Jump to content

Which Bones?


 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi all,

I am progressing Ronin onto full prey model raw and looking for bone suggestions and ideas. His evening meal is fully PMRD. Morning he gets a couple of chicken necks and Sunday Pets dry food. The chicken necks are really more of a treat as he goes nuts for them. He is doing so well on raw and I now have the freezer space for him that I will probably finish off the big bag of Sunday Pets and stop buying kibble.

I know that we are meant to avoid weight bearing bones and this makes it more challenging to find suitable bones for chewing. He just won't go the flavoured nylon jobbies or kongs - can't say I really blame him though :D

I am more looking for bones that he can chew for a while without breaking teeth. Following are my findings thus far.

Beef necks - great, keeps him occupied for a good while, he can't eat the whole thing which is kind of what I am after. I get them from the butcher cut in 4 pieces (approx 12cm squares)

Beef shoulder blades, pretty good, the soft parts get eaten and he can chew on the harder parts.

Lamb flaps - cut in strips around 5cm x 20cm last around 2 minutes :eek: They also seem to be very fatty.

Marrow bones - too hard, marrow is too fatty (gave him the runs) when cut in half (lengthways - exposing inside)

Snapper head - loves this, obviously we can only feed outside, and he crunches it down pretty quickly :D

I am pretty okay with the easily edible bones as part of the diet ratio but more looking for the longer lasting ones to keep him happy and occupied for a little while in the evenings. His teeth are currently colgate clean and white.

So anyway, I would love to hear what you use. For those that don't know - Ronin is a Siberian Husky and a very strong chewer :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 53
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Didi doesn't do well on beef so we started giving her lamb marrow bones but there were too many incidences of her throwing up chunks of bone afterwards so we've sworn off those (as well as them being too fatty for everyday feeding).

She gets lamb necks and chicken frames at the moment but I'm hoping to expand our horizons a bit especially as these two don't last her very long. I'd like to incorporate roo or turkey but find it quite hard to find those bones where I live.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always bought lamb shanks or chicken wings. I've never heard of this weight-bearing thing.

Grover never ate the bone on the lamb shank; I threw out the bones. I don't think a Pug could with their tiny little stumpy teeth :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kangaroo tails, chicken frames, lamb necks, chicken necks, big chicken wings. Chicken necks are their staple breakfast. The westies particularly love the roo and lamb necks which I get from Adelaide Dog - otherwise the rest comes from the supermarket on special.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine get lamb bones from Woolies, forequarters I think they call them and chicken drumsticks with the occasional chicken frame, not really enough meat on these so like to stuff some mince in them before I freeze them, and turkey necks sometimes too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our smaller-sized lab is happy with chicken marylands or drumsticks, chicken frames, lamb shanks, brisket bones, lamb ribs, lamb neck (the Coles near us does a good deal on 'lamb offcuts' which usually has meaty big bits of spine and ribs), lamb forequarter chops, oxtail, pig trotters, pork ribs, roo tails, turkey wings and necks, quarter/half of whole rabbits (too expensive now sadly!) and any discounted game birds (usually whole).

Strangely the only raw meat she really isn't keen on is hearts, which is a shame since they are cheap and nutritious!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feed chicken frames, whole chook occasionally, chicken maryland occasionally, turkey necks, turkey wings, salmon heads, roo tails, pig trotters and rarely brisket with fat trimmed off. I saw some halved pig heads the other day but haven't bought them yet. Would love to give them whole rabbit carcasses each but they sell for $20 each here in FNQ so won't be happening any time soon!

ETA I reread the OP that you were looking for RMB bone ideas that last a while. My giant schnauzer is a power chewer so I regularly feed frozen to slow his progress. Some of the roo tail pieces I've found are about 500gm each and these keep him occupied for a decent amount of time even when fed thawed. The trotters keep him busy a while too - even more so frozen.

Edited by Whiskered
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some great ideas thanks!

@ Queen Maeby Regarding the query about weight bearing bones, it is only due to them being very hard which can break teeth that they are to be avoided. But as you say a pug probably wouldn't try this so I am sure it is okay.

@Whiskered, yeah I also freeze em, didn't slow down chicken or turkey necks or lamb flaps much, but I still do it and it is great for the beef necks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ Queen Maeby Regarding the query about weight bearing bones, it is only due to them being very hard which can break teeth that they are to be avoided. But as you say a pug probably wouldn't try this so I am sure it is okay.

