Best Bones For Keeping Teeth Healthy?

[luvsdogs]

I'm on a couple of raw food Yahoo groups & they say to feed 80% meat, 10% bones & 10% organs of which 5% is liver. They also say that the chewing & tearing of large chuncks of meat (bigger than the dogs head) is what cleans the teeth & not the chewing of bones. I don't stick to this because too much meat without bone gives him soft motions. Freezing meat for longer than 3 days kills any parasites that may be in the meat. I only buy human grade meat so I don't think that would apply. I don't always freeze their meat but when I do I try & remember to take it out of the freezer before lunchtime so it can defrost.

I had to put my little Japanese Spitz on a raw meaty bone diet because of his dirty teeth. He mostly has chicken legs, some turkey wings, lamb flaps & beef pieces. I have trouble getting him to eat chicken liver but he doesn't mind chicken hearts which are classed as meat & not organ. One time I had a raw lamb leg oh got from a club raffle, somehow most of the meat was taken off, so I gave it to Panda to have a chew of for about 30mins. He loved it & I had to coax it off him so I could give the rest of it to my Border Collie.

Even though his teeth still aren't perfect, the canines are still brown, he loves his raw meaty bone meals & does a happy dance each night at dinner time.

[mita]

Mita, Hockz is right about the size of meaty bones & the ratio of meat to bone, maybe try a chicken thigh or casserole chicken pieces instead of necks or wings so that the Tibbies are forced to chew & not just swallow!

That does make sense to make sure they have to chew & not just try to gulp down. Thanks for the tip. Turkey necks & more casserole-size chicken from now on.

Now you've both mentioned this... I've noticed that happens too with Chews, like Dentastix. I've found if I cut the stick into bits... they try to just swallow. If the stick is left whole, they gradually chew it down.

[Steph M]

Can't remember who asked about sourcing rabbit, but I buy it locally from a couple of rural produce stores where I buy horse feed, these types of places would be cheaper for wild rabbit. Or else make friends with a ferret keeper :laugh:

That was me! Sage advice, I will do some googling!

[Kirislin]

I've love to be able to get turkey necks. I got them a few times in Dandenong but I'm hardly ever over that way. I mostly get lamb ribs, but I have to go to the butcher on the right day or I miss out.

[Steph M]

There's a poultry shop in Oakleigh who do turkey necks, frames, wings and marylands.

Not sure if that's any easier, but they're happy to take phone orders and pop it in the freezer for you if you ask

[kelpiecuddles]

I used to get Turkey necks from a Woolies or Coles over Heidelberg way, might have even been Greensborough shopping centre?? Might be worth asking your local supermarket if they can get them, they came in a prepacked 1kg bag.

[persephone]

Watching our dogs ..it's that gnawing ..that chewing on one side of their mouth at a time as they get meat/sinews off bones , the one where their heads are parallel with a large bone , and they chew & chew & chew .... The length of time gnawing is important ... a couple of minutes is nowhere near as effective as 20 minutes !