Do you give your dogs real bones?

I stopped this years ago. My boys would just chew them until all the flavor was spent, then left the bones, sometimes in fragments after removing the marrow. When I was a child we always gave our dog the bones left over from the meal. I really don't think it's common practice these days. Pig ears and rawhide bones seem to be fine by my boys, so I go with those.

 

Yes Mishka gets raw bones. We have to give them to her on the enclosed porch as she would go and bury them. A vet told me that the bones she retrieved may have been making her ill sometime back.

 

Yep!

We give him pork or beef bones.... no poultry of any sort because of the splintering chances. He's not allowed to have them in the house, though, because then we step on them. So he gets sent outside with them and he'll carry them all over the yard. He'll even bury them sometimes or hide them under plants.

 

No, I don't give them bones. One of my dogs is too small for bones and the other just doesn't need them. That doesn't mean they don't get a hold of them though For some reason, people just love to throw bones out their front door, out their car windows, and whatever else! I hate it when we go for walks and all of the sudden the boys are chewing on bones. It takes me forever to get the bones away from the little one. He gets possessive, but I make him mind. He just doesn't need the bones.

 

I used to give them to my Lab. I'd buy the knucklebones at PetSmart. Then, we had a bad experience one night and I swore never to give them to a dog again. It was a beef bone that she devoured. She never did a little nibbling. She had to finish it in one day.

In the middle of the night, she started to throw up blood. She was okay afterward, but I decided that I wasn't going to go through that again.

I prefer to buy the non-animal bones. I can't think of the name. I buy them rarely though as Misha eats them too fast. They aren't really worth the money.

 

No, I don't give my Homer real bones, I think he is too little. From time to time I buy these little toys made from real bones that are available at the animal store. He loves them. I also once bought him a pig ear, but it was disgusting and I won't do it again. I couldn't stand the smell .

 

My dogs are fine with bones. Actually not all of them like bones. The only dog that is really into bones is Candy but then again, if she isn't chewing on bones, she is chewing something else. Candy uses bones to sharpen her teeth much like a cat sharpens its claws by scratching.

 

Yes I do. I go to a butcher in town, and get them a fresh marrowbone each week. They lay down quietly, and chew them for hours. It gives their teeth a brilliant clean, and keeps them happy and occupied. I put a tarp down for them to lay on, so any mess ends up on there. Mess can be cleaned up anyway, I think if you keep dogs, you can't really be picky about a little mess, because dogs make a mess. It's easily cleaned up though. I keep a fresh mop bucket on hand each day, and use antibacterial wipes for spot cleaning.

Dogs should never be given cooked bones, because they splinter. Raw bones of ANY animal, are perfectly fine, including chicken bones, but they MUST be raw. Bones are only dangerous to them if they're cooked, because that's when they splinter, and cause issues.

 

I agree....they're so gross! I don't mind giving them bones or even fresh pig parts, but those dried things you buy from the store? So disgusting smelling. It doesn't even seem to fade after a while.

 

Exactly, and the worst part is that when Homer has this ear, he carries it with him everywhere, because he likes it so much. He won't leave it. After this one time even my bed smelled like the pig ear .

 

I actually don't give my dogs pigs ears, because they're very fattening. I get a lot of my treat supplies from a site that sells all kinds of dried stuff, and I like to give mine dried cows ears. They're much less fattening, and they actually don't smell anywhere NEAR as much as a slimed up pigs ear, after its been nommed on for a bit.

Dogs also love licorice, but not the overly sweetened stuff you buy in sweetshops. Try finding some licorice root, and also cinnamon. Cinnamon is great for freshening their breath, but don't give them too much of it.

 

Has anyone tried dried cow's ears? I can buy them where I used to live and it has a nice leathery smell about it. My dogs love it.

 

I don't think I've ever seen cow's ears in the store. Pig ears are the standard ones around here. I can't imagine them smelling any better.

 

I have, they're a LOT less fattening for the dog.

 

Believe me, they're a nicer smell. Well. As far as a dead dried out ear can smell anyway, hahahahaha!

 

Maybe I should buy these cows ears then. Thank you for the tip. I still remember how happy Homer was with the pig ear and I feel a little bit guilty that because of me he can't have more of it

 

Well, have you smelt one of those expensive real leather belts? That's how a dried cow's ear smells like. After all it's all leather.

 

I give my dogs bones at least twice a week. The bones are good for them, both nutritionally and for keeping their teeth healthy. The key thing to remember is to give them raw bones, not ones from cooked meat. Those bones, particularly poultry, can splinter and hurt them. Poultry bones are fine as long as they're not cooked.

 

Well in that case....

Maybe I should just buy my dog a belt instead.

 

This is good news! I don't find the smell of the leather very pleasant either, but it's bearable for me. I think Homer will love it, we must definitely try to buy it. I hope we'll find some at the shop.