Yeah, that's what I thought, thank you! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pork tails are a favourite here, but fatty. Doesn't bother mine they seem to need fat and they much prefer tails to trotters. Whole rabbit but they go down quickly. Whole hares when I can get then. Whole chickens, but i halve them. Big chunks of meat, beef heart and beef rump especially. Even without bones a big chunk takes a while. I tried heads but mine aren't keen on them. Lamb flap is always welcomed. When on the bone roasts are on a good special I buy a heap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We feed everything tbh. Ours are totally raw and depends what's on special where. Tasman meats and even Coles and our local butcher/fishmonger get good business from us.

Salmon heads are good here, lamb necks/flaps/shanks. Hearts, liver occasionally and the odd bit of tripe.

Beef brisket rarely, chicken frames, wings, drumsticks and marylands all a hit.

We like to mix it up. Try to avoid pet mince but the butcher ocassionally has some really chunky.mince he does for dogs so we grab some for hurried breakies etc. Haha.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weight bearing bones are not suitable for dogs as they can splinter & become choking hazzards.

Could pls someone explain what 'weight bearing bones' and 'chicken marylands' are? My English-German dictionary is here not helpful at all..... :D

I've started raw feeding as well and I'm always keen on reading what others are feeding.

BTW: Did someone find tripe in WA/Perth? Checked with my butcher and he told me that tripe is being exported overseas, they hardly see any.... :confused: Is that possibly true?

Cheers

Birgit

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weight bearing bones are not suitable for dogs as they can splinter & become choking hazzards.

Could pls someone explain what 'weight bearing bones' and 'chicken marylands' are? My English-German dictionary is here not helpful at all..... :D

I've started raw feeding as well and I'm always keen on reading what others are feeding.

BTW: Did someone find tripe in WA/Perth? Checked with my butcher and he told me that tripe is being exported overseas, they hardly see any.... :confused: Is that possibly true?

Cheers

Birgit

Weight bearing bones are bones that function to support the animal as they walk/run - so legs (e.g. drumsticks, marrow bone, kangaroo tail). Chicken Maryland is a quarter of a chicken with the drumstick attached. If my dogs are a bit light I will feed them 1/4 chicken but the quarter with the wing attached. I hope that helps :)

Edited by The Spotted Devil
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weight bearing bones are not suitable for dogs as they can splinter & become choking hazzards.

Could pls someone explain what 'weight bearing bones' and 'chicken marylands' are? My English-German dictionary is here not helpful at all..... :D

I've started raw feeding as well and I'm always keen on reading what others are feeding.

BTW: Did someone find tripe in WA/Perth? Checked with my butcher and he told me that tripe is being exported overseas, they hardly see any.... :confused: Is that possibly true?

Cheers

Birgit

Weight bearing bones are bones that function to support the animal as they walk/run - so legs (e.g. drumsticks, marrow bone, kangaroo tail). Chicken Maryland is a quarter of a chicken with the drumstick attached. If my dogs are a bit light I will feed them 1/4 chicken but the quarter with the wing attached. I hope that helps :)

Thanks a lot for the explanation! Surely this helps :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weight bearing bones are not suitable for dogs as they can splinter & become choking hazzards.

Could pls someone explain what 'weight bearing bones' and 'chicken marylands' are? My English-German dictionary is here not helpful at all..... :D

I've started raw feeding as well and I'm always keen on reading what others are feeding.

BTW: Did someone find tripe in WA/Perth? Checked with my butcher and he told me that tripe is being exported overseas, they hardly see any.... :confused: Is that possibly true?

Cheers

Birgit

Yeah, 'raw green tripe' is hard to find. Butchers are apparently not allowed to sell or even have raw green tripe on the premises due to health regulations. You can easily get tripe (white), but the white stuff is bleached and no good as all of the good stuff has been removed. I buy the K9 Naturals Raw Green Tripe (fresh frozen) from Petbarn. It is around $12 per kilo bag.

A local shop called "Pet Meat Suppies" looked at me like I was an idiot when I asked if they had any and flatly said that you can't buy it!?! There is a pet meat butcher in Bayswater that gets it in though - I will try and find the number.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...