

Julia J you do not need a nutritionist to feed your GSD. Please join my Facebook group Learning Raw With Roxane. It’s free and you will learn how to properly feed raw. I have an 8.5 year old GSD and members with GSD’s including one with a GSD puppy who is growing fine feeding raw. We have MANY members with large breed puppies. I teach Prey Model Raw Diet 80/10/5/5. Come learn HOW to feed raw and what raw meaty bones are safe. You can learn about weight bearing bones, their risks and so much more helpful information. Here is the link to my closed group. Request to join….it’s free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningRawWithRoxane/