Bones cooked vs raw---safety of it all

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Wouldn't that be awesome if we could just be all "yep, cut 'em yorkie size, Mr. Butcher Man" -- love it ! I love these Bison Back bones...bc they're so safe for all 3 of mine (Wylie being bigger (7lbs) and Marcel/Pf being smaller). At Whole Foods, I get them in the pet food freezer. They're frozen and there is usually about 7-8 bones per meat deli package (about $11-12 for the 7-8). I take them back to the butcher, and I usually ask him to cut each bone into 3 pieces -- so you end up w/ 20+ plus bones sometimes. If some of the original bones aren't as big, those can be cut into 2, instead of into 3. When I get them home, I put 3 bones each per baggie, and freeze them until I'm ready to take out the 3-at-a-time.

The bison bones are very lean (unlike some marrow bones), have just enough meat (which you could also prob remove), and fit in their mouths for chewing only -- but they can't eat the bone.

I too had some issues w/ smaller consumable raw bones, and it just causes too much fear for me.

I bet your boys would love 'em .

Whole Foods doesn't always have them...so if you're making a trip to Whole just for that, maybe call ahead and see if they have them in stock.

Lol, yes, I just want to be able to say Yorkie size! Thanks for the tip, I want to do something special for my little love bugs.

Originally Posted by brezofleur

The bone is too hard because the teeth aren't strong. Unfortunately, that's one of the main reasons.

I forgot to thank you for your answer, it made sense to me.

[brezofleur]

Oh! Bison in the frozen pet section!!

I'm going there tonight, so I'll definitely stop by and check it out! Very excited now, thank you!

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I forgot to thank you for your answer, it made sense to me.

Oh, no problem! I saw that your baby choked on a chicken neck. Sorry to hear that! I had a friend who that happened to. The poor boy was so excited he gobbled it right up. She had to take it slower. :/

[Nancy1999]

So Ann, which Whole foods do you go to, I called the one on Ray and Price, and they said they never have them, but would call me tomorrow and maybe a leader could order them. I told them they were in the frozen food pet section, and he kept wanting to sell me beef marrow bones and I kept saying "no they were bison back bones". He said they had bison rib bones, but they are for people and you can grill them.

brezofleur hope you have better luck!

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by brezofleur

The bone is too hard because the teeth aren't strong. Unfortunately, that's one of the main reasons.

I don't believe that I have felt bones that are like a cinder block and I think no matter how strong and healthy teeth are that, that is just to hard and is looking for a broken tooth.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

So Ann, which Whole foods do you go to, I called the one on Ray and Price, and they said they never have them, but would call me tomorrow and maybe a leader could order them. I told them they were in the frozen food pet section, and he kept wanting to sell me beef marrow bones and I kept saying "no they were bison back bones". He said they had bison rib bones, but they are for people and you can grill them.

brezofleur hope you have better luck!

I go to this one, so I hope they have them...Map & Directions | WholeFoodsMarket.com.

Yup, they always have the marrow bones and a few other types of frozen raw bones in the Pet Freezer, but these definitely say "Bison Back" on the label of the meat plastic wrap thingy. I wonder if Bison Back is the same as a Bison Rib. They do look like a rib bone, but bigger than the beef ones I've seen at the store. Is that too far for you? It's right on the edge of Phx/Tempe...just off the 10 or 60.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I go to this one, so I hope they have them...Map & Directions | WholeFoodsMarket.com.

Yup, they always have the marrow bones and a few other types of frozen raw bones in the Pet Freezer, but these definitely say "Bison Back" on the label of the meat plastic wrap thingy. I wonder if Bison Back is the same as a Bison Rib. They do look like a rib bone, but bigger than the beef ones I've seen at the store. Is that too far for you? It's right on the edge of Phx/Tempe...just off the 10 or 60.

No, that's not that far, I was hoping I could call them and get more information to give to the other store. It sounded like bison ribs are something that's in the human food section, I kept telling him it's the pet frozen food section, but he'd say that you can give these to your dog, and they have a lot of meat on them At one point I think he said something about a spine bone, but that was an organic beef bone. I don't really think the guy ever checked the pet frozen food section, but he did say he'd have someone call me, and they could order some.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

No, that's not that far, I was hoping I could call them and get more information to give to the other store. It sounded like bison ribs are something that's in the human food section, I kept telling him it's the pet frozen food section, but he'd say that you can give these to your dog, and they have a lot of meat on them At one point I think he said something about a spine bone, but that was an organic beef bone. I don't really think the guy ever checked the pet frozen food section, but he did say he'd have someone call me, and they could order some.

I hope when you call this location, the butcher will know what you're talking about. These Bison pieces probably do originate from the human food section; my guess is that these are 'leftover' pieces that didn't have enough meat on them for grilling or something....so then they re-package them in the Butcher section, label them, and put them in the Pet Freezer. I hope they have them! Otherwise, I can keep an eye out for you.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I hope when you call this location, the butcher will know what you're talking about. These Bison pieces probably do originate from the human food section; my guess is that these are 'leftover' pieces that didn't have enough meat on them for grilling or something....so then they re-package them in the Butcher section, label them, and put them in the Pet Freezer. I hope they have them! Otherwise, I can keep an eye out for you.

The guy at your store explained it much better, they don't have any right now, but the Bison back is the same as Bison back ribs. I kept thinking ribs are in the front not the back, so that's what confused me. He said you can also buy the human variety, they just have more meat. You say, you have them cut into thirds, how many inches would that be? Is three inches about right, or is that too short? I don’t want them to swallow them whole. Also, do they eat the whole bone, or do you take them away, after they get a certain size?

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

The guy at your store explained it much better, they don't have any right now, but the Bison back is the same as Bison back ribs. I kept thinking ribs are in the front not the back, so that's what confused me. He said you can also buy the human variety, they just have more meat. You say, you have them cut into thirds, how many inches would that be? Is three inches about right, or is that too short? I don’t want them to swallow them whole. Also, do they eat the whole bone, or do you take them away, after they get a certain size?

Oh good, you were able to reach someone ! I did always think it odd they were called "Bison Back", when they really do look more like ribs. .

Yup, I usually have them cut about 3 inch size. If one of the original bones is a shorter one to start with, I might have them cut that one into only two bones, maybe 4inches each (instead into 3 bones). The longer ones, I give to Wylie (he is 7lbs and a very, very aggressive chewer!). None of mine can ever eat any of the actual Bison bone, which makes me feel so much safer for them. They just mostly chew at it, scrape off the meat (great teeth cleaning), gnaw at them awhile. I never actually take them away, unless I really think they're done w/ them. I should also mention they've never, ever broken a tooth or anything.

I took a pic for you, LOL! Tony was all "you're taking a picture of the dogs' bones???" -- as if that's odd or something!

I would say the longer one is about 5 inches long (Wylie's) and the shorter ones more like 3 inches long (Marcel and Pf).

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Oh good, you were able to reach someone ! I did always think it odd they were called "Bison Back", when they really do look more like ribs. .

Yup, I usually have them cut about 3 inch size. If one of the original bones is a shorter one to start with, I might have them cut that one into only two bones, maybe 4inches each (instead into 3 bones). The longer ones, I give to Wylie (he is 7lbs and a very, very aggressive chewer!). None of mine can ever eat any of the actual Bison bone, which makes me feel so much safer for them. They just mostly chew at it, scrape off the meat (great teeth cleaning), gnaw at them awhile. I never actually take them away, unless I really think they're done w/ them. I should also mention they've never, ever broken a tooth or anything.

I took a pic for you, LOL! Tony was all "you're taking a picture of the dogs' bones???" -- as if that's odd or something!

I would say the longer one is about 5 inches long (Wylie's) and the shorter ones more like 3 inches long (Marcel and Pf).

Thank you so much! Taking pictures of bones is nothing, hasn't Tony seen any poop pictures? Yeah, I guess there are front ribs and back; I always thought of ribs in the front, but of course, they're in the back too. Yeah, I feel better knowing they will just gnaw on them.

[gemy]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

1. How do you safely get your dog use to eating bones?
2. How do you know what size of bone to get for your dog?

Nancy: with the big dogs - when they were pups I started with turkey necks, which they had for a couple of months. I buy knuckle bones for them now; I tried a lamb thick bone - and thank god I was there as my big boy on second firm chew broke it in half.

Razzle because of his facial furnishings just doesn't get bones at all. He used to until my breeder almost fainted when I said he was getting bones. lol ie due to facial hair damage. I use small bones that they have to extend their jaw fully to try to chew. In other words they can't get the "whole" bone in their mouth. Just a part of the bone.

I feed bones once per week. Razzle has a bone supplement added to his home cooked food.

[maggiefromnj]

I liked the idea of bison bones when I read they have less fat than marrow bones....until I saw the pictures. YUK!

I don't want to give Maggie messy bloody yuk. I don't want to give her raw chicken bones either (can dogs get salmonella?)

She doesn't chew in one place. She got a bone this week from a friend. I guess its what you'd call a marrow bone. Someone gave my neighbor some bones she got at our grocery store (which I doubt carries bison!) I'd say they were leg bones.. She had them cut into about 1-2 inches long and the center where the marrow was is about 1.5 inch diameter or so. The bone itself, surrounding the marrow, is probably .25-.5 thick. My neighbor said she had boiled the bones for about 20 minutes then froze the ones she didn't give her dog (larger shih tzu).

Maggie carried it everywhere she went for 2 days. Up the stairs, on the bed, back down in the family room, to her front door lookout, everywhere. Finally after about 2 days she decided to start actually chewing it! She always takes her treats off somewhere to eat them, and if its not worth eating right then she will carry it around for a while. Anyway, considering she goes on my bed and sofa I don't want her bringing anything raw or bloody. I also worry about germs/bacteria.

I don't want to continue giving her marrow bones if they will make her fat. Maybe I will do what someone suggested and remove a lot of the marrow.
Should I boil them? They are plenty big and hard and don't seem like they would splinter despite the boiling. The boiling makes me feel better about the germs. I didn't know what to do about refrigerating it once I gave it to her, but it's been several days now and she seems fine. Shes been chewing it tonight for a good session, there seems to still be some color on the inside so I guess there's still flavor. She chews bully sticks sometimes too.

Any insights and suggestions are appreciated!