Raw bones for chewing?

[Snark]

Where do you get them and what kind is good for starting off? I've asked at our local grocery store but the butcher said they don't get whole sides of beef, most of it is packaged portions so there aren't too many bones included. Even the packaged soupbones are more meat than bone (and more expensive). I want something the dogs can work on for awhile rather than eat in two minutes...

 

[Zoom]

Ribs. They're not weightbearing so they're safe for teeth but will last for a good long while all the same.

 

[dobesgalore]

Ours had deer bones several times this year after my brother-in-law made some kills. Thaose bones have lasted and lasted. After about three weeks, there are still bones around the yard.

 

[DanL]

I think it depends on what kind of dog you have. My 2 big dogs will plow thru rib bones like they are nothing. I get marrow bones for them. I gave them each one this morning as a matter of fact. They clean the marrow out and then will work on the bones at their leisure.

My brother hunts and gives me deer, but I don't like using the leg bone because Gunnar will crunch them up and they leave some pretty sharp shards behind.

 

[vanillasugar]

Sierra also breaks big chunks off rib bones and I'm not comfortable with them for the most part. She gets marrow bones and beef neck bones for recreational bones. Marrow bones she cleans out the marrow then gnaws on the bone itself for days if I let her. Neck bones she chews down to almost nothing and eats quite a lot of it, but in consumable sized pieces. I've tried pork hocks once with her, they are pretty regularly in the grocery stores here.

 

[bubbatd]

No rib bones here !!! Soup bones only , but a small breed could handle a round bone if watched .

 

[Island dog]

I give Molly meaty beef rib bones. Also give her an assortment of meaty deer bones. Once the meat is gone and she leaves them, I throw them in the garbage. I never let any bones sit around as they get old and brittle.

 

[Dekka]

Everyone here happily eats rib bones. Even the JRTs manage to knaw them down to nothing.

 

[ihartgonzo]

I don't feed beef ribs, for the same reason as Nilly. My dogs break off the end pieces! Gonzo once pooped a chunk of beef rib and I decided I was done with that.

I don't feed marrow bones after I found Fozzie with one stuck around his lower jaw. It took me a long time to wiggle it off, and I felt so bad for him! I thought I would have to take him to the Vet and get it sawed off.

I love feeding knuckle bones for the teeth-cleaning and chewing benefits... and they last through hours & hours of chewing. I just take away the boney center. It's only like $2 for 2 huge knuckles here. I also give them Oxtail (halved or in quarters) and that will last a long time as a chew.

 

[Snark]

Thank you all for your responses!

I did find oxtail at my local grocer, I just wasn't sure if that was okay or not. I also searched on the net and found an actual butcher shop about 45 min. away. I guess they would have knucklebones... Is that something they'd have out or do you have to ask?

 

[ACooper]

Beef knuckle bones are what we do here as well

 

[vanillasugar]

You guys are lucky! I can never find knuckle bones, but would LOVE if I could!!

 

[RawFedDogs]

Knuckle bones, Soup bones, and femur bones can and have chipped, cracked, and broken teeth on many dogs. These bones are designed to support 1,000lbs or more and are very dense. They are harder than most dog's teeth. I would never give them to my dogs. I stick to the non-weight bearing bones.

 

[Island dog]

I agree with RawFedDogs - I also never give Molly those types of bones because I have read they are unsuitable. I could be wrong, but I prefer to not take the chance as there are many other bones I give her. Molly isn't interested in any bones after she's cleaned off all the meat and gotten whatever marrow is accessible.

Like I said before, I don't leave bones sitting around getting old and brittle.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Knuckle bones are not bare, though... they are covered in dense cartilege and tissue. I always take them away once my dogs get near the actual bone. While femurs and marrow bones are pretty much completely bare bone.

 

[ACooper]

Knuckle bones are not bare, though... they are covered in dense cartilege and tissue. I always take them away once my dogs get near the actual bone. While femurs and marrow bones are pretty much completely bare bone.

Same here. And like Island dog, I don't leave ANY kind of nasty bone lying around..........it's not just for the sake of hazard for the dog, it's hazard to my POOR FEET as well, LOL If they've cleaned off what they can and lose interest.........buh bye bone

 

[Renee750il]

Snark, you're in the midwest and I'll bet if you do a little looking you can find a small slaughterhouse operation that will GIVE you scraps. All you'll have to do is take a couple of 5 gallon buckets and a pair of gloves. That's how I get RMBs for my bunch, sometimes score some liver and other meat scraps. Since it's a small place, most everything that's processed is from smaller farms that don't do hormone or antibiotic injections or feed additives, so it's clean, too.

 

[Tsume'sMom]

Deer antlers make great chews, Tsume loves them, just have to know a hunter willing to part with them.

 

[BabyDane]

One of our dogs fractured her tooth very badly on a marrow bone and it had to be extracted. Now she has a ton of tartar buildup on that side of her mouth since she no longer uses that side as much. I don't recommend giving these types of bones for this reason only.

I give beef ribs once weekly, they clean them of all the meat and then chew on them leisurely throughout the week until we replace them with new ones. They do break off chunks of bone but they don't eat them...and if they did I wouldn't worry too much at all.

I second the vote for deer/elk antlers. We get ours off of ebay, much cheaper that way than buying them from a retailer. Just have to know that they are fresh! One rack is going on 6 months of abuse...and our dogs like to chew!

 

[iluvmydogs]

I got mine at our local market. One time my mom got my dog a really big bone and my dog got scared. He didn't dare to touch it.