Hi Everyone,

I've read a few posts and understand that dogs should always be given raw bones not cooked.  What are the best ones for keeping teeth clean, would it be raw marrow bones?  Are these really safe, they won't splinter or get stuck in the throat? And has anyone known their dogs to have upset tums with them?  Mine are fed on kibbles with bits of cooked meat or healthy leftovers added. They've got a bit of tarter, not much, they chew nylabones and playbones, I clean their teeth with doggie tooth paste a couple of times a week and also use logic gel, but wondered if a good old fashioned bone would be better?

Thanks.

Pretty much any raw bones will do the job,chicken wings,knuckle bones,ox tails etc etc. I also give mine marrow bones,they are also used to a wide variety of foods so upset tums arent a problem here.As for them splintering,it depends if you have a power chewer or an average gnawer,i'm not sure how a large marrow bone could get stuck in the throat?? Just keep an eye on your dog to see if he manages to get bits off or not.Marrow bones last for a couple months around here,after the meat and marrow have been cleaned off they go in the toy box and are chewed periodically.

As Ktee says all RAW bones are good for teeth cleaning, but I've read that it is chicken wings which are supposed to be the best teeth cleaning bones.

As long as the bones are raw then they shouldn't splinter.  As for upset tums, maybe too much of the marrow could cause the runs, so it's best to scoop some out if your dog isn't used to bones.  Also trim most of the fat from the large bones too!  Again, chicken wings are the perfect balance of meat, bone and fat so no need to trim anything from these :)

I also find cow hooves for my medium size breed are a long lasting but smelly chew.  they only smell whilst being chewed.

My dogs LOVE cow hooves, they are great on a journey , if you don't mind the smell :) I buy them for 30p each at my local pet food shop-really good value.

I'll get some cow hooves then - never seen these before but I guess it's something that butchers don't display :)

You get hooves from pet shops, not the butcher. Like most things they're not entirely safe, and there are several reports of dogs swallowing very sharp pieces and damaging themselves, so they're best given supervised. :)

I buy them by the 100 at shows ans they are great on the bench at shows where the smell doesn't matter.  At home they can have them in the kitchen when the back door is open. 

Again mine are not swallowers so as with rawhides I don't have problems, but there are dogs that will swallow large pieces of anything like bone hoof, rawhide or totally unsuitable things likes stones, socks etc, so nothing is really ever 100% safe.

Are these hooves raw? 

Yes, they're simply the cows' toenails that are removed at the abattoir. If you look at this site and click on 'Empty hooves' you can see what they look like.

I prefer to by the big thick ones as the smaller ones are probably from calves and are thinner and more likely to be able to get bits from them to swallow, where as i FIND THE HEAVY ONES TAKE A LOT OF GNAWING.

I have also been told that raw tripe is really good for cleaning teeth. The owner of the shop showed me his dogs teeth and says they have never cleaned them, just give them raw tripe, and as they suck/chew the tripe is rubbed over their teeth and gums. It doesnt smell either!

in reply to June, surely your shope owner doesn't have a sense of smell, I have never known tripe that doesn't smell

Are you sure they are not talking about Raw hide. Raw tripe certainly stinks in my experience

It sure does smel, but I for one don't find it unpleasant.

Just to echo some other comments, swallowing large pieces is why I do NOT give my girl bones.  It is amazing how strong a jaw a soft mouthed dog can have. 

Thanks everyone.  Think my girl would probably be OK, but Max is a very aggressive chewer! Like you say, I'm worried he would swallow big pieces. If they have a big marrow bone he might not be able to bite pieces of it?

It depends if he is a chewer or a swallower.,  I have had plenty that would chew avidly but didn't swallow any pieces they broke off, which I just picked up and threw away.