The Pet Thread

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Still not so sure this was a good idea...

But anyway, meet Pepper. I wanted to name her Mantequilla, but I was overruled.

 

So is there a way to make dogs actually chew on bones instead of hiding and "burying" them? It seems the only time ever that my dog has actually chewed a raw hide was when there was an equal sized dog around, I guess hiding was no good in her mind at the time. The rest of the time I buy these raw hides or recently just huge cow bone she just hides the damn thing in the cushions of our couch or under clothe or behind the drapes. I spent good money to see her enjoy chewing these things!

 

Have you tried an actual bone with meat on it? Your dog might get more excited about eating them if you give him something with raw meat attached. Our dog isn't much of a chewer...we've tried rawhides and mammoth bones and he either chewed them halfheartedly or ignored them. However, he goes CRAZY for the beef bones we give him. I buy a couple racks of beef ribs when they go on sale, cut them into individual ribs, and then freeze the majority of them. He will gnaw on a rib for an hour. It's good for his teeth, too. I make him eat it on the welcome mat on the balcony, though. I don't need raw beef on the carpets, rugs, couches, etc.

 

Real bones can be more expensive, especially if you buy it per lb or whatever, but it is so worth it. A rack of ribs cost me about $9, but Buddy gnaws on it for hours, gets tired, and then goes back to it every day to chew the bones all to bits. Since he still enjoys the same bone for several days, I can dole out fresh ones once or twice a week. That $9 goes a very long way.

Since I've started getting him real bones, his jaws have gotten much stronger (he is now able to actually crack and eat the bones) and I know that they are good for physically removing plaque and tarter from their teeth.

 

I gave her a t-bone bone I had left after finishing a steak. She chewed and ate it and shat liquid diarrhea for 3 solid days. Once, on the shitty split wood floor in front of the door of my last crappy apartment. I don't want to have to dig liquid shit our of crevices ever again. Is there anything special I'd have to do to treat the bone so that she doesn't do this?

 

Try to never, EVER give cooked bones.

Cooking a bone changes the consistency of it. Chicken bones in particular (although all bones, generally) become brittle and have a tendency to shatter into shards. This can puncture intestines.

Raw bones don't shatter and, in my experience, are stronger. They last longer and are in general healthier for the dog.

 

Was it raw? Don't give cooked meat. El husband dropped some leftover cooked meat (never do bones, they can splinter and cause internal bleeding--especially chicken bones) in Buddy's bowl once and he had soft, mucous-y stool the next day. Also, transitioning between old to new foods can cause stomach irritation in a lot of dogs. It may have been too much of a new thing. With the rib bones I give Buddy, there really isn't a ton of meat on the bone. The bone itself is about 6 inches long and it has .5-1" of meat all along the edges. It takes him awhile to work all the meat off it. Maybe start smaller, and be sure it is raw.

Also, I make him eat it on the porch because it can get messy. You might want to start with something small like a rib, and let your dog eat it outside just to test the waters so to speak.

 

Anyone know anything about allergic reactions in dogs or causes thereof? Last night Buddy's eyes were swollen. The little eyebrow nubs over his eyes and the area under his eyes were puffy and less of his actual eyes were visible. Today, in his armpits where there isn't really any hair, there are red splotches. He isn't really scratching or anything, it was all kind of random. It isn't serious enough to warrant a trip to the vet, but I am curious about it. Edit: he also threw up ALL his food yesterday, but that was before I noticed any puffiness.

 

I've posted about this ad nausuem. In my opinion, raw bones are safe.

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The bones are an essential part of the dogs' diet; many people make the mistake of feeding meat only. I use a mixture of 25% veggies/fruit/supplements and 75% ground chicken (bones, meat, organs).

Bones are only brittle and prone to splintering when cooked. My guys have caught live birds, and in addition I have fed them chicken carcasses. No issues here.

You should consult with your vet and do some research. I would ensure, though, that your vet doesn't presently receive product from dog food distributors. I find many vets buy into the hysteria around raw food generated by the dog food industry. They'll caution you that it's unsafe around children, causes bacteria, can be dangerous, etc. If they can link you to the articles they're getting their data from, then fine. If it turns out to be something their food rep told them, or if the study they talk about was sponsored by Purina, I would take it with a grain of salt.