Safe Bones?

[LauraJane]

I've just started feeding my staffy boy a complete raw diet.

After lots of reading and discussions with a holistic vet we've come up with

a good diet plan.

But... my boy is unco when it comes to eating bones. Chew Chew Chew... then GULP! Swallows it.

He scared the crap outa me the other day by choking on a lamb flap.

Last night he tried to swallow a bone with meat still on it, was about the size of a tennis ball.

I watch him like a hawk, but now it's happened a few times i'm really nervous about giving him anything with out cutting it up into teeny tiny little peices.. and some things just can't be cut!

I've tried really really big... as soon as he gets it down to a size he "thinks" he can swallow, he does.

so my only option is really really small... or invest in my very own Mincer!

Any thoughts on safe bones for a silly staffy dog?

[felix]

One possibility is to give him frozen bones. Most dogs would eat them slower.

[rijbiz]

My girl tends to be a bit the same way and it makes me so nervous.

I was buying the big marrow bones sawn in half (long ways) and then tie them all up and give them the bones. But .... I only let them have them for 30 minutes before taking them away and binning them. I know its a bit of a waste, but I figure 30 minutes is long enough to clean their teeth but not long enough to get them to swallowing size

Last week though I did buy the lamb brisket bones, but found the best policy was to come inside and not watch - much better for my nerves as they always seem to cope anyway, regardless of whether I stand over them worrying.

Edited March 26, 2009 by rijbiz

[Kirra_Bomber_Zeus]

One possibility is to give him frozen bones. Most dogs would eat them slower.

I agree, usually freezing them will teach them to eat them slower. When my pup came home and I started feeding him raw chicken legs I held the other end of them for a while until he learnt how to chew them properly.

[LauraJane]

I might try the holding the bone for him like you did Kirra, i'm sitting watching him anyway might aswell assist.

I've trained him to "spit" when i'm not sure what he's munching on so i might be able to train him to nibble instead of gulp!?!

Freezing them is a good idea, but i've frozen his chicken necks and watched him pick them up... put them down and come back later when they are defrosted. Tricky tricky.

He has marrow bones quiet often, these seem like the safest cause they are so big .. but they are hard too, i'm worried he'll break his teeth.

Maybe i'm just a stress head and worry too much (my OH makes jokes about purchasing a bubble wrap factory so i can wrap everyone up in it)

Thanks for your help guys!

[colliepaws]

Luckily my two collies are very good at chewing their bones BUT I used to have two greyhounds who were massive gulping raw bone eaters. They would do just what your staffy boy does and even if I gave them something huge as soon as it was gulpable size it would be chomp chomp down the hatch!

I used to worry heaps just like you that they were going to choke and kill themselves but when it came down to it they were dogs and they knew what they were doing and never choked on any bones no matter how unchewed and huge it looked to me! And of course there were the odd occasions when after eating a nice large chicken frame (and gulping what looked like an unchewed quarter of it!) they would hork it back up for some more chewing... Really really lovely to watch that happen on the lounge room carpet I can tell you!

Oh and depending on the nature of your boy I would be careful with the assisting while eating thing just because I found with my greyhounds when I did that in an effort to slow them down it actually seemed to make them a little nervous and made them eat faster and therefore gulp more! But try it and I hope that it's a workable solution for your boy.

I'm a huge worry wart when it comes to my dogs too so I know exactly how you're feeling but the more you feed raw the more comfortable you'll be with it...eventually!

Best of luck with it all.