Feeding Bones For Dental Health

[PatricksMom]

I'm considering starting to give Patrick bones for his teeth--so far he's doing well with yearly dentals, but given his age (12) I'm realizing at some point they might not be a possiblity anymore and brushing only goes so far.

 

But DH and I are vegetarians, and have no idea about what kinds of bones to buy, where to get them, how often would he need to have them, would he eat them all the way or just chew on them (and if so, when do I take them away).

 

 

Right now, he loves his veggie treats (and dog food), but I'm hoping to keep his teeth cleaner.

Any advice?

[Guest azlorenz]

I'm new to the whole raw bone thing too. We purchased our bones at our pet store. They have a freezer full of different kinds of bones. On the bag we purchased it says to give once a week and to only let your dog have it for 1 hour and dispose of to avoid bacteria issues.

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

I used to feed raw knuckle bones. I find them hard to find now so I just go to the supermarket and purchase raw beef rib bones. The kind that most people BBQ. Ya those

I normally hand them out once or twice a week. For about 8 ribs it cost around $12

 

My crew wont try to eat the actual bone, they chew off the meat and gnaw on them a bit longer then walk away.

[greg1229]

I get raw chicken lag quarters. They each get a raw one a couple times a week

[Guest dozersassy]

Frozen Marrow bones work excellent. I ask at the grocery store and they do wonders!

 

I keep them in the freezer and maybe 1 or 2 times per week give them one.

[Guest greyhound9797]

Marrow bones are extremely dense and tough, harder than a dogs' teeth in fact, so they are not recommended. They can (and do) cause tooth fractures, even over a short period of time. Many people feed raw chicken or turkey neck bones, however, if your grey is a gulper, the chicken necks will just be swallowed without being chewed and providing any dental benefit. You could try something like bully sticks (dehydrated bull penis) that takes a long time to chew. Your best bet is to get the 12 inch braided ones.

 

Sandra in FL

[Guest lasharp1209]

Not all groceries carry turkey necks, but if you can find those they're great, and pretty cheap. I feed 1-2 per week.

[PatricksMom]

The bully sticks sound like a good starting place. Is that something you let them chew on whenever, or would I give one once a week and take it a way after a while?

[Guest Sunset123]

The bully sticks sound like a good starting place. Is that something you let them chew on whenever, or would I give one once a week and take it a way after a while?

 

Bully sticks are great. I'm a huge fan of them. I like that they're easily digestible, low in fat, and won't splinter. They come in different sizes, so you can decide how often to give them. I usually give my 59lb girl one extra-thick (it's about the size of two of my fingers) 12" bully stick once a week. I let her eat the whole thing if she wants to. She is very good at chewing it down to the last bit. Sometimes she'll stop with about 5 inches to go and save it for later. The only time I take it away is if I have to leave the house, because I don't allow her to eat them unattended, just in case. Also, I usually either make dinner a little bit smaller on days that she eats the big bully sticks or I don't give her her normal stuffed kong that day.

 

I like to keep smaller bully sticks (I like 6" braided) and cow tracheas for a mid-week snack.

 

Check out bestbullysticks.com. These are really good quality (the ones you'll find at the pet store often have gross additives which make them small bad) and they're way cheaper than you'll find anywhere else.

Edited August 9, 2010 by Sunset123

[Guest Ola]

Marrow bones are extremely dense and tough, harder than a dogs' teeth in fact, so they are not recommended. They can (and do) cause tooth fractures, even over a short period of time.

I agree. And even if you get lucky with no fractures or other damage, they definitely wear down teeth because they're so hard. I actually don't feed any beef bones to my dogs because of this. I recommend consumable bones - many folks here like turkey necks, but IMO there's nothing special about them. I like chicken leg quarters or pork ribs (just be sure to feed multiple ribs connected together as a single one can get easily swallowed).

[Guest DPH]

With an older dog, you may want to actually consider N-Bone Puppy Teething Treats. Older dogs can have a lot of sensitivity like a teething pup. The N-Bone Puppy Teething Treats are both reasonably soft and long lasting. They don't splinter and the ingredients are high quality. People start their puppies on them but stay with these chews into adulthood as they do a good job keeping teeth clean.

[PatricksMom]

 

Check out bestbullysticks.com. These are really good quality (the ones you'll find at the pet store often have gross additives which make them small bad) and they're way cheaper than you'll find anywhere else.

 

Thanks for the quote--I tried a braded one from our local pet store (checked, nothing added) and he liked it, so I think I'm going to order more from that site--their prices are fantastic.

 

If I order 50, do they go bad? Should I keep the unused ones in the freezer?

[Guest mcsheltie]

Turkey necks and chicken quarters will do the best job and not cause any damage to his teeth.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

I used to feed raw knuckle bones. I find them hard to find now so I just go to the supermarket and purchase raw beef rib bones. The kind that most people BBQ. Ya those

I normally hand them out once or twice a week. For about 8 ribs it cost around $12

 

My crew wont try to eat the actual bone, they chew off the meat and gnaw on them a bit longer then walk away.

 

I do this, too! We give them 2 ribs attached together and there is a lot of gnawing action getting those ribs apart then pulling the meat off of them. When the bones are mostly bare, we just pick them up and toss them.

[Guest lasharp1209]

Turkey necks here! We can find them at the grocery store but I know not everyone can. Feed frozen or unfrozen - they eat the whole thing, takes about 30-45 minutes for my guy to finish his. I always feed outside so I don't have to clean up after him

[NeylasMom]

 

If I order 50, do they go bad? Should I keep the unused ones in the freezer?

I keep mine in the fridge. I had a problem with mold once when I didn't. I get mine from a guy who gets them from a local farm though so not sure if that somehow factors in. You would think you wouldn't need to do anything but store in a cool, dry place since they're dehydrated, maybe it was too warm where I was storing mine.

[Guest Tequila]

I highly recommend deer antlers -- you might find you'll never need a dental!

 

http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-toys/antler-chews.html?sef_rewrite=1&sef_rewrite=1

 

or www.ElkUSA.com