Sharp bones in S&C
 

Someone had posted that they will not feed S&C bc of the reviews of people finding bones, sharp bones. I encountered 1 sharp bone once, it almost stabbed my finger. 2nd time was not as sharp but it was a bigger size, about 4mm. So, I'm very careful breaking up the freeze dried patties.

Well look, this is from 3 different patties! Attachment 401889 I'm pretty sure it's bone, it's hard & it doesn't break easily...emailed S&C & sent them this pic. Will keep you all updated.

I've heard this before about S&C. Glad you sent them the photo.

:2omg::2omg::2omg:
Good thing you caught it!

Yikes! So they don't feel soft/bendable then? If so, that's odd...bc luckily any small piece of bone I've found so far is always pliable/bendable/flexible since it's fresh / not cooked. Let us know what you hear.

Wow, that is scary. What protein of S & C's were you feeding when you found the bones?

I have been stabbed by bone fragments before with S&C. Zoey eats home coked but Jackson, my maltese, eats the S&C.

Nope, it's hard, not bendable or breakable. Maybe the thin long one will break if I tried...but it also looks dangerous no? I mean, dogs have the appropriate acids to break down the bones, but the sharpness & shapes of some of these are a puncturing danger.

It's the freeze dried Pheasant. I noticed that this bag of Pheasant is different. The patties look crispy in texture & kind of hard to break up. Normally its very easily crumbled & most of will be already crumbled up in the bag. I've gone through literally dozens of bags & found 0(zero) bones in the Pheasant...until this one, all this bone in 3 patties, in the same bag!

S&C Response
 

Good morning Jenny,

Thank you for your email. I’m sorry to hear about your concern with our products.

I do want to assure you that we do add raw ground bone to the diet as it’s an essential part of a raw diet—it’s also listed on our ingredient panel. It’s safe and highly digestible when raw. We do not grind to a powder, but rather with a 3/16" grind plate—this means the bone could appear up to approximately 1/4” in size.

The bone in the diet is ground to that size because of the health benefits it provides. A carnivore’s teeth and body are designed to consume bone—especially raw bone, like the bone used in our diets. If it’s ground to a powder, it doesn’t have as many of the benefits. While it may feel sharper to our fingers, your dog’s body is designed to consume and process the bone effectively and safely. As long as the product isn’t being heated, cooked or microwaved, it’s completely safe to use. If rehydrating, be sure to use only cool or warm water, never hot.

The pieces in the picture actually look pretty typical. However, I do understand your concern and would be happy to pass your feedback onto our team. Could you please let me know the size of the bag you were using? I can assure you we’ve not had any other calls on the lot number you provided.

We have not made any adjustments to the food. The differences you’re noticing are simply lot variations. We do make everything in small batches and we use natural ingredients. Because of this, there can be variations from batch to batch. They typically show up in scent, texture, and color. The difference in texture you’re noticing is not at all abnormal

Per our satisfaction guarantee, if you’re at all uncomfortable with the purchase, you can certainly exchange the bag out through your retailer. I hope this helps to answer your questions—please let me know if you have any others.

Have a great day,

Emily Thompson
Customer Service & Sales Support Coordinator

Stella & Chewy's
2842 S. 5th Ct.
Milwaukee, WI 53207

888-477-8977 (toll free)
414-747-9710 (tel)
414-747-9741 (fax)
www.stellaandchewys.com

Please note that all content in these e-mails are based on average, healthy animals. If your pet has specific health concerns, please consult with your vet. This e-mail and any attachments thereto is/are intended only for the exclusive use of the individual to whom it is addressed. The information in this email and any attachments may be proprietary, confidential or privileged. Any misdirected email or erroneous transmission to an unintended party does not waive the confidential, proprietary or privileged nature of same. If you are not the intended recipient or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby put on notice that any use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender by telephone (888-477-8977) or e-mail and delete all copies of this e-mail and any attachments.

I'm not happy w/this general response...I KNOW there's bones in there, I want to know why there's so many in this one bag & WHY they're so sharp!

That will be my response, will see what they say.

I will also ask them if the sizes of those bones will not hurt a little 5-7# dog. Bc I really don't know...

Yikes. I wouldn't be comfortable w/ that either.

I feel a little ticked that they didn't show much concern...here's my response:

Hi Emily,
Thank you for your timely response.
I know there is supposed to be bone in the food & I know how to rehydrate the freeze dried, I have been feeding them this for almost a year…this has never happened before. I have encountered 1 sharp bone once, but not this much in 1 bag.
I want to know WHY there is so many sharp pieces of bone in this particular bag & if it is ok for my 5-7# dogs to consume. I will not feed the rest of this 16 oz bag, I do not feel that it is safe for them to eat. I have almost stabbed my finger w/the sharp bone! If you take a good look @ the pieces of bone in the pic, some are very sharp & pointy.


I am not looking for monetary compensation for this bag either nor do I want another general response. I really think this is a problem your team needs to address. I have googled & ran into other complaints of S&C’s sharp bones in numerous different places, over the years. It is not just me.



Thanks for your time.

She did address the safety issue here:
While it may feel sharper to our fingers, your dog’s body is designed to consume and process the bone effectively and safely. As long as the product isn’t being heated, cooked or microwaved, it’s completely safe to use.

But I'm not comfortable w/it...maybe I'm over reacting bc I know nothing about bone consumption & fear it. Mimi did act a little weird like her tummy was hurting. Her poopie was fine & her appetite was fine. After that, I started finding the sharp bones...would hate to think something could've happened to her.

I would think your finger would be tougher than their throat and intestinal tract.

1/4" bone fragment ??? Recipe for a perforated intestine!
It's unacceptable IMO. I had a small commercial grinder years ago and bone would grind down to a paste. You would think an industrial machine would not leave large fragments that can puncture organs. Yikes!

I also wanted to add that those pieces look huge! My teddy had bladder stones that had to be removed and they were smaller than those bones in your dog food! Yikes again.