Wont Eat Anything With A Bone In It

[BMAK]

I buy a lot of raw meat bones and chicken necks/wings and some times cut up shanks to give to my two dogs one will demolish the bones and the other dog will not even touch the meat that contains a bone.

She isn't an old dog (5 years) and i would like her to start eating some more meat and bones for her diet and for clean teeth but it is getting to a point where i will just let her stave until dinner if she doesn't touch her bone, trying to make her eat it, (thinking she was just being fussy) but she just wont eat it.

Does anyone know, of ayway i can get her to eat some bones or another food that can clean teeth because the bones just get wasted as there are so many for just one dog other wise

(she will eat raw chicken and raw meat as long as it contains no bone and isn't tough to chew)

what is wrong with my girl!

[oakway]

Easy, don't feed the dog until it has eaten the bone.

By the way I would not be feeding weight bearing bones to dog they are to hard for them. (shank)

I would use softer bone like lamb flap or chicken neck.

[Tilly]

Mine is the other way round ... he won't eat it unless it has bone in it. I have been feeding Canine Country and the youngest has stopped eating instead preferring just to eat the chicken frames, fist, turkey necks etc. Now I just offer him the food and remove it after a set time and don't offer him anything again until the next meal ... usually it only takes a day before he realises I am serious and eats what is offered.

[persephone]

Has she been checked to see if there is a dental/jaw problem?

Can she crunch up larger dry biscuits/apples?

Will she eat meat in a slab/slice? Like a piece of lamb flap (minus bone) ..about 10 cm square?

[aussielover]

I also thought that maybe her teeth are sore due to dental disease or something?

[BMAK]

Her teeth are still pretty white and not worn down much she gets other stuff to clean her teeth but they are expensive for what they are.

She has never eaten bones from what i can remember she would bury them in the back yard when she was the only dog and we never really saw them again

I will check her mouth tomorrow when there is better light, don't think she would have a dental disease problem. As she doesn't have smelly breath.

I never thought of maybe a jaw problem, she catches a tennis ball and soccer ball ok ?

she isn't very venturous in eating a lot of things she normally get's kibble as main diet then when ever we cook up large pots of meat and veggies they both get that or fish added to their meals or what ever we give her at training.

i gave the other dog shanks because he eats necks too fast like it has no bone in it and a tad pointless to give him it if it isn't cleaning his teeth on the way down his throat even though he really likes them.

she does eat slabs of raw meat (not 10cm big though), i gave her one today it took her away to realise it had no bone in it but.

i'm not going to stave her just because she doesn't eat bones thats a bit cruel ;)

[aussielover]

will she eat a pigs ear or a greenie or some other chewy thing?

The chewing action will help clean her teeth. also Hills prescription t/d and a number of other dental dry foods claim they help clean the teeth.

You could also try brushing her teeth.

[BMAK]

yeah im not a fan of giving the dogs pork heard a few stories but she gets the greenies and some other procesed soft bone (urgh) but would be easier to just buy bones.

no cracked/ broken or bad odours from mouth ?

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

What do you think is problematic in pork?

I feed my girls pork mince and pork bones when I can get them...trotters are great when fed raw as long as (with all things) it's fed in moderation.

BTW - it's not "cruel" to stop feeding your dog until it eats what you offer it. A dog will NOT starve itself. The dog appears to have you very well-trained because you're caving into what the dog wants...when it should be the other way around.