Give a poor dog a bone ?

alibabba

Looking for some advise for my 8 month old boxer
is it ok to give him a bone to chew on?
will it cause him any harm?

i got a couple of marrow bones from the butcher shop, he said to roast it for 20 mins to soften it a bit and then give it to him.

i have also read that raw bones are better, cause they dont splinter?

so im confused now ?

any help ?

peasant

Raw bones are better (because they don't splinter). But don't let him eat all of it or he'll get a right nasty case of constipation.

EDIT: has he got all his new teeth yet and has he had them for a while? Because heavy duty chewing and nawing isn't recommended on puppy teeth or on new teeth that are still soft and fresh in their bedding.

ISDW

I'd stick it in the freezer for a while just to kill any bacteria, and then give it to him raw.

sorella

Young dogs gnaw large bones as a teething ring. Always raw. The noise can be amazing. Our rescued collie aged 7 has only just found the joys of chewing and gnawing on raw bones.

An old bone can be made to yield more fat by roasting it for a very few minutes.

sunshinediver

alibabba wrote: »

Looking for some advise for my 8 month old boxer
is it ok to give him a bone to chew on?
will it cause him any harm?

i got a couple of marrow bones from the butcher shop, he said to roast it for 20 mins to soften it a bit and then give it to him.

i have also read that raw bones are better, cause they dont splinter?

so im confused now ?

any help ?

Raw are fine, just don't let the dog eat them all, especially a boxer, they'll eat the entire thing..

sorella

It is the ones they bury then bring in later.. they seem to love them that way.

Call me Socket

A 20 minute roasting is sending it well on its way to being cooked, and wouldn't be safe for the dog at all.
Raw bones are safe.
The dog will get hours out of trying to extract the marrow, it's as good as a stuffed kong! They tend to mind and nurse the actual bone itself after getting all the marrow out, but it's not very common for them to eat the whole bone. I'd get rid of it after maybe 2 days.

As Peasant mentioned, raw bone can cause constipation, so it's great to dry up a dose of the runs, it can be given crushed in powder form. If your dog is on a kibble diet you'll probably find that the stools become more firm and easier to pick up if some raw bone is given regularly. But I wouldn't be giving something as big as a marrow bone more than twice a week if your dog turns out to be the type to eat the whole bone. It should be more a treat (for the marrow) than a meal.

abbey2000

i dont like giving my dogs raw bones or any raw meat, I didnt want them to get a taste for raw meat and blood in case it might encourage them to go off after sheep or something...am i totally silly in my thought process here?

i always cook anything i give them, never anything raw.

Call me Socket

Not silly at all Abbey, it's a common myth and still widely believed.
But it's not true... If a dog chases sheep, it's for the chase, not the eating!

Back years and years ago before commercial dogfood was invented, all dogs were working dogs, not pets. They helped to herd and hunt. And they were fed raw meat and bones as there was no kibble. If raw feeding back then 'gave a dog a taste for blood' then he would be eating the very thing he was supposed to herd and would be of no use as a worker.

All 4 of my dogs eat raw meat, hearts, trotters, carcasses.... and they pay no attention whatsoever to sheep.

It's just a myth.

And cooked bones are very dangerous because they splinter, it'd be like eating glass.

abbey2000

thanks call me socket, i did not know any of that. i did not know that the cooked bone might splinter. must give them raw from now on so.

Call me Socket

Trust me, they'll love it!
What breed of dogs do you have? I'm sure you know that there are some breeds that aren't good around sheep and cattle- it's a natural instinct in some breeds to herd- the German Shepherd for example.
The first time my GSD girl saw sheep she was very curious, as puppies are about everything, but she didn't have any major urge to chase- her recall is excellent anyway, and she's never out without me, so it's not something I worry about.

Just saying that sheep chasing dogs don't do it because they are fed raw meat... it's because either they like the chase, or they're originally bred to herd, or the hunting pack instinct takes over when there's more than 2 or 3 dogs together.

If your dogs don't roam free (like they shouldn't:)) then it's not something to be concerned about.

lightening

I get marrow bones from my local butcher from the cows leg. The dog loves them, I don't get pork bones.....

Any other type of bones good for the dog?

monty_python

ISDW wrote: »

I'd stick it in the freezer for a while just to kill any bacteria, and then give it to him raw.

freezing does not kill any bacteria, it makes them lie dormant and then they wake up again once enviromental conditions are favorable (ie, bone is out of freezer)

i always freeze my snake's food because they eat whole animals, which is alot more likely to carry tic's or flea's.

freezing does kill parosite's (fleas, tics etc), but not pathogens (harmful bacteria)

abbey2000

i have two gods, a schnauzer and a schnoodle...not top of the list for heading off after sheep i guess!

they are never out and about on their own, i keep them in, or when out they are on a lead. i like to look after my two cuties!