# Fjm, Cm, any experienced raw feeder to the rescue?



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I have a quick question. I cut up a whole rabbit today and put small enough, meal sized portions in freezer bags for the boys. I put most in the freezer but kept in the fridge tomorrow's meal...one of them. I noticed the ribs are very sharp and very skinny. I'm nervous. Would you feed these? I know they have incredible digestive juices to dissolve these things. But cotton pick it...these are sharp! :afraid:

Thanks!:adore:


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

I've fed rabbit without a problem. If it makes you nervous, though, you could always grind it. Then you get the benefits of the meat and bone, though not so much the teeth-scrubbing aspect of it. If you're not going to grind, always feed the largest possible hunk of meat for the size of the dog.

I know of raw feeders who feed larger dogs whole rabbits, fur and all. 

I've fed quail once or twice; the bones are pretty small on those, too. Ostrich legs once. Fish heads. No worries on any of those.

HTH, 
--Q


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Thanks Quossum. I feed them other things...all kinds of chicken bones, fish etc but these were reeeeeeeelly pointy and sharp. Well, I'll decide tomorrow. I don't have a grinder and do prefer them to chew bones typically. Thanks for the encouragement!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I have avoided skinned rabbit for just that reason, although they munch up the ones Tilly brings home without any problem, fur and all. The dogs would probably cope fine, but I prefer not to feed sharp little bones for my own peace of mind. I would spend the next couple of days convinced that every twitch or whimper was an early symptom of a perforation, and it was All My Fault! I think I would feed the joints, and turn the ribs into stock for vegetables.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

When I fed raw, I gave Jazz and our old Lab whole rabbit (no fur, feet, head, or guts) occasionally without a problem. I'd have fed them more often if they hadn't been so expensive.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Thanks guys! Well, to come to think of it, my Lab, Bonnie use to hunt wild rabbits on our property all the time. She ate the whole thing and then often times...threw up. OY! All the flies would gather around on this and I had the joy of cleaning it up off the lawn. Now, I wonder if Labs eating any or all of the bones in a rabbit is one thing, tiny toy Poodles another. I mean...there's more space in a Lab's stomach for them to move around, getting soaked with gastric juices and becoming dissolved than there is in a tiny Poodle's. And maybe until the gastric juices do their thing, the darn sharp points on these bones might poke them in the wall of the stomach. So yeah...a little unnerving.

This rabbit has been frozen. I wonder if that makes the bones more sharp. I'm just so torn. Fjm, you have a point. Sometimes we need to do things just for our own peace of mind. On the other hand...lol. I got these whole animals for a reason. 

I'll let you know what I decide and how they fare. Thanks for the input. I really appreciate knowing what others do.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

There's a FB page for a raw feeding business called Rabbits4u. You could message the owner with questions.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Thank you Judy very much. I don't do FB though. :argh: 

So, this morning I was in a rush to go to a doctor's appointment and so decided to put off the bones until tonight and for breakfast they ate some quick to fix Nature's Variety frozen raw, then I was out the door. I didn't want them to have some disaster while I was gone. I might just give them the bigger bones and save the ribs that are so thin and sharp for making broth like Fjm said. But then again, I might change my mind back and forth until I reach for something entirely different. Roflol! 

Thank you so much for such a good suggestion. But I don't do that ole' FB thing.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

There's a website for the company www.rabbits4u but I don't know if you can ask questions via that. Might be worth a look just to see what she handles. It isn't just rabbit.

I sympathize with your angst. I agonized over everything when I first started feeding raw, but it really is well worth it.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I just posted the question on the raw food site I go on. I just haven't gone on for quite a little while now. So, hopefully I can get some more insight there too. I'll check out the website you gave me too. Thanks so much Judy. :adore:

eta: Oh dang. It says website not available. Well...don't worry. I'll see what some of these people say on that raw feeding site. You know...I'm not so anxious anymore about most things. We've been doing quite well. However, when I opened up and cut up this rabbit...Yikes!:ahhhhh:


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