Raw Bones For Pug Puppy

[4paws4me]

Hi members

I'm asking on behalf of my niece regarding what bones would be suitable to feed her Pug puppy. She also owns an adult lab x collie who gets a huge variety of raw meaty bones, but due to the size difference, she is wondering what will be safe to feed puppy.

Currently he is fed either the butchers pet mince and the stuff you get from the supermarkets, or chicken or turkey mince if it's on special at the supermarket. However, she knows how good bones are for dogs and needs some advice, plus it will help with the teething stage ☺.

Advice from Pug owners or breeders who successfully feed raw meaty bones would be great too ????.

Thanks in advance

[persephone]

how old is pup ..and what is the "stuff' "from the supermarkets ? ;)

[*kirty*]

You have to be very careful giving bones to pugs. They have crappy mouths and airways and often gulp down bones which can cause them to choke. I would give big bones under very close supervision - eg whole chicken carcass, lamb bones, etc.

[4paws4me]

Oops sorry, puppy is 10 weeks old ????

[4paws4me]

The dog mince from Woolworths. It's made with kangaroo and/or beef it says with added vitamins and calcium I believe.

[The Spotted Devil]

I would suggest talking to the breeder in the first instance. A good breeder will give diet recommendations and guidance.

[~Anne~]

Ive owned and loved a lot of pugs. I gave mine bones, but only bones that were too big to fit into their mouths. The loved chewing them and spent hours doing just this, but they never 'ate' them. I wouldn't trust a pug with a bone that it could actually eat because, as stated above, they will and do choke on them.

It's important that you still encourage chewing bones though. It's actually good for them and they love the marrow. Just don't give them small bones or bones with small knuckles on them. Think shank bones. I used to get the butcher to cut a large shank into three pieces.

And don't get into the habit of giving your puppy treats. Pugs are prone to obesity and it doesn't help their breathing or health overall. Keep them slim and happy.

[Roova]

Just checking...when you say "Currently he is fed either the butchers pet mince and the stuff you get from the supermarkets, or chicken or turkey mince if it's on special at the supermarket. However, she knows how good bones are for dogs and needs some advice, plus it will help with the teething stage".

Do you mean this is his whole diet?

I hope she is aware this isn't balanced and she'll see problems in the future if it remains straight meat and bone only? If she wants to go down straight meat only route she'll need to learn the correct percentages of meat, offal, muscle, sinew and bone for a growing dog. A commercial raw or Vets all Natural may be the best bet if she doesn't want to work these out though. Both these also offer some vegetables in the mix. :)

Edited July 30, 2016 by Roova

[RuralPug]

Agree with Roova, make sure that the diet is a balanced one.

Chicken necks are great as part of a balanced diet. For a baby puppy they can be given whole, as a chew, but always supervise. For pugs six months or older, they are better chopped into several pieces for those that like to inhale their food. Chicken carcassses, also great when included in a balanced diet, will encourage some chewing even from the most dedicated inhalers.

Marrowbones are great for recreational chewing, but too much of the rich marrow can sometimes lead to digestive upsets so if your butcher has split the bone lengthwise, scoop out most of the marrow, freeze, and add it in small quantities to their meals. Roo tail is absolutely wonderful if she can get hold of it, the vertebrae make great chews and you pick the size to suit your dog. :)

[4paws4me]

Thanks for all the replies guys :-) I've past them on to her