Raw bones ok?

[JJRJR]

I'm wondering if raw bones from the grocery store are ok for my 12 week old? We gave him a beef marrow bone and he loved it, but I took it from him when he got the fat and marrow off. I've heard pigs feet, chicken necks, chicken backs, etc. are fine for pups and are actually good for them.

Before I get anything I'd like to see what you all think?

Thanks,,

John

[Daz20005]

I would boil the bones for maybe 15/20 mins depending on the size, then leave them to cool before giving them to your GSD. I've heard that if they get a taste for raw meat they'll want nothing else andmay become more hostile around raw meat. Hope this helps!

[gsdraven]

B.A.R.F./Raw Feeding - German Shepherd Dog Forums

Start looking around in this forum. RAW bones are okay for your pup. Marrow bones may be hard on his teeth though. The marrow can cause diarrhea for some dogs, mine are fine with it.

Originally Posted by Daz20005

I've heard that if they get a taste for raw meat they'll want nothing else andmay become more hostile around raw meat.

Not true.

[Girth]

I give mine soup bones, beef neck bones, pig tails, pig's feet, chicken feet and whatever else I can find that might make a good treat for them. Most of that pricewise is reasonable and I have never had a problem.

[kiya]

Originally Posted by Daz20005

I would boil the bones for maybe 15/20 mins

Absolutely not. If you boil or cook your bones they will splinter, your dog will choke on splintered pieces.
I have dropped marrow bones in a pot of boiling water to "sterilize" them for a few seconds becuase I give them to the dogs in the house but that is it.

[onyx'girl]

I agree, do not boil or feed cooked, or smoked bones.
A marrow or fresh beef knuckle bone is nutritious but the marrow is rich and may cause runny poo. If you can get a knucklebone from your butcher, it has beneficial cartilage and will help the head muscles/ears will be stronger.
Be sure your pup is always supervised when you give chews, regardless of what it is. Rawhides can cause blockages and are not safe, IMO.

[PaddyD]

I have always boiled bones and never had a splinter problem. These bones are HARD, not fragile. I remove half or most of the marrow after boiling because too much will give Abby the trots.
I will keep in mind what Carolyn said and maybe give the 'sterilization' a try.

[onyx'girl]

HARD bones can cause teeth to crack, I would rather give a softer/fresh bone, and not a dry one that will splinter.

[CookieTN]

Yes, RMBs (raw meaty bones) are excellent for dogs, as carnivores it's what they were designed to eat.
Bones should ideally be covered with meat and/or skin, as a precaution. Besides the ones you mentioned, turkey necks are great, too.
Weightbearing marrow bones from beef and other large animals are considered recreational bone, since they aren't really edible bone. Some dogs can have rec bones, some can't because they get too enthusiastic with chewing and end up chipping a tooth.

The thing on cooked bones, the idea is that cooking a bone drains it of moisture and makes it splinter. It's not necessarily going to kill your dog just because he eats it, we gave my dogs tons of cooked bones before we knew better, but it's more likely to.
And no raw meat will not make a dog bloodthirsty. Many of us on this forum feed raw meat as a the main diet, myself included.

[Draugr]

I believe the issue of cooked bones is related when cooking whole meat, like when you give the dog the leftovers from the steaks you grilled. It's because the fat crystallizes on the bone and changes the composition of it making it more fragile. I don't know if boiling would do the same or not? I just feed them raw, though.