Alternatives to rawhide & bully sticks?

[JB]

oooh..i want to go to your butcher.. quite the bone.. lol the ones i get are always smaller than that. i actually get them from the super market. theyre usually labeled as "beef stock bones". my dad is also a meat cutter so i get hooked up when i visit the parents.

Haha, you should try a neighbourhood butcher. I go to an little Italian supermarket close to my place that has a little wee butcher counter in the back and a dude behind it who can barely speak english. I find places like that are super friendly and will make an effort to get you whatever you want.

what have you all heard about oxtail?? i know they aint cheap but what are the benefits and set backs??

I don't know anything about it. Friends of mine from the islands are always ranting and raving about oxtail. I've never considered giving it to a dog.... mostly because you've gotta buy it and I figure I shell out enough on yuppy dog food for my mutt.

[concreterose]

My mom used to make oxtail soup all the time. My sister loves it and still cooks it sometimes, but I ain't eating nothings tail. Anyway, I didn't think many farmers raised oxen anymore. I could be wrong though. They're really meaty, they have them at all the supermarkets around here.

[mnp13]

what have you all heard about oxtail?? i know they aint cheap but what are the benefits and set backs??

Do NOT give oxtail to your dog!!! That's right up there with giving them steak!

I mean, sure you could, but why give such good meat to your dog? Oxtail soup is fantastic!

Michelle

[sundaygirl]

Ok, just one more question. If I give him a bone and he doesn't get all of the marrow out, do I have to re-freeze it? or can the bone sit around a day or two until he gets it all out?

I did get two bones at the grocery store last night. They were cheap! and Luther went nuts for it. He didn't even come up for air in the 2 1/2 hours that he was working on it (finally I had to take it away just to get him to go out for a walk). this morning I gave it back to him and as soon as he saw it he started making the pig-like grunting noises he makes when he's *really* excited. thanks to all - I have one happy dog!!

[JB]

I just leave my dog's bones laying around until they start to gross me out. Which is only one or two days. I wouldn't be too concerned about refreezing them or anything, dogs can eat some pretty nasty business. In the wild they'll pick away at a large kill for days.

I've got a bone related question. This weekend I picked up a couple knuckle bones from the butcher. All he had left was the stuff he gives away for soup. So they're chopped up... probably about four or five inch square pieces. The dog eats the entire things. When her front teeth can't get in to get the marrow anymore, she simply crushes the outside of the bone and gobbles it up. It doesn't splinter, but good size chunks come off. By the end of a day or two there's nothing left. So she eats this gross bone, then Saturday night wakes up and goes downstairs and pukes! It was just water and chunks of bone. Should I be concerned that these chunks are gonna get stuck in her gut? Do BARF feeders have this problem frequently? Does everyone's mutt inhale the entire bone?

[mnp13]

Ruby and Connor do the same thing. As long as the bone is not splintering they either pass it, it dissolves in their gut or they puke it out. Splintering is a different issue of course... but if it's just chunks my vet said not to worry about it.

Michelle

[JB]

That was my initial thought as well. Thanks for the piece of mind.

[SpudsBud]

How much is too much when it comes to marrow bones? If my dog eats one bone every day or two should I cut back on his kibble?

[pollypop]

There's no set amount that's "too much." If he starts putting on weight, give him fewer bones. If his weight remains constant, then it's the right amount. You'll get used to the way your dog looks, and will be able to eyeball the changes.

Personally, if I were feeding kibble and marrow bones, I wouldn't cut back on the kibble in favor of the bones. I'd just give fewer bones instead. Kibble's nutritionally balanced and bones are snacks. It's a bit like cutting back on the broccoli so that you can have more ice cream...