# Raw Bones for Klein?



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I think raw bones are great, but it also depends on if your dog is a 'chewer' or a 'gulper'! Dogs that gulp or bolt their food really need watching! Also beware of 'hard' bones like from the leg or knuckle bones because they can break a tooth! Personally, because my Molly is a chewer she gets raw chicken legs, necks, and wings. For a fun chew she'll occassionally get a meaty rib bone(they're softer) either lamb or pork or beef if they are baby back ribs!
Remember....always raw NEVER cooked!


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## iuhippiechick (Jun 9, 2012)

Humm...I think I would consider her more a "chewer" than a "gulper"...but not sure. She loves to chew on bully sticks and all natural pigskin knotted into a bone shape. She doesn't seem to gulp them. However, when eating her meal, she's possibly a mix of the two. She's great about not chewing on anything she's not supposed to. I've just read so many great things about Raw Bones, I thought I'd try it. Just wasn't sure where to begin. Given her size and possibility of gulping, what would you start with? Thanks!


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

She could probably manage a chicken leg quarter--drumstick and thigh together. My Lab and my standard poodle have no trouble with those. They also eat chicken backs, chicken breasts with ribs attached, turkey necks (I wouldn't give chicken necks--those are a bit too small for a standard) and turkey drumsticks. I've tried pork neck bones and pig's feet, but they don't do well with those.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I also think chicken necks are too small and think JudyD's list is right on the money. I think all dogs gulp their food but since your dog chews bullies ect. Then I would classify her as a chewer. The first few times she eats a raw bone keep your eye on her and you will know her style. Swizzle took to raw bones with no issue as did my Aussie. It is really great for their teeth. Just make sure not to feed and load bearing bones. This caveat does not apply to poultry. Let use ow how you get on.


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## iuhippiechick (Jun 9, 2012)

Thank you all for your suggestions! Now for a really silly question! I know where I can find fresh beef bones. As for feeding the raw chicken parts...do you all just go to the local grocery store and buy the pre-packaged chicken? LOL


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I get bravo chicken necks from a good quality pet store. I think chicken thighs would work well which you can get at Costco. I get chicken legs ect from a regular grocery store.


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

iuhippiechick said:


> Thank you all for your suggestions! Now for a really silly question! I know where I can find fresh beef bones. As for feeding the raw chicken parts...do you all just go to the local grocery store and buy the pre-packaged chicken? LOL


I buy all of my meat directly from farmers who raise their animals on pasture, don't use antibiotics or added hormones, treat their animals humanely, and are responsible stewards of the environment. If you are feeding raw, I think it is particularly important to get healthy meat. One farmer that I buy from grinds up chicken backs (meat and bone) and sells it for $2 per pound. My dogs love it--raw or cooked. Of course you can get chicken parts and/or organs too. You can find farmers at local farm markets and/or at Eat Wild or Sustainable Table | Welcome to Sustainable Table


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Try to avoid poultry parts that have been "enhanced," which means, as far as I can tell, that they've been soaked in a saline solution, I suppose to increase the weight. The package will say something to the effect that the parts are no more than a certain percent of whatever the solution is. I buy most of my poultry from a local meat market--the owner says his skinless chicken breasts have been soaked to help remove the skin but nothing else is.


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## iuhippiechick (Jun 9, 2012)

Although our pup was born on a ranch, I think she's turned into a "yuppy dog." LOL We tried the chicken quarters and it was hysterical! She licked around on it like she didn't have a clue what to do with it. It seemed to take forever for her to decide to try some chewing. 

We're having a beef (raised on a pasture, no hormones, etc.) processed this week. I'm wondering which beef bones I could ask the butcher for that would be safe to give her? I know the "weight bearing bones" are bad, but I'm such a newbie, I don't know what bones to ask for them to give me.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Well, it is a learning experience for them--it took my dogs a while to get really efficient. You might try removing the chicken skin and making some slashes in the meat to give her a better grip. Give her time. She'll figure it out.

As for the bones, I'm far from an expert on raw feeding, but I don't give my dogs any beef bones. I tried beef ribs once, but neither dog did well, although they were quite proficient by that time. As I recall, I finally took the bones away. Maybe if I'd been more patient, they'd have eventually worked through them, but it seemed to me they were having to chew too hard.


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## MrsKaia (Dec 3, 2011)

I have a miniature that is 17.5"/45 cm at the withers. Klein size  And I am giving her lamb shank, lamb shoulder arm chops, short ribs, and long ribs for some recreational chewing. She chews and gnaws at them until completely bare. And then she gnaws some of the bone off. It does take her much longer than my standard, but she manages just fine.


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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

JudyD's list is very good. My standard girl is almost the same size as your Klein and she loves her chicken leg quarters. Actually so does the puppy(16 weeks old) but he takes a bit longer to chew his up... We buy the cheap 10 pound packages at the regular store just watch the sodium level as some are as mentioned "enhanced" with a salty solution. 

My kids only get raw chicken for a meal a couple of times a week and it does work wonders on their teeth the rest of the time they are feed Merricks Grain Free kibble.


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## iuhippiechick (Jun 9, 2012)

Ok, so are beef bones bad for the dog? I don't want to give anything to our pup that could be harmful, but will be going to the butcher tomorrow and will possibly be able to obtain some fresh beef bones. Just don't know what to ask for. I purchased a big bag of chicken quarters for her, but after her seemingly lack of interest or my disdain for chicken, I'd rather try something else. Her teeth need something! I just don't want to give her anything that will be harmful for her teeth/health.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Chewing on the bones will give her a more natural way of using her teeth and jaws. I found that if Tiki had a chicken leg every day or so that it cut down on his desire for shoes, etc. I do remember being so surprised though when he ate the entire chicken leg bone, Now it doesn't faze me in the least to see bones disappear. If it is too hard he just leaves that part. He also likes beef neck bone, gives him a good long chew and then he leaves most of it. He does not do well on chicken/turkey neck bones and back bones for some reason - chokes them back up sometimes. Having things that a butcher has ground up - like backs or necks of chickens defeats the purpose of a bone to chew on. Let us know which bones she likes best!


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## Gilly (Feb 18, 2013)

Our adult toy poodle bitch joined our family earlier this year. Yeeha !! We had her spayed and her teeth cleaned whilst she was under sedation. They were pretty bad, she had to have a couple removed.

We have gradually changed her diet over time but her teeth are gunking up again. Talked to my vet and he suggested chicken wings which I have been feeding. My vet said OK to feed as her main diet. She also gets a premium kibble, which she doesn't like much at all. I also bought dog toothpaste, but haven't used it yet. She really enjoys the wings and I have learned to clip her ears behind her head otherwise her ears get a bit messy. 

How often do you feed the chicken wings? As main part of diet?


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

As I mentioned above, I'm absolutely no expert on raw feeding, but it seems to me that chicken wing as a total diet has a disproportionate amount of bone. Does your toy eat all of the bone/wing? (I just checked my chart for percentage of bone in chicken pieces. A wing, with skin and meat, is 46% bone. I think 10% is the commonly accepted proportion of bone in a raw diet.)


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I recommend that if your dog enjoys chicken wings and is not wild about kibble that you investigate a raw diet. There is a good thread going right now "Questions about raw food diet" started by HighJump. All the best


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I find chicken necks to be the ideal size for a toy. They have more meat on them then wings which is a little too boney in my opinion. If you get fossil poops you can always give more muscle meat. I keep frozen hearts and gizzards on hand in case Swizzle's poop is too hard but feeding necks in addition to his commercial food I really don't need them anymore.


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