Nature's Variety Raw Frozen Bones
 

Has anyone tried the Nature's Variety raw frozen bones? I saw them at the pet store today and I am really interested in trying them, especially since they are supposed to be really good for cleaning teeth. We are already feeding NV frozen raw medallions and my Jimi loves them, so I was considering trying these bone treats as well.

..I just think they look so huge, I am wondering if they are meant for larger dogs or multiple feedings. So if anyone feeds these to their furbabies, I am just curious about (1) how often you feed them and (2) if you have to take them away, clean them off, and put them back in the freezer for a later date since they are so big!

any comments would be greatly appreciated :)



Here is the explanation on the NV website:


Raw Frozen Bones

Raw bones are an excellent source of minerals, essential fatty acids, proteins, and enzymes. They are also a natural, balanced source of calcium and phosphorus. Feed a raw bone as a natural source of chondroitin for joint health or a natural source of fiber. Raw bones can also promote teeth and gum health for better breath! If you're feeding a raw bone for the first time, we recommend starting with a Raw Beef Bone.


Nature's Variety Raw Frozen Bones are found in the freezer, and are available in:

Raw Ham Bone
Raw Lamb Bone
Raw Beef Bone
Raw Bison Bones
Turkey Necks
Split Beef Knuckles

I've never tried the NV bones. Like you, I thought they looked huge. I just go to the butcher at my grocery store & have him make up a package of smaller bones for me. It's much cheaper that way, too.

Thank you for the reply.
What kind of bones do you recommend?

Are you wanting just recreational bones? Or a bone that he can actually eat?

We feed almost all digestible RMBs and those include -- chicken drumsticks, chicken necks, chicken backs, pork necks.... etc. Small bones like that.

hmm.. Good question lol. Well I give him bully sticks for chewing so I think I want them to be something he actually eats. (Sorry I am new to this, so I am a bit confused!) I have just read so many good things about feeding RMBs, so I wanted to try it. The NV website makes it seem like the bones are treats that are fed to supplement the raw medallions, but I am not sure.



I have been trying to do some research on this subject as well. I have read a great deal of information from the website (THE MANY MYTHS ABOUT RAW FEEDING), which was posted by Wylie's Mom on a separate thread about feeding a raw diet. (I have heard that she knows everything about feeding raw!)

But.. The information on this site is confusing me, because they make it seem like the NV bones are a perfect size for any dog. Here is an excerpt from the website:

". . .There is still one primary rule of thumb when feeding small dogs and toy breeds, and that is to feed big! A small dog does not need small food when it comes to raw diets. That means steering clear of chicken necks and wings; these are too small and are too easy for the dog (yes, even a toy dog!) to attempt to swallow whole, which then results in gagging or choking. . .The behavior is ingrained, and the desires to rip, tear, chew, gulp, and swallow (sometimes with emphasis on gulping and swallowing, especially if the dog was fed commercial food before) should still be very strong. So get rid of the lone chicken wing and neck; only feed those if, and ONLY IF, they are attached to half of a breast, half of a chicken, or a whole bird. . . Avoid the temptation to cut their food into smaller pieces; remember, smaller is NOT good, because smaller pieces increase the likelihood of the dog gulping and then gagging on their food. Stick with the big pieces, and your dog will get the hang of chewing its food very quickly. . ."

Maybe meeting somewhere in the middle is good? lol :confused:

Well I think that when you are training a dog to eat raw you need to either have it in bite sized pieces of bigger than their heads. If they are gulpers, you might need to hold one end until they learn to chew. Once you are sure that they wont just gulp their food down, you can give the "smaller" pieces.

My dog (4lbs) gets chicken wings (the whole wing) and does very well with them. There really isn't much that I don't give her when it comes to chicken.

Pork necks and ox tails are good too. Myine also really loves cow knees (with some meat still on them). The main thing to stay away from are weight-bearing bones on large animals. Cow femurs are going to be too dense (not that they could even get their little mouths around it!).

For starting out I think chicken legs are great! They are the prefect size and your baby will LOVE them!