Bones??? - Page 1

Can I feed my female raw beef ribs bone in? She is allergic to chicken and developing tartar on her back teeth No way in hell she will let me brush them,have tried Have heard that beef rib bones raw can be digested with no problems Is this true? Just don't want her to get a sliver caught in her system She will be 3yr old in July so she is not a pup Thanks for all replies in advance Curt

Feed them all the time also beef neck bones and pork neck bones.

I leave them out not more than two days in the summer it is to hot and dry, if they dry out then may sliver. I am in an arid climate if you are in a more humid area then just watch them that they don't get dried out.

When fresh rarely will they 

Yes .. I have fed my GSD both puppies and adults raw bones for years without problems. It depends on the dog as to whether they can crush the larger rib bones as it takes jaw strength and solid teeth. I have an older male that has damaged his teeth on kennel bars and he no longer is so keen on crushing the largest beef rib bones as it presumably hurts. Bones from young animals like grocery store chickens are crushed and never seen again after digestion by the dogs. Beef rib bones once fed should be consumed or picked up within a couple of days ( think concrete hardening ). The larger bones get harder with oxidation and sun exposure. Pork ribs are usually so soft that they have little value as tooth cleaners. I have fed large smoked femur and joint bones such as leg joints from slaughter cows .. some of my younger and smaller dogs can use these as a tooth cleaner but the big males and females can eat one in a day. Of course competition for the bones makes them go faster than a single dog eating alone so if your female is a singleton she may be leisurely in devouring her bones.  Deer and other carcasses are also good if available.  I gave my group of GSD a small buck and they ate everything but the hooves and the horns.  Feeding game has some risks from parasites or lead toxicity but there is a lot of bone, hide and entrails thrown away which the dogs would like to eat.  Dogs actually derive nutrition from the hair, skin, and parts we humans can't or won't bother to eat.  Goats and sheep would also be excellent sources of bones if you have a source or a processor local to you.