Raw bones for small breed dog

[Focusfocus]

Hi all,

Our Shih Tzu x Bichon Frise is 1 year old exactly. She weighs about 7.3 kilos. Her mum weighs 10, dad weighs 5 so I assume she's right in the middle. She isn't overweight, as the vets explain and we feel her ribs fine.

She was sent home on James Well Beloved but we switched to grain free pretty soon so she has largely been on a grain free kibble based on 60% game in the mornings and a grain free wet food based on 60% salmon in the evenings.

We would like to add raw bones to her diet. We are not looking to shift to a raw diet (and I'm not posting for advice on that) we simply wish to introduce raw bones to her. So a few questions if you have any thoughts :)

1. Which bones are best for a dog of her size and breed mix? Would things like chicken wings offer the same health benefits nutrient wise as say bigger joints of red meat bones which might be too big for her?
2. We don't know butchers locally but are happy to order or buy from pet places or supermarkets etc. any suggestions?
3. How often should we give her these and how much at once for her to get the benefits of glucosamine, chonodotrin etc that bones offer?
4. Is it okay to freeze first and chuck her the bone out on the garden to eat outdoors?

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Chicken wings are perfect. I buy big packs from the supermarket, separate them into bags and then freeze, but you have to defrost them to feed them.

Are you looking to feed bones every day or as an occasion treat?
If you were raw feeding, you'd probably feed about 4 a day for a dog of that size, so if you give her 1 wing a day, you need to cut her dry food by about a quarter

Thanks sparechange! NO we are not trying to replace her meals with raw - rather give her some of the goodness of bones a few times a week. She has 50 gms of grain free kibble in the morning and 1/4 can of grain free canned at night. Okay - good to know chicken wings are okay!

Hmm didnt intend to capitalise the "no" - no idea how that happened!

Chicken wings are perfect! Turkey wings are good as well, but might be a bit big for your girl.

We had a similar sized Jack Russell and he also enjoyed single beef or pork ribs (usually from supermarket), duck necks or chicken's feet (both in the freezer in Kennelgate), or the bony part of any chop (removed before cooking the medallion part for us)

Any reason they need to be thawed to feed? And a related question. I'm in the late stages of oregnancy and new baby arriving soon. She will obviously use her paws for raw chicken etc, mouth of course. With the warnings about salmonella and her free access to everything and everyone ( which we wouldn't dream of changing) is it safe for the humans to be potentially smeared with raw chicken juices?

Because she'll break her teeth on frozen chicken! Plus it won't taste of anything. It should be pleasurable for her to eat bones. I wouldn't want to eat my food frozen (other than ice cream!)

When I first started feeding wings to my dog, she would carry them off to her bed to eat. So I stood over her next to her bowl and 'boxed' her in to stop her going to her bed. She quickly learned to eat them there and then (and chicken bones aren't like beef bones that they'll gnaw on for hours) so it shouldn't be a hygiene issue.

Mine have raw chicken/tripe/lamb/roadkill every day (fully raw fed), and touch wood no hygiene issues.

Just don't let pup slobber over baby immediately after eating.

Mine get fed in the garden only. And semi defrosted chicken wings are fine.

Morrisons meat section is fab. They do meaty bones for a quid or so. You'll know if your overfeeding bone as the poo will go white and crumbly.

That reminds me. I found a deer last night that I need to butcher and freeze

My dogs always have their chicken wings frozen. I feed them all their bones frozen, turkey necks, lambs necks, lambs heads etc. I'm sure Natural Instinct advise to feed the lambs necks raw so they can't break off big chunks so easily. You can buy lamb spines too which aren't too big and Natures Menu do marrowbones which keep mine busy in the garden for a whole afternoon.

Sorry! I don't mean feed the lambs necks raw, I mean they advise to feed them FROZEN! Of course they are raw!

My dog has her chicken wings frozen as well , same size approves yours.

I have concluded she prefers them raw,as she tends to leave the room temp ones .

same size approx. as yours

I feed frozen wings and turkey/duck necks too without issue.

Forgot about ducks necks, they are good size for smaller dogs. I buy the Natures Menu stuff from local pet shop and my vet sells Natural Instinct or you can order it online or go to the shop in Camberley if that's not too far for you. Chicken wings I buy Costco ones or supermarket ones. Got 4 packs reduced to £1 each in sainsburys the other week. In the chilled section.

We raw feed our dog and the hygiene thing is something you have to be conscious of, esp with chicken. He is fed outside unless it's really minging weather. We have also trained him that if he's fed inside, we put a towel down, put the meat in a bowl on the towel and say "on the mat" which means he must keep his food on the towel not the floor. Any time he tried to move the food off the mat we would take it away, tell him to get back in the mat, and put it down again - he got the idea pretty fast! That way you can wash the towel and avoid any scraps or meat traces on the floor.

I also give him half a dentastix chew after each meal so that raw chicken isn't the last thing he ate, if he did choose to lick our toddler (which we discourage, obv).

Eric has bones although can't really identify where they come from as the butcher gives me them free. He prefers lamb to pork though and he particularly likes ones he has to drag rather than is able to carry. It's a guaranteed hour of peace here as he strips them bare. Never gave chicken wings tbh purely because I'd have to pay for them and he gets plenty of freebies anyway.