Quote:
Originally Posted by mistyinca  Abbie's mom: I know someone nearby who raw feeds her dogs, but they are Siberian Huskies, and of course they can handle much larger pieces of meat than our yorkies can. I'm wondering though, since you feed the meat from the store, what you do about bones. I know they need them for the calcium, and I understand that in their raw form, they don't pose the same danger as, say, cooked chicken bones, but yorkies are small, so how do you find your dogs do with the bones you give them? And what do you give them? I've been tempted to give Chloe the chicken neck when I'm cooking a chicken for dinner, but I worry about if she can even chew those little bones.
Thanks for the info. |
I would NOT give her chicken necks. Several reasons for this being:
1) There's not enough meat to justify the risk of choking
2) Necks are where the breeders usually inject medication
The prey model diet consists mostly of
meat and
meaty bones. Key word being
meat; though my Abigail loves raw bones, and I have to be sure she gets enough meat. Size doesn't deter dogs from eating naturally. I'm on a list where a 2lb chi is fed RAW, and Abigail was 2.2lbs when we started her, at 9weeks. She is now 6 1/2 lbs @ 15months. She feels muscular, not fat nor frail. Yes, it is a bit more of a caution to feed smaller ones; but, the benefits far outweigh whatever myths are floating around. For instance, handing a dog a chicken leg and letting him rip and tear at the meat is excellent exercise for neck and shoulder muscles. He won't get that from scarfing down a medallion. Chomping bones cleans his teeth, as well as supplies him with many valuable nutrients. His mouth is filled with canines - meant to rip, tear and break. My vet can't believe my 13y/o Mozart's teeth. She uses word like "awesome" and "amazing". I won't say he'll never need a cleaning; but so far, no one has suggested the need. I've been feeding RAW for four years, and Mozart's breathe never smells doggie nor stinky. Abigail has the sweetest Yorkie kisses around
. The only time her breathe stank was during teething, and once those puppy teeth were gone - so was the smell. When dogs have to work for their meal, it also engages the brain (problem solving) as opposed to eating prepared foods, handed to them.
I try to feed a variety, as much as possible; but am limited to supermarket fare. We don't hunt
. I feed:
Fresh, RAW
- Chicken (leg quarters, gizzards, liver, hearts, feet, breasts)
- Turkey
- Pork (butt, tail, soft bones)
NEVER weight-bearing bones of large animals, and most beef bones are too dense.
Neither of mine like beef, but that's a staple in many RAW freezers. I'm going to try Emu if I can locate some. I've tried Venison, but Abbie only picks at it, and Mozart won't eat it at all.
Now, as far as safety goes, it's a case of "know thy dog". I am never far away during feeding time. Both mine eat in the kitchen on towels and I'm usually in the room when Abigial is eating.
It IS a scary prospect at first - but switching to RAW saved my Mozart's life, and made a believer outta me.
Please see the link in my sig line: Species Appropriate Diet for more.