chloelogoa

Raw Bones or Cooked Bones?
Are Either Safe?

 talalogoa

Bones for Your Dog
Raw Bones or Cooked Bones
Raw Natural Diet for Dogs
Give a Dog a Bone

Bones For Your Dog - Delicious Treat Or A Deadly Snack?

By: Randy Jones

There is a difference of opinion among canine experts as to whether bones should be given to a dog raw, cooked, hard, or soft, and even whether they should be given at all. On one point, however, there is total agreement, never give a dog splintering bones from chicken, pork, fowl, and rabbit, (although chicken bones that have been cooked in a pressure cooker until they are very soft can be quite nourishing and safe).

A marrow bone is the traditional symbol of a treat for a dog, and he obviously appreciates it. It may be too big and hard for small dogs. In fact, large breeds generally handle bones much better than small ones. Bones that are mostly cartilage, such as spinal and shoulder bones of veal, knuckle bones, and soft rib bones, are good chewing material that can be entirely consumed.

The real danger is intestinal compaction, especially in small dogs, if the masticated bone has not been mixed with other residue in the dog's stomach. A small amount should cause no trouble if it is given right after a meal. Chop and steak bones are more dangerous. Careful eaters simply clean off the meat and fat, but greedy gobblers run the risk of internal injury from jagged bone splinters. The same is true of a leg of lamb bone.

What is the best policy to follow with a dog of your own? A teething puppy between four and six months of age should always have a bone, real or imitation, to chew on. You might give an adult dog a suitable bone as on occasional treat - for example, once a week. It will give him enormous pleasure, will help to keep his teeth clean and free from tartar, and will occupy him for several hours. But a nylon bone offers the same advantages without the risk!

Article Source: http://www.jodee.biz/articles
Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed Joncopets.com.On the site, customers can shop for the latest dog collars and more for their best friend.

************************

RAW BONES OR COOKED BONES... ARE EITHER SAFE?

http://www.thepetcenter.com
This page questions the SAFETY of feeding whole BONES to dogs.

Feeding raw foods such as meat, eggs, fish, fruit and vegetables can be tremendously beneficial to dogs and cats.  Raw foods retain many health-enhancing benefits that cooked foods may lack.  ThePetCenter encourages pet owners to look into the advantages and disadvantages of feeding raw foods.  If you "do it yourself" by composing a homemade diet for your pets you must be very careful that the amounts and ratios of nutrients are correct.  The eventual effects of deficiencies, imbalances and over-supplementing a diet may not show detrimental effects in an animal for months after an improper diet has been fed.
For a report on the Nutritional Value of Bones, read this.

There are people who will tell you that feeding bones is natural and healthy for dogs, and that feeding bones promotes clean teeth and aids the nutritional status of the animal.  Well, mushrooms are natural, too, and certain kinds will kill a dog if eaten.  Pine trees are alive with vital cellular nutrients of all kinds, but does that imply that we should grind up pine trees and feed them to our pets in order to provide their "vital nutrients" to our pets?   I will share with you just a few examples of many where a dog has been very seriously harmed by ingesting bones...YES, EVEN RAW BONES!

It is my belief that feeding bones to dogs is not perfectly safe to do. Many experienced and knowledgeable veterinarians feel the same.  Yes, there are some veterinarians who encourage the feeding of raw, whole bones.   Pet owners must decide for themselves what really makes sense and what just seems like a good thing to do.  Lets go right to the first x-rays, below left, and I will show you a case that was presented to Dr. Ray Goodroad in Rhinelander, Wisconsin in December, 1998.  This hound of about 75 pounds was found by his owner feeding on a dead deer carcass.  The dog became very lethargic, attempted unsuccessfully to vomit and pass stool, and was dehydrated.  This dog was feeding NATURALLY on RAW BONES and you can see the results.

bones1
bones2
Click on the photo for an enlarged view. 
To return here, simply click your back button.
bones4
bones5

Now take a look at the two x-rays on the right.  This dog was straining to pass stool, was weak and dehydrated whenboneE

Now, for those of you who state with confidence that "Wolves in the wild eat bones all the time; so it must be OK for dogs to do the same", I would ask you this... How many times have you even seen a healthy wolf? How can you state with authority that wolves are NOT occasionally harmed by a bone splinter?  I can tell you this: If a wolf unluckily happens to become disabled by intestinal bone fragments such as the dogs in these examples were, the wolf's cousins would dispatch the sick wolf in moments "...and unto dust thou shalt return".  Hardly anyone ever sees even a healthy wolf, how much more unlikely would it be to happen upon a sick wolf when being a "sick wolf" is equivalent to a swift death sentence!   We don't get many opportunity to do autopsies on dead wolves.  For a list of unedited, honest replies from wolf care managers regarding the question of whether or not consuming bones is safe for wolves, look at this page.

Hard "round" bones are no different.  As well as creating the chance for major problems, such as death, gnawing on bones often results in the cracking of the tips of the 4th premolars.  bones3 These cracked teeth can lead to root infections and SUBORBITAL ABSCESSES that require tooth reconstruction or extraction.   I have seen these cases frequently in practice.  Lets be practical... the nutritional benefits from feeding bones to your dog are derived from the soft tissues attached to the bone such as meat, cartilage, fat and connective tissue... not from the bones themselves.  Bone is composed of minerals that are common in many ordinary foods.  The scant protein matrix in bone is mainly collagen and dogs can't digest and assimilate collagen!  So where's all that great nutritional  benefit that is supposed to be coming from the actual "bone" really coming from?  It comes from the meat, cartilage, fat and connective tissue that happens to be along for the ride. Read about the actual nutritional content of raw bone.

Just for fun, though, lets assume there are great benefits to be derived from feeding bones, but with that benefit comes the slight chance that drastic major surgery may be needed to save your dog's life as a result of feeding those bones...WHY DO IT??!!  Very  nutritious foods are available, some have ground bone as part of the recipe and the ground bone poses no threat.   
presented to the veterinarian, and had a history of raiding the neighbor's garbage cans.  Both dogs required four days in the hospital, anesthesia and sedation, repeated enemas, i.v. fluid therapy, antibiotics, and additional x-rays.  If this treatment approach wasn't successful, major surgery would have been necessary to save the dogs from an agonizing death.
 
The photos below (click on them to see the full view) show a common occurrence where a bone fragment has broken and lodged between the upper molars.  These dogs are in acute stress and need attention immediately.  Fortunately, these cases resolve easily simply by removing the bone manually.
db1
db2

For a view of responses from Wolf management experts regarding feeding bones to wolves, go here

back to top

*********************

 

leaficonjudyking RAW NATURAL DIET for DOGS

by Judy King 


Raw-Natural diet for dogs, isn't and shouldn't be considered a "fad", the latest thing. It is not new at all but the rediscovered natural approach to providing the optimum canine appropriate diet.

Optimum diet cannot change genetic imperfections but it can and will provide the path for your dog to be at It's best.

Vibrancy, vigor and optimum health for our canines is to be expected when feeding a natural, nutritional, raw diet. The true value of a natural raw diet is its ability to provide nutrition that goes the full distance from consumption to energy.

Commercial foods tout the phrase