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Unless
you feed your dog or cat on a full ‘raw meaty bones’ diet, they will
need some form of dental chew. Bones are the ideal ‘dental chew’ –
providing you follow the rules!
- Bones
should always be fed raw
- They
should be the right biological size for the dog / cat – a 10kg
spaniel does not have the correct anatomy to eat the back leg of a
moose! – so beef thigh-bones are out for all but the biggest of
dogs (and may lead to shattered teeth if you feed them)
- They
are best fed with their meat on, rather than stripped - the more
meat on the bones the better - think
meat with its bone, rather than bone with meat.
- The
smallest size of bone should
be as big as the dog’s head, to avoid them hoovering them down
in one – and getting stuck on the way! Feed a big piece and they
will gnaw away at the edges, swallowing them in sensible amounts.
- Feed
bones regularly – teeth
ideally need cleaning daily – though used 2 or 3 times weekly,
bones will do a good job.
- Don’t
let dogs sit with a bone for 12 hours if they have not had bones for
weeks – this risks an upset tum. Give
them for short periods of
time – say 5-10 minutes daily, then take them away until given
again the next day (I put mine on the top of the wheely-bin away
from foxes)
- Don’t
give bones to short-faced
dogs (such as Pekingese, Pugs, Boston terriers) unless you watch
them the whole time just in case they choke.
- Ideally
only give bones to any dog when you are around.
- Follow
normal hygienic precautions as for any raw meats.
So,
what bones do we give a cat?
- Lamb
ribs, rabbit legs, chicken wings/thighs – with their meat on
Good
bones for small dogs
- Lamb
ribs,
- Pig
trotters
- Chicken
thighs
Good
bones for bigger dogs
- beef
ribs
- lamb
shoulders
- pig
trotters
Please
note that all bones carry a small risk – but choosing not
to give your pet good dental care carries a huge risk of serious dental
disease! Life is a risk game where we have to consider the risks and
benefits. Used properly, we believe bones have a valuable role to play
in pet care.
DONTS
- Give
cooked bones of any description – risks blockages
- Use
beef marrow or knuckle bones – risks tooth fracture
- Give
small pieces of bones – risks getting stuck
- Give
bones if your pet has had intestinal (bowel) surgery - risks a
blockage
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