Beef Bones For Soup

[GSDowner]

I was so happy to have found two bags of soup beef bones half price.

I didn't stop and think whether they would be ok for an older dog.

My GSD is 11.5 yo.

I would be grateful for your opinions

Many thanks and Happy New Year.

[persephone]

as long as he cannot fit (or almost fit) them in his mouth at once ..and he is used to eating bones . if they are really hard..and cut into sections a few inches long .... bin them ..they are dangerous

[grumpette]

If they are the larger beef soup bones from the backbone, with a decent amount of meat on them, then they are perfect for oldies. I used to give them to Baylee all the time because at 11 years old her teeth were a bit worn down.

The young ones eat them as well and I take the smaller bits of bone away from them once they have chewed them for a while.

[Staffyluv]

I don't use soup bones, I find them to be very sharp..

I also don't use marrow bones as the higher fat, with all the marrow, tends to upset his tummy.

I tend to use lamb ribs (and beef ribs), turkey necks are also great for bigger dogs.

[BC Crazy]

I buy the larger beef soup bones from woolies. I just go through the bags cause some of them are too small. If I do find any small ones at home I bin it. I also buy marrow bones from Coles. They are a big hit with my guys as well. They only have one of those a week as they are very high in fat. Mine also get a chic carcess a couple of times a week. I try to alternate between these . My guys are 3 & 5 though :)

Edited January 1, 2014 by BC Crazy

[Sabbath]

I have found rib bones to be swallowed before being chewed up enough with a couple of my dogs. They brought them back up at the most inconvenient of times. I've never had a problem with beef soup (back) bones. YMMV.

[sandgrubber]

Mildly guarded yes. Dogs love the marrow and will quickly get that out of a soup bone, especially if it's cut short (say less than 100 mm). Some get too enthusiastic and may chip a tooth. So watch what your guy does. If he's highly energetic about chewing the hard outer part and seems to be chomping down on it hard with his molars, I'd take it away.

[korbin13]

I have just had my dogs premolar removed as it was snapped off at the gum line while chewing a soup bone (I got them from Woolies in a bag), she is four and has been eating them for years.

So, could be just bad luck but I won't be using them again. I have read many times on here that you should only feed non weight bearing bones, wish I had listened.

[BC Crazy]

Geez korbin13, that sounds very nasty, poor dog...

Might have to stick with the brisket bones in the future. They are very hard to get here. Will have to shop around more I think.

I never leave them unattened while eating nor do I leave the bones lying around when they are done with them as I have heard thats when they become a choking hazzard.as they become brittle.

Brisket bones top of shopping list :)

[Glen]

I agree with korbin 13. My two cattle dogs used to eat these bones regularly, but one of them cracked a tooth on one. Was quite an expensive exercise. We stick to chicken frames and lamb necks cut in half lengthways now.

[GSDowner]

Thank you all for so many valuable tips

I find it hard to determine whether a bone is hard.

and

Unfortunately (shame on me ) I didn’t thoroughly read Persephone’s response,

especially this bit:

“and cut into sections a few inches long .... bin them ..they are dangerous”

So I gave my dog 2 smaller pieces (about 3 inches long). After several hours

he started to cough, as if something was lodged in this throat. He coughed up a whole piece of a bone with some meat on it.

[blakkjackal]

I find it hard to determine whether a bone is hard.

Weight bearing bones that came from heavy animals (cow, deer, horse, moose etc.) are very dense and hard, in fact hard enough to break teeth. Mine has lost half his front tooth to a marrow bone, definitely learned my lesson there. I like giving (frozen) lamb necks, they're great for heavy chewers.

[HazyWal]

Geez korbin13, that sounds very nasty, poor dog...

Might have to stick with the brisket bones in the future. They are very hard to get here. Will have to shop around more I think.

I never leave them unattened while eating nor do I leave the bones lying around when they are done with them as I have heard thats when they become a choking hazzard.as they become brittle.

Brisket bones top of shopping list :)

BC have you tried the lamb briskets (lamb flaps)? My vet only recommends the lamb necks or the flaps but seeing as the necks are $10 a kilo I get the flaps at $3 a bag, I get about 8/10 in a bag. Just ask your butcher if he will save them for you, mine does. I find the brisket bones too fatty for Stan the fatty boom bah but seeing your two are fit and active they'd be ok lol.

Edited January 2, 2014 by HazyWal

[Sandra777]

Lamb brisket & lamb flaps are two very different parts of the animal :)

Brisket from any animal is banned here after we lost a dog to one (yes, supervised) and I know of several other Staffords which have choked and died on brisket.

If the dog has strong enough jaws to crush the brisket without having to actually chew pieces off, it can then try to swallow the crushed piece whole, which usually doesn't end well.

Lamb flaps are the last piece of the rib cage with the fatty belly attached or hot - flat and very good for the crazy strong jawed type of dog.

[HazyWal]

Lamb brisket & lamb flaps are two very different parts of the animal :)

Brisket from any animal is banned here after we lost a dog to one (yes, supervised) and I know of several other Staffords which have choked and died on brisket.

If the dog has strong enough jaws to crush the brisket without having to actually chew pieces off, it can then try to swallow the crushed piece whole, which usually doesn't end well.

Lamb flaps are the last piece of the rib cage with the fatty belly attached or hot - flat and very good for the crazy strong jawed type of dog.

Ah well there you go thanks Sandra It's the lamb flaps I get but I've been corrected a few times by people to call them briskets, someone's put me on a bum steer. Anyway as you say they are long and flat and are great for guzzle guts Stan :)

[Kajtek]

Turkey necks work great here and I always supervise the proceedings

I am not game enough to give any other kind of bone to the bullies.

[trifecta]

I find it hard to determine whether a bone is hard.

Weight bearing bones that came from heavy animals (cow, deer, horse, moose etc.) are very dense and hard, in fact hard enough to break teeth. Mine has lost half his front tooth to a marrow bone, definitely learned my lesson there. I like giving (frozen) lamb necks, they're great for heavy chewers.

I would include roo tail as weight bearing bones too. An over-enthusiastic chomper here sustained a slab fracture to a molar from roo tail.

[twisties]

Some great posts, very informative, we go for brisket when we can get it chicken wings or necks otherwise. Then the special Christmas present of your cartoon like beef thigh bone which was fully supervised and then taken away once the meat was gone and before it started to break down.

[sandgrubber]

Thank you all for so many valuable tips

I find it hard to determine whether a bone is hard.

Hit a non-meaty version with a hammer. If it squishes or breaks it's not hard. If it clunks, it's hard. Alt, if the white stuff is more than a couple mm thick, it's probably going to be hard.

[blakkjackal]

I find it hard to determine whether a bone is hard.

Weight bearing bones that came from heavy animals (cow, deer, horse, moose etc.) are very dense and hard, in fact hard enough to break teeth. Mine has lost half his front tooth to a marrow bone, definitely learned my lesson there. I like giving (frozen) lamb necks, they're great for heavy chewers.

I would include roo tail as weight bearing bones too. An over-enthusiastic chomper here sustained a slab fracture to a molar from roo tail.

Yes completely forgot about roo tails. Very dense indeed. They got some nice meat on them so if I ever got hold of one I'd feed supervised and take it away once the meat was gone. Could do the same with e.g. cow feet but wouldn't feed them bare under any circumstances. Dental work is expensive...