Same sources: We shouldn't we give bones to our dogs because they could easily make them choke and in worst cases they'll need surgery.

I have a LB book about raw diet, where the author advices to give them meaty bones, especially because of the calcium, but we should never feed them cooked, for through the cooking process they change their consistency, get brittle and could be stuck in the digestive tract. But raw is ok, as long as the size is correct.

Here, in this mentioned article they say, we should only give them big raw bones, which the dogs can't eat completely and we should take the leftover rest away in order to avoid that they swallow it and block the gut.

I until now have often given rather big bones to the Pits and to the smaller ones to other bones. But I never gave really small ones, like chickebreast-, neck-,-or wingbones, for they seemed to me even when raw somehow too breakable.

Thanks for any advice!

The HUGE issue with bones is the difference between raw and cooked.

Raw bones have a bit of flexibility while cooked bones become very brittle and splinter easily.

I believe they also digest better when raw.

When I had three small terriers, none of which weighed over 15 lbs, they each got one whole raw chicken leg and thigh as the basis for their diet.

No issues at all.

Oh, cool. So I did it mostly right and additionally I can give them now chicken legs and thighs too if raw. Thanks, Bob.

Some choose to beat the the leg quarters with a hammer to break up the bones.

Not a bad idea if you have a gulper.

Thanks, Bob, yes one of the Pits is a gulper.

Hi, Christina,

Do you also have access to chicken backs? Because they are terrific, even for a beginner-raw dog. And chicken necks are good, too, as long as you have watched carefully at first and know the dog's "style" -- is s/he a gulper or a chewer? That will give you clues about RMB size as well as whether such easily-swallowable items like necks should be halved first.

Do you know the difference between RMBs and recreational bones? I ask because recreational bones, as opposed to RMBs (raw meaty bones), are what are almost certainly being talked about here: "Here, in this mentioned article they say, we should only give them big raw bones, which the dogs can't eat completely and we should take the leftover rest away." What book or article is this?

Also -- just checking -- you're not forming a whole diet from 100% RMBs, right? (Even though RMBs are the basis of a raw diet, they're not the entire diet.)

P.S. Of course Bob is 100% correct about no cooked bones.

P.P.S. Here's the section all about the raw diet ("All-Natural Diet for Dogs") ...
http://leerburg.com/webboard/topiclist.php?forum_id=12


But wherever, do please feel free to post any and all raw-diet (and diet in general) questions!

Thanks. Candy, for your advices!

No, I don't form a whole diet from RMBs and yes I only additionally give them to the following:

Different muscle meats, a lesser amount of organic meat like liver, kidney and heart (= muscle as well as organic). Everything raw. Just what we recieve here, but always a mixture.

What concerns the bones they recieve more RMBs than recreational ones, partly because the last ones we rarely get here. Chicken backs and necks I have never given until now for the same reason. But we've heard recently of a shop in the next town, who sells such things. So we will look for this. We already bought a second freezer, so we can store more diferent foods.

I give them also yogurt, white cheese, raw whole eggs and certain veggies and fruits. (Mostly cucumbers, leafy greens, broccolis, bananas, ananas, papayas, just what they offer at the moment, of course not all of them together. From time to time I add a bit of chia seeds and cashew nuts.

Yes, one of the Pits is a gulper as well as a chewer, (if exceptionally we have a big bone). The small ones are eaten in no time.

The article by Stan Rawlinson I've already deleated. But it referred primarily to the newsletter by Dr.Becker/Mercola:

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/05/19/caution-bones-can-kill-your-dog-find-out-which-ones-are-safe.aspx

The book I followed until now from LB is "Raw Dog Food" by Carina Beth MacDonald. I feed them already a long time like this and I've never had any problems with feeding and no health issues. I was since this article just a bit concerned about the size and parts of the bones, I want to avoid accidents.

Thanks again!

Ah - and this goes under general questions? Seemed to me to be it was a health question.



Edited by Christina Stockinger (02/13/2018 06:31 AM)
Edit reason: confusion

 Quote: Christina Stockinger

Thanks. Candy, for your advices!

No, I don't form a whole diet from RMBs and yes I only additionally give them to the following:

Different muscle meats, a lesser amount of organic meat like liver, kidney and heart (= muscle as well as organic). Everything raw. Just what we recieve here, but always a mixture.

What concerns the bones they recieve more RMBs than recreational ones, partly because the last ones we rarely get here. Chicken backs and necks I have never given until now for the same reason. But we've heard recently of a shop in the next town, who sells such things. So we will look for this. We already bought a second freezer, so we can store more diferent foods.

I give them also yogurt, white cheese, raw whole eggs and certain veggies and fruits. (Mostly cucumbers, leafy greens, broccolis, bananas, ananas, papayas, just what they offer at the moment, of course not all of them together. From time to time I add a bit of chia seeds and cashew nuts.

Yes, one of the Pits is a gulper as well as a chewer, (if exceptionally we have a big bone). The small ones are eaten in no time.

The article by Stan Rawlinson I've already deleated. But it referred primarily to the newsletter by Dr.Becker/Mercola:

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/05/19/caution-bones-can-kill-your-dog-find-out-which-ones-are-safe.aspx

The book I followed until now from LB is "Raw Dog Food" by Carina Beth MacDonald. I feed them already a long time like this and I've never had any problems with feeding and no health issues. I was since this article just a bit concerned about the size and parts of the bones, I want to avoid accidents.

Thanks again!

Ah - and this goes under general questions? Seemed to me to be it was a health question.

I think this post was meant for Connie to answer...

So sorry! You're right without doubt! so : thanks so much, Connie!

No problem!

I was pointing out the raw feeding section, but this is fine too!