Stagbar warning from DentalVets

stusawop

DentalVets: Latest vet dental news

muddypaws

Thanks for that, I stopped my lot chewing on theirs after hearing tales of broken teeth etc.

tk123

muddypaws wrote: »

Thanks for that, I stopped my lot chewing on theirs after hearing tales of broken teeth etc.

Same here - back to nylabones. I got a great one that's shaped like a stick lol!

meoklmrk91

My fella never really took to his anyway so I guess that was a good thing in hindsight,

tsue921i8wljb3

On the DentalVets site they also say that feeding bones to dogs is dangerous. They even quote a US FDA leaflet:

http://www.dentalvets.co.uk/docs/FDA_BonesBreakTeeth.pdf

I am a raw feeder and give my dog bones. What are peoples opinions on this?

bluecherry74

My two have lost interest in their Stagbars so I'm taking them up for good just to be on the safe side. They seem to prefer the nylon chews anyway.

Damari Immense Silverfish wrote: »

I am a raw feeder and give my dog bones. What are peoples opinions on this?

I think it depends on the type of bone, some are harder than others. Marrow bones would be very hard, but the big bones from the knee area are much softer. Chicken bones are fine too.

tsue921i8wljb3

bluecherry74 wrote: »

I think it depends on the type of bone, some are harder than others. Marrow bones would be very hard, but the big bones from the knee area are much softer. Chicken bones are fine too.

Perhaps that is the case. I was just shocked to see quotes such as:

"Bones are Unsafe for Your Dog. The idea that it’s natural for dogs to chew on bones is a popular one. However, it’s a dangerous practice and can cause serious injury to your pet."

My Labrador has been eating raw for two years now with no issues.

borderlinemeath

That's not a great article as it doesn't make any distinction between cooked bones and raw bones. From reading it it seems to just focus on cooked bones as it talks of throwing out bones from 'your own meals' etc.

I feed raw as well and have no problem giving bones, I feed raw chicken/duck and also give butchers bones a couple of times a week as well.

Tropheus

Our Beagle eats a lot of raw bones including chicken bones with no issues. There is an important distinction between raw and cooked bones. IMO, cooked bones are dangerous.

DBB

I've no problems with chicken bones either. Well, my dogs don't. I haven't started eating them just yet :-)
However, I have ranted here before about antler chews... My lovely young dog took the tips off all four canine teeth from chewing the damn things. I'm disgusted about it, every time I look at her teeth I feel annoyed and a little guilty. All stag bars here are long since thrown out.
I gave same dog a turkey leg a couple of weeks ago. Won't be doing that again either. She's a good bone chewer, very methodical, but this took her way too long. The following morning, she upchucked a number of hard, sharp slivers of the turkey bone. I was bricking it for days after, afraid that one of these shards which hadn't come up would perforate her gut. Never again.

muddypaws

DBB wrote: »

I gave same dog a turkey leg a couple of weeks ago. Won't be doing that again either. She's a good bone chewer, very methodical, but this took her way too long. The following morning, she upchucked a number of hard, sharp slivers of the turkey bone. I was bricking it for days after, afraid that one of these shards which hadn't come up would perforate her gut. Never again.

Thats interesting, I would have assumed turkey would be the same as chicken, but obviously turkeys are much bigger birds. Don't know why that would make the bones a different consistency, but I'm sure theres some logical explanation for it.

DBB

muddypaws wrote: »

Thats interesting, I would have assumed turkey would be the same as chicken, but obviously turkeys are much bigger birds. Don't know why that would make the bones a different consistency, but I'm sure theres some logical explanation for it.

That's pretty much what I thought too! But they're much harder, stronger bones... Maybe not just a factor or size of bird, but flight of bird? Turkeys aren't great fliers, I'm thinking their bones are heavier as a result?

muddypaws

DBB wrote: »

That's pretty much what I thought too! But they're much harder, stronger bones... Maybe not just a factor or size of bird, but flight of bird? Turkeys aren't great fliers, I'm thinking their bones are heavier as a result?

I wonder if is the same principle as the weight bearing bones in cows and sheep, that you're not meant to give to dogs. Glad that the lesson has been learnt for you, and us without any lasting effect.

borderlinemeath

DBB wrote: »

That's pretty much what I thought too! But they're much harder, stronger bones... Maybe not just a factor or size of bird, but flight of bird? Turkeys aren't great fliers, I'm thinking their bones are heavier as a result?

Just reading the above posts got me googling wondering why myself.

It seems that the average chicken is slaughtered at 6/7 weeks but turkeys are allowed mature until they're 5 months old before slaughter. I would imagine this has a bit to do with the hardness of the bone too?


http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/hidden-lives-turkeys.aspx

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/chickens.aspx

toadfly

I gave Lexi the turkey wings from the xmas turkey before cooking and she loved them. They are massive though. Once ever I gave her raw bones from the butcher and they splintered. Freaked me out I just assumed the butcher would know what bones were safe. Never again. What type should I ask her as Id like to give her one once a week. She gets are chicken legs everyday with no problems.

Just read this and it does say turkey bones are older and denser so not always suitable

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/b-r-f-raw-feeding/151814-turkey-wing-okay-raw-feeding.html

boomerang

I give my crew raw lamb shanks, but I take them off them once they get down to bare bone or they'll continue to chew them into shards, and eat those too!

Boo found a cooked leg of lamb yesterday with no meat left on it. Someone must have thrown it out for "the dogs." Poor girl, I took it off her immediately. A dog came into the vet on Friday that had been given a cooked turkey leg. He was near death's door. The bones perforated the bowel, peritonitis resulted and the dog didn't make it. It's very scary.

borderlinemeath

TillyGirl wrote: »

I gave Lexi the turkey wings from the xmas turkey before cooking and she loved them. They are massive though. Once ever I gave her raw bones from the butcher and they splintered. Freaked me out I just assumed the butcher would know what bones were safe. Never again. What type should I ask her as Id like to give her one once a week. She gets are chicken legs everyday with no problems.

Just read this and it does say turkey bones are older and denser so not always suitable

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/b-r-f-raw-feeding/151814-turkey-wing-okay-raw-feeding.html

Ribs are nice and soft if you can get them. Sometimes the butcher saws me up a pelvis which they can get a nice chew on. When I get the marrow bones I take them off them after they have cleaned the outside and gotten as much as they can out of it, then I take it off them but scrape out the remaining marrow which they love.

Binka

I used to give my boys marrow bones but I think the marrow upsets their tummies a bit, so recently I asked my butcher for an alternative and he gave me neck bones. They have plenty of meat left on them and a bit of cartilage and they love them. Does anybody have any bad experience with these?
They are quite small once they are stripped and I take them off them, but I noticed next day that small pieces of bone had passed through them.
Is this dangerous for them?
The stag bones have now been removed but they had lost interest in them anyway.