Is it o.k. to feed my dog raw beef knuckle bones?  Or any raw bones for that matter.  If not what raw bones can you feed your dog?

RAW bones are fine for your dog. Cooked bones are potentially dangerous and should never be given as they can splinter.

Have I got this right? Knuckle bones are the ones with the nobbly bit's on both ends, are they Ok for a puppy? Does it matter what animal the knuckle bone comes from? Are there any types of bones that aren't good for puppies (obviously excepting cooked ones!) Are there any types of bones that are better, health wise, for a puppy?

Sorry for all of the questions :)

Hi Natalie

My pup was gnawing on large knuckle bones and marrow bones from about 9 weeks of age...we didn't give them to her as such but she managed to unearth one or two that my boy had stashed (and probably forgotten about) and they did her no harm at all....very useful during the teething stages ;) However, she is giant breed so probably a bit better equipped to manage a large bone than some pups of that age.

I don't think the animal of origin is terribly important when it comes to recreational bones. The bones my butcher gives me are generally beef ones (and he'll cut them to whatever size I want) but I can get lamb ones too on occasions. My two particularly like beef ribs but they're so flippin' long, they're difficult to fit in the freezer :)

Thanks ShaynLola :D

When you give your dog's them, do you wait for them defrost first? I would have thought that a teething pup would like them frozen, but I don't know if if it is safe to give frozen bones. Same for chicken wings, are they given frozen or defrosted?

Sorry, I am getting nervous now, and although I know we will get something wrong, I am trying not to!!! ;)

I believe it is fine to give recreational bones frozen. I haven't done it myself yet but I know people who do and, like you say, it's probably ideal for a teething pup. Fantastic for getting some precious peace and quiet too as a big juicy bone can keep them amused for hours ;)

I have given chicken wings etc frozen. My pup can easily gulp down a whole wing in one go so giving them frozen encourages her to crunch a bit. You might not have that problem with an Aussie though, being sustantially smaller than a Newfie,he'll probably need to chew them up anyway :)

Judging by the size of some of the dog's on his pedigree, he could be the size of a small Newfie by the time we bring him home ;) LOL His Grandma is HUGE!!

Thanks for the advice, another thing off of the silly questions list!! :P :D

LOL :D :D

In that case, it's probably safe to stock up on the big beef bones, then :D

We had Sky fitted last week and the OH said that the installation engineer gave him a bit of a funny look when he saw the pile of half chewed bones in the corner. the OH told him that was what was left of the last engineer who called and didn't do a good job :D :D

I should probably warn you that the marrow from bones can have a bit of an, ahem, laxative effect shall we say? :D

It doesn't last long and causes no real harm (except that you maight have to clean the fur around his bum but even that'll be easier in an Aussie with only a wee bit of tail) ;)

Can you get raw bones from pet shops? We have been in a few but they are all roasted, and if you ask the butcher, you kind of feel you have to take what they offering as your not paying for them! Maybe that is just me though!!

My OH gets raw bones from the local butcher by his work. After trial and error they both know that I'm quite picky ( :-) :-) ) so the butcher doesn't mind if OH asks his if he has anything else around the back ...

hi shaynlol i dont mean 2 sound daft but with the frozen chicken wings do u cook them and freeze them or are they raw!

Always raw - never feed cooked bones :)

ok thanx ice, i wasnt sure if i would end up poisioning my girl with raw chicken so thought it best 2 ask, cheers.

Hi

We give frozen chicken wings and our puppy loves them (she's teething at the moment).

I have heard that certain bones (or maybe certain animals?) have very strong bones that can cause some kind of compacting of the gut. I'm not sure if this is true though - can anyone confirm this?

And after our trip to Wales last week I can confirm the (ahem) laxative effect of marrow bones :-) :-) 

I've never seen raw bones in pet shops.

Don't worry about asking a butcher for a particular type of bone. After all, they can't really do anything else with them. Maybe ask for a mixture to start with and see which suits your pup best, then you'll know which type to ask for in future. Although I've found that when it comes to raw bones, my dogs are not at all fussy ;)

Go on tell me I am just being a worry-wart - again!!! I can't help it :rolleyes: Why don't people just say 'Nat, it's a dog love, it will eat anything!!!' LOL

Thanks again for the advice though, helps put my mind at rest - until I think of the next thing to worry about!!! ;)

It's okay Nat, we would be more worried if you didn't ask any questions and just presumed to know it all ;)

But once you've seen your beloved little bundle of fluff devour a lump of horse/fox/cow/rabbit poo or the bone that's been festering in a hole in the garden for several weeks (and the look of sheer delight on his face as he's doing it :rolleyes: ) you'll start to worry a bit less about what he eats!!

LOL No more worrying about food, just the rest of it now!! I am getting a bit nervous, constantly thinking how do you do this, how do you do that, I was thinking earlier on and I couldn't remember how to train the sit, LOL how many times I read how to do it, and my mind just went blank!! Time for some more wine I think...! ;) :P

LOL :D :D

Bet you weren't this neurotic when you were expecting your son!!

Relax...you'll be fine when your little Aussie arrives. It'll all fall into place...or you'll be too busy cleaning up wee and poo that training the sit will be the least of your worries :D :D

LOL I don't remember being like this over my son, I think I was quite relaxed about having a baby, (the birth was a different matter!) but because now I realise how hard it is to bring a child up, and the more I hear about bringing puppies up, the more it sounds the same as bringing a child up, perhaps I am not quite so pig headed about it, and want to know exactly what I have let myself in for!!! ;)

One thing is for sure, next time we get a pup, my hubbie is doing all the hard work!!! ;) :P

Nat you are being a worry wart, and its a dog it will eat anything ;)

LOL thanks, finally some sense is being knocked into me!!! :D

I give my dogs raw breast of lamb :)