# Safe bones to chew?



## KittyD

I'm not a raw feeder so I don't have a clue about this stuff.
AJ is not really into toys  he's not a big "chewer" either! so I am not sure what to use to catch is interest, I know from experience if he finds a chicken bone he goes crazy for it, I don't allow it.. but accidents happen, Kids.. dinner table.. ha ha

So I am thinking he would love a "real" bone.. we have tried all those synthetic bones and the cat seems more interested than he does!

What can I give him that I can buy at the grocery store? he's at the stage where he is loosing baby teeth and growing adult teeth.. and he's got some baby teeth in there still.
I notice his breath is not that great! and I attribute it to the lack of chewing.
He eats good food i'm not worried about the diet.

I don't want to feed him raw meat per say.. as I am very concerned about bacteria and salmonella. (please no flames! I support raw feeding I just won't do it myself! I'm the lysol queen  

I would be willing to give him some kind of bone however that is safe is there a safe bacteria free bone?


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## Mandy

have you tried bully sticks they all seem to love them well i know mine do


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## KittyD

Yes he does not mind those.. but I didn't think they were great for cleaning teeth.


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## MChis

Unless he's a huge/strong chewer you could get some beef marrow bones & scoop out the center (which can cause loose stools). Most small dogs are fine but they have been known to be the culprit of cracked teeth in bigger dogs or very vigorous chewers. I'd never give one to Matilda because she has such strong jaw power & chews like mad on bones. Gets really intense!

No cooked bones are good IMO. High heat dries them out & basically changes them all together. 

But a marrow bone once a week may be a good way to start. Just put him in his crate with a potty pad or newspaper & clean up afterwards.


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## cherper

Don't you have to be really careful with bones though, some splinter and etc.. ?
This is one reason i've never gave leila a real bone...plus raw meat grosses me out


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## flippedstars

cherper said:


> Don't you have to be really careful with bones though, some splinter and etc.. ?
> This is one reason i've never gave leila a real bone...plus raw meat grosses me out


No...the key here is RAW bones. RAW bones are safe...cooked bones...bad bad bad bad bad bad bad can kill your dog. Mine have always loved their raw meals. I force them to stay on the tile in the kitchen w/ baby gates, then we just mop after, it needs to be done 2-3 times a week anyway so I just coordinate the two...I do not really care for raw meat lol...but the health benefits are worth it.

Raw chicken wings are quite tasty to them..yum yum  They eat the bone too, crunch crunch. We are trying cornish hens and turkey bones for Dinkus b'c he cannot tolerate the chicken  Also lamb bones but still figuring out what I can get.


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## cherper

I may get leila some wings, i dont' want her to not have a chance to try them if "all the other chihuahua's are doing it". lol 
Shall I just put her in her pen, take everything out, and put in on the floor or in her bowl?


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## MChis

Yep, raw bone only as the high temps of cooking them dry them out & make them very brittle & splintery. Wings are great for dental health because they're nice & boney. You may want to cut off any access skin or fat if there is any. But the bone content is so high that I'm sure it would off set the skin/fat. Just be sure the chicken has 85mg or less of sodium per serving.

You may not want to just put it in her bowl because chances are she'll grab it & take it on a nice comfy couch to enjoy. :tard: You can put a towel down & if she tries to flee simply put her back on. They catch on very quickly to where you want them to eat. Or you could put newspaper or a potty pad in hour crate & let her enjoy it there. Better yet (and my favorite!) toss it out on your front lawn & let her enjoy it while sunning herself at the same time!  Then there is no clean up! That's my favorite spot. If the weather is bad or during the winter my pups are confined to two large beach towels in the living room.


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## MChis

Oh oh...in her bowl IN HER PEN...yeah that would work! LOL I like the towel idea for inside. When they're done just fold up the towel & toss it in the washer.


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## 18453

I mirror what everyone else says however those that aren't a fan I wouldn't give a wing first time I'd go bigger like a rib or something only because they can gulp unless u hold onto it!!! Also don't give like a whole wing as that's like 2.5 meals on a 4-5lb dog you'll need to adjust their kibble like replace a meal

For purely chewing purposes I'd give a beef bone as long as they aren't vigourous chewers like what Heather said


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## furriefriend

My two are both raw fed but I here what you say so I am not about to lecture you each to their own. I would however get a bone from the butcher and let him have fun chewing if its just for recreation then any bone will do as long as it is raw.
I have some pictures of Mia sharing a bone with Whispa (gsd) the bone being as big as her !. She loves them . If you can get any rib bones (lamb or beef are good) A real bone to chew is great for teeth cleaning and general muscle tone
I wouldnt go for chickenwings etc if you dont want to raw feed as he will probably eat the whole thing which will mean adjusting his normal rations.
As for hygeine its easy Mia eats in one place in the kitchen and I just wash down the floor area eacn time , big boy who eats 1kg at a time has his in the garden Preparing the food is no more risky than our own food and I am very particular to wash everything and use sprays. As for the dogs their constitutions are different to ours and are unlikley to get ill just think of the stuff they eat when out and about if they can.
yuk !


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## lyredragon

*foxxy's bones*

Foxxy loves getting at a raw beef soup bone. They are neck bones or tail bones so they're too huge for her to eat all of it, and you have to watch her and take it away when she's eaten through the soft outer part of the bone. She's got a doe head, so her face is long, and she has all 42 needle sharp pointy teeth. She's really a power chewer too. But these bones interlock, held together by ligaments and muscle which makes it a challenge for her to clean, which is why I call it a "meat puzzle." there's usually just enough meat on it for a meal too, which makes it a bonus. Just don't let them chew all the way through. the interior of a lot of cow bones are very very dense, and can break teeth, which is why some people call them "wreck" bones.


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## KittyD

Wow thanks for all the info! 

As stated raw is not a good fit for us right now, so I will avoid the wings.. I don't want the bones to be a food source just a source of recreation! LOL

I am going to suss out some proper beef bones for him  There is a meat shoppe locally so I am guessing I will find some good stuff there.


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