Bones

[MyGuideJools]

Dogs love bones right? I'd like to get a nice bone for our pup (5 month Lab) to keep him busy when I'm trying to sit and have a cuppa
Am I right to believe I should get a raw bone? all the bones I've seen in pet shops etc are 'roasted' but I thought cooked bones were a no no due to splintering?
TIA

[MyGuideJools]

🤣🤣

[Kayjay2018]

@MyGuideJools hector occasionally chews on Lexie's old antler toy, he prefers these bones over it. Sadly when we replaced the sofa a few weeks back I found loads he has been kicking under there. Very embarrassing 😝

[MyGuideJools]

kayjay thanks for that! there is a Waitrose not too far away so will treat him next time I pass.
I did buy him a bone from Morrison's (£3 for a large roast bone) and I let him have it for an hour a few days week, he loves it!
I also invested in an Antler for him, £16!! He has no interest in it whatsoever. He chewed it for 2 mins and now it's in the bottom of the toy box!
I think it's too hard for him and I think he prefers smelly things to chew

[Kayjay2018]

@MyGuideJools

I have 2 dogs (Doberman and a rescue), every Saturday they get a marrow bone from Waitrose. Only £1 and they love to get the Marrow and then the rescue spends the next week with his bone!

www.waitrose.com/ecom/shop/search?&searchTerm=bone%20marrow

Haven't found any other supermarkets that do them!

[MyGuideJools]

I know! it's the only thing he's ever rejected!! It's in his toy box and he will occasionally have a chew for a minute but thats it.....very strange!

[NoSquirrels]

we've tried the Yak Cheese chews and he's not interested

Some mistake, surely? Are you 100% positive he’s a Labrador?

[MyGuideJools]

He's currently tucking into a 'natural pork roll' that DH bought last week. It stinks but he's loving it

[MyGuideJools]

we've tried the Yak Cheese chews and he's not interested, he nibbles at it for a minute then walks away. Think I might invest in an antler.

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

Haven't read the whole thread but be very careful if you do give him bones. Yes, all dogs adore them BUT my previous dog could eat the whole of a marrow bone - every last bit and then get very uncomfortable indigestion - clearly the bits of bone going through her system. I had to ban bones as they were obviously very dangerous for her. When I was growing up, my Staffy had marrow bones and only ate the gristle/marrow and gnawed on the hard bits but was incapable of actually crunching up and swallowing bits of bone so they were quite safe for him. Current dog is only allowed antlers and yak cheese bars.

[palacegirl77]

He is a Beaut!!!

[Bluebell9]

I don't give my Lab the whole thing, I cut them up with a saw but I order the long ones rather than the short ones as the reviews for the short ones say they aren't great.

[Bluebell9]

Have you tried beef scalp? My dog goes through pigs ears really quickly but the scalp takes him a good while and you don't have to worry about bones splintering or being too hard for the teeth.

www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_treats_chews/beef/head_neck/212853?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI94yAi6b44gIVrLDtCh0OEAIcEAYYAiABEgJbAPD_BwE

[MyGuideJools]

When you say a split antler does that just mean they are cut in half?

[MyGuideJools]

witch sorry dogs!

I've seen the antlers, maybe I will treat him to one of them. I'm pretty sure he has all his adult teeth now, he's a big boy

[NoSquirrels]

As pickle says, Morrisons sell marrow bones really cheap - we stick them in the freezer and feed direct from frozen. My dog is a crunching machine, though - for a pup you might want smaller and a bit softer!

[tabulahrasa]

Pets at home and weirdly Dobbie garden centres have freezers with nature’s menu frozen bones and things like duck necks.

[pickleface]

Morrissons do packaged up lamb bones. They're really cheap too

[palacegirl77]

If your lab has their adult teeth definitely go for an antler. More pricey but never splinter, wont poison them and keeps them occupied for hours! Our lab loves them :-)

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Have you tired a split antler? My dog loves them. But he’s almost one. Not sure what age they’re good for.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Our local farm shop is mainly a butchery; it has a trolley full of bags of raw beef bones by the exit door, labelled 'for stock or dogs' iirc. We freeze them, give to the dog on the lawn straight from the freezer.

[Witchonastick]

If dogs could read and type you’d almost certainly be flamed for that last comment!

[MyGuideJools]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm wondering if it's worth the stress

[Judashascomeintosomemoney]

Btw even good, well trained dogs, can be reluctant to give up a lovely juicy bone to you, so make absolutely sure you have done a lot of work with your dog on the ‘leave it’ command first (or whatever name you want to give to it). You need to be able to safely take the bone off them in any emergency (small piece broken off, splinter, about to bury it so you can’t find it 😂). Which is why you need to supervise. I’m always nearby when my dogs have bones, I periodically go over to check on them and will pick the bone up and give it the once over occasionally to make sure it’s still intact.

[Judashascomeintosomemoney]

I do but my dogs are huge adult dogs, they also usually have them in the garden on warm days and spend a good hour or so licking the meaty bits as they defrost before chewing. I wouldn’t do it for a young dog, I’d defrost first, in a safe environment ie covered in cool dry place (to try to minimise bacterial growth, just as with human food), then give it to them. Make sure they’re ‘meaty’ bones and not totally stripped bones.

[BrokenWing]

I wouldn't give a dog a cooked bone, even if it was allegedly safe.

Our lab loves bones but we need to be very careful or he eats the full thing and it makes him ill (sick/dire-rear), he's had a couple of overnighters at the vets because of them so it is a rare treat for 10 minutes or so only now, before we get the sad eyes when we take it away.