What type of raw meat with bones

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

Hello out there to raw feeders...question...Can I feed pork chops with the bone?  Can I feed ribs, country style and beef with the bones?  Are these bones too hard?  I give chicken with bones and they are soft enough, but worry about other bones.  I understand the "big" bones are hazardous.  What type of bones with meat on them are safe (besides chicken, duck, rabbit, goose, small game) Thank-you for your help.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Are you looking for edible bones or bones for recreational chewing?  My most recent understanding about pork bone is that it tends to splinter and isn't a good choice, as is the case with ribs for the same reason, but I know people who feed these to their dogs. I have given Tara lamb ribs from time to time with no problems.  I'll admit it's all a bit confusing to me.  I read one thing about it and then turn around and read just the opposite. :(

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

What type of raw bones are good for recreational chewing...I'm leery of them breaking a tooth.  We get soup bones from the butcher and I have given those to the girls.  Is it just a matter of time before they break a tooth?

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

My previous vet was a dental specialist and she was adamant about my not giving Tara anything hard to chew. I was supposed to brush her teeth instead and she obviously didn't know Tara very well or she wouldn't have made THAT suggestion! LOL  I know some doodles have broken teeth on bones  and others like Olga's have had them for years with no issues. But doodles have also broken teeth chewing antlers...soooo... I don't know Joani.

I think meaty femur or hip bones are good for recreational chewing and supposedly for teeth cleaning.  Tara shows no interest in chewing hard bones once the meat is gone. She just wants me to get rid of them.

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

HA!  I used to brush Skadi's teeth before raw & bones...It was a nightly "love hate" experience...she loved the flavor and tolerated the brushing.  Thank-you for your response.  Altho I have been feeding raw for almost 3 years, I still get anxious if I'm feeding the right "balance" of bone, calcium, phosphorus and organ meats.  My current vet is supportive of my feeding raw, but does not give me any guidelines except to tell me make sure I am using a good raw source and make sure they get enough bone.  That's where I gauge the bone by their poo poo.  But then another vet told me "larger" poops are not all that bad cause she says it cleans out the colon...

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I feel the same way Joani, not really confident that I'm doing it correctly and kind of flying by the seat of my pants. For instance I recently gave her a cut rib bone (meaty) to chew on. Since she is only 20 pounds she can't handle full sized bones. She ate the meat and chewed the bone for  a short while and left it. A couple of hours later she had dinner. About 12 hours after chewing the bone, now 4 am, she woke up vomiting what turned out to be bile and 2 small chunks of bone about 1/2 the size of a dime. Her dinner apparently digested fine and left her stomach but the bone pieces were still there. This makes me think I'm doing something wrong. :( I felt horrible.  Now I'm afraid to give her another bone. Geez...  Her meals primarily consist of meats ground with bone but I like for her to be able to chew on something too.

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

I know what you are saying, I like the girls to be able to chew on some bones too.  I do give them the cut up femur bones or longer ones.  Sometimes they chew on them for hours, but the bone dries up and I end up throwing them away for fear they are too hard.  Sometimes I put them back in the freezer to get an extra day out of them.  Gets pricey!  They don't care much for the antlers...but we do give bully sticks...again pricey.  I have tried all the chew bones from the store...bacon scented...still not a fave.  So I will keep searching too.  I give all their chunks of meat frozen and I think that helps with their getting some satisfaction for chewing.  I rarely give them thawed meat...they eat it waaaay too fast...and are quick to look around for more!  I only give them a chicken leg or a neck or a chicken back or thigh like once in 5-6 days...otherwise their poo is too chalky...and Skadi once was hacking up chards of bone...so I cut back.  I do supplement with pet cod liver oil and some pumpkin almost every night.  I mix that with a handful of left over whatever...potato, chicken, beef, from our supper...it's their night night snack.

[Nancy and Georgia Brown]

I think raw pork and pork bones are on the list of the raw foods to avoid. The other one I seem to remember is salmon.

I give all types of raw food to my dog. I do make sure it's from a reputable source, especially since it is raw.

I have seen no ill effects to date.

Georgia actually got ahold of a rotisserie chicken that I purchased at the local market a few weeks ago. She has never been a counter surfer or food obsessed dog, but I left the house to run an errand and realized I left it on the counter. Chicken is her favorite. I came home to the plastic container on the floor, and some string. The rest was gone, skin, bones, everything. Yet no repercussions from ingesting it came about other than she drank more water than normal.

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

I guess I have not read that raw pork is to be avoided.  Besides chicken that's the cheapest meat for me to buy.

I still give cooked chicken when it's available as left overs...and use it for training treats.  I bet Georgia thought she was having one BIG party with that chicken!  Glad she didn't have any problems.  They sure surprise me.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

My vet feeds his doodle pork. He even offered to give me some for Tara.  I think it would be important to know the source though.

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

Wow...that's great.  I have given my girls pork chops and they seemed to do okay with them...so I am glad to hear yours do well also.  So, can I ask how many ounces of raw meat do you feed your 50# and how many ounces do you feed your 65#.  And does that include organ portions (I give the girls 1 oz of liver everyday.)  I presently give Skadi 4 1/2,  who I think is somewhat overweight...13 oz total per day,,,and Elli who is Very thin...(she is my pre-owned daughter) she is 6 years old and weighs 51#'s...I have been giving her 15-17 oz. per day.Skadi is just a bit taller, but Elli has a long neck and her head is higher than Skadi.  I am trying to get Skadi trimmed down but am not sure how to go about her weight loss...I have been struggling with this, trying to get her to exercise more, but sometimes her back leg that she had cruciate ligament repair seems to bother her...probably arthritis.  So...if I cut her food portion back...any recommendations?

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

Looks...dee lish!  Ha...thanks for sharing...I have never given tripe...where do you buy tripe?...and spleen?  Where are these sold?

[Neptune]

OK finally a visual... so that is how you feed them?  No cutting or anything.  Just give them the meat you would cook your family before you cook it?  OK ... I am starting with frozen kibble.. but want to move to grocery story food.  My dog is much much smaller... but I get the idea.  Would love more photos if anyone is game to show their doodle eating raw chicken?  I guess I don't know what chicken necks look like or knuckles or where you purchase them *yet*.

Neptune