Hello!!
I know I just asked about ribs, but can the dogs eat any bones? Because today the butcher gave me another type, not ribs. They are a bit chunkier than the ribs. Do you think my dogs will be able to crunch them?
Many thanks,
Val xxxx

In general dogs can eat all bones with the exception of knuckle bones and beef shin bones which should be regarded as recreational rather than consumable RMBs. I take them off my dogs when they have sucked out all the marror or stripped the meat off the bone as these large, old weight bearing bones of big animals can break teeth.

Thank you for the reply.
The bones are not knuckle, they are about 8-9inches long 2 1/2 wide. The butcher sells halal meat or something like that, I think maybe they are from lambs legs? Are the shin bones the really big cow's legs(sorry ignorance)?
Val xxxx

Yep shin bones are from cows.

Halal meat means that is it slaughtered in accordance with the Koran and is not pork. True halal meat has the advantage that it will not have been fed hormones or any "animal" protein.

Please don't think I'm intending to cause offence with this, because I'm most certainly not! But are you aware that animals slaughtered for halal meat are not allowed to be stunned before slaughter?

Yes I am aware of all the implications of halal meat having lived in the Middle East for 15 years and seen this method of slaughter at first hand. I do not wish to get into all the pros and cons of different methods of slaughtering animals save to say that I have been present at "traditional" methods of slaughter and those methods practised elsewhere under "kosher" or "halal" rules. Therefore I believe I can speak with some authority; suffice it to say that not ALL animals that are "stunned" actually are, and a great deal of care, preparation, training, respect and prayer is taken over halal and kosher killing. Judaism and Islam demand that animals are killed with respect and compassion and that they should not suffer.

Like a number of other "hot" issues, ritual slaughter has been the subject of a great deal of sensationalism, misreporting and misunderstanding by those who have not necessarily gone into the detail of what actually happens.

regards

Hello again...what is stunned? Also, changing the subject again(no malice!), how often or how may bones can I give my dogs a day?
Va xxxx

Depends on the dog and your overall general diet. I have two dogs both of the same breed but one a lot more "active" one eats 2 meals of say 6 chicken wings each the other has 2 meals of 2 chicken wings each.

If they are just recreational then one or two a day is more than enough depending on size.

They are bullmastiffs and they eat the bones - does recreational bones means they just eat the meat but not the actual bone? I am worried about all the bone in their stomach, or it doesn't matter?
Also they have 2 packets of meat or tripe a day and some carrots and Gia wants a bit of dry food, too.
Val xxxx

I think if you want to research feeding RMBs in further detail you should read Dr Billingshurts books The Barf Diet and/or Give your dog a Bone, natural nutrition for dogs and cats by Kymythy Schulze is also very good. You need to be aware of quantities and why raw feeders feed RMBs etc.

If you are just talking about giving your dogs a bone in order to chew for recreation rather than giving RMBs as a meal then you would offer large recreational bones such as knuckle and shin bones in order to exercise the jaw, clean the teeth etc but remove them before they started to hack away at them because such large bones can break teeth.

Too much bone can be constipating!

HTH

Yes, my girl Gia was constipated and I gave them boiled carrots and apples(Athos doesn't eat the apples), but they had this yuk poo then, but are ok now although the poo is really dry. I give the bones for them to eat in the morning, but I would like to know if I give another one in the afternoon, plus meal, would be ok? I'll have alook in Amazon for the books, thank you.
Val xxxx

Hi Val,
"Stunned" means they are (supposed to be) unconscious when they are slaughtered.

(This is a very difficult topic to discuss without being thought prejudiced!)

Gosh, yeah, I think I'll stop here. Thanks again Jeangenie.
Val xxxx