Life expectancy of a Rawhide Bone with your GSD?

[Courtney]

Just to clarify...I mentioned giving raw marrow bones...but my boy is not a heavy chewer so he knaws on it...he is NOT eating it...no way should a dog try to crunch and consume a marrow bone. It's more rec chew. Now raw turkey necks, chicken backs, etc. he eats the whole thing.

[msvette2u]

Just so you check his teeth at least once a week for fractures...gnawing can cause them too!

[wildwolf60]

I have just recently been told that antlers are good for the dogs to chew. Not too hard for their teeth, and have nutrients. Petsmart has started selling them, or if you have a friend who hunts, they might donate the smaller antlers for you

[Gilly1331]

Yep no raw hides here either. We do marrow bones frozen and get put in the fridge after each use until all the meat and marrow are gone. Then they get washed in the sink and dried and then put in the basket of dog toys. I prob have enough empty marrow bones to make a whole cow. As long as the meat and marrow are out and you wash the bones and let them dry out they won't go bad. We also fill and freeze some with ob or cheese or young art for special treats. We have also done antlers and bully sticks but those are pricier.

[llombardo]

Originally Posted by runnershigh108

I'll let you all point at me and say I told you so if Gem has a problem with a rawhide or other bone.

I hope that you never are in this situation I used to give them to my oldest dog all the time, until one day she swallowed a piece that was to big. She was chewing it like any other time and after she was done, she came by me as I was going to sleep. She was quite persistent and in my face, which wasn't normal. Finally I looked at her and her breathing was VERY labored. I never got up so fast in my life. I opened her mouth and I could see half the raw hide stuck in her throat. I literally put my hand down her throat, but it was wedged. The only thing I could think of at the time was getting that thing out. So I poured some salt down her throat and enough got in there to make her throw up. Thank god the raw hide came up and there were no problems...if she didn't throw it up, she would have died, I would not have been able to get her to the vet in time. She knew she couldn't breath and was smart enough to let me know and help her. I have NEVER given another raw hide to any of my dogs since then. They get nyla bones, duck necks, deer antlers, and bones from the butcher.

[katdog5911]

I thought raw beef knuckle bones were ok??? Got my first ones last week and Stella loves them...and they last. I also use marrow bones and bully sticks.

[Sunflowers]

Originally Posted by katdog5911

I thought raw beef knuckle bones were ok??? Got my first ones last week and Stella loves them...and they last. I also use marrow bones and bully sticks.

Those bones are called rec, aka wreck bones, according to a vet dentist.
Rec is for recreational, and wreck, because they wreck dog's teeth.

The same dentist said Nylabones keep him in business. If you can't whack yourself in the knee with it, he said, don't give it to your dog.

This is hard to do, though, because there would be nothing left! I do give marrow bones and let him have his Nylabone circle once in a blue moon. He also gets elk antlers, but they get taken away bas soon as he gets too crazy and starts chipping the ends.

Whatever you give your dog, do supervise.

[shepherdmom]

My dog when growing up always got rawhide bones, later when I had my own dogs I continued with that and even now I sometimes give rawhide chews. But now they get the flat Denta Chew kind, I no longer let them have rolled rawhide. I also let them have marow bones, and have occasionally given them a pigs ear and recently tried bully sticks. I've fed Science Diet, Royal Canine and even gasp Pedigree. The first dog food that I fed came in a big blue bag and was called Old Blue, I think it was probably an Old Roy knockoff. The more I read on this board the more I wonder how my dogs managed to survive as long as they have.

BTW I love McDonalds and Hot Dogs, but I'll skip the Dorito's thanks!

[jae]

my vet recommends rawhide rather than raw bones. my doctor recommended not drinking. i don't listen to either of them, but that's a personal decision.

[dazedtrucker]

I buy big meaty knuckle bones, they last maybe 3 days. I used to buy the smoked kind... Axel eats them in hours then gets nasty uncontrollable chalk poo. No good at all. Any big fresh bone with lots of meat... I take them away when most of the actual meat is removed.