No, I don't feed bones Jess. I did try the softer kind but then I had a bitch who nearly choked to death when she tried to swallow one. Don't know if it is a Boxer thing but every one of mine will try to swallow anything as quickly as possible. A choking, bloating dog is your worst nightmare and I would never risk it again. They get ground chicken carcasses & egg shell for calcium and have always enjoyed chomping on tough toys so their jaws are well developed and they get raw carrots and apples, plus my fingers, to clean their teeth

You can do the Heimlich manoeuvre on dogs, and it has saved the lives of many. You need to be absolutely sure of what you are doing though and you must take the dog to the vet afterwards for a thorough examination as, while the procedure may save the life of the dog in an emergency, it can damage the internal organs and/or fracture bones and the damage may not be immediately obvious.

I never give bones but strip all the meat from them I only give Marrow bone to help with their teeth

Thankfully both of mine are very good chewers where bone is concerned, they will gulp down huge chunks of meat but even if the bone has become small they will still chew it up till it is nothing

I still always supervise them though

I cannot give marrowbones as one of my dogs is allergic to the marrow and ends up gasping for breath, and being rushed to the vet if he eats any.

Bev

I just posted this in another thread on raw bones - but felt it also belonged here.

I used to feed my dog raw marrow bones for 6 years until he had a near fatal episode of acute pancreatitis last month. The marrow bone itself is probably OK but the marrow inside is very fatty and can over-burden the pancreas. I thought I was doing the right thing by feeding raw bones (and he certainly has great teeth) but I didn't realise how fatty the marrow was. It's so important to scrape it out.

Portion control is really important too. I used to laugh at the sight of my JRT carrying a giant marrow bone around the backyard, but in hindsight I realised the portions I was giving him were WAY too large and WAY too frequent.

My local butcher used to laugh and say: it's always the little dogs that get the biggest bones! And while it was funny to watch my JRT wrestle with a bone the size of him - it was absolutely heartbreaking to see him on life-support (and in agonising pain) because of my mistakes.

He's not allowed to have bones anymore because his pancreas can't tolerate the fat - so we've switched to nylabones and dental chew toys which have zero fat. I've learned to treat him with toys these days rather than food and he will have to remain on a canine pancreatitis diet for the rest of his life. But he's doing great since he's been out of hospital and thriving on the new diet! Loves his poached chicken in water!

If I ever got another dog I would probably (cautiously) feed raw bones again, BUT definitely in much smaller portions, less frequently and with all the fat/marrow removed.

mine get the whole cow leg.and knuckles as well,there for them to relax with,semi smoked,and i use an old sheet to spead out,there oily.

Lovely photo 3dognight

his name is mo,he a total raw dog.great boy with an awsome personality.he gets all sorts,ground meats and bones as well.all of mine get lots of deer,moose and chicken,which i have raised buy a friend.people in my area give me lots of frozen meats from there deep freeze,usually its because,there looking to make room for another hunt season.its great for the dgs and my wallet!

I have heard many saying that giving cooked chicken bones to dog is dangerous, because it tends to break in sharp peaces, but also I find out that giving totally raw chicken bone is alright and it has more benefits than other bones, specially the chicken leg or wing?!

I have given it already 2 times and everything seems fine! What do you think guys, share your experiences?

Blmey, I better call the zoo......... mine regularly demolish knuckle bones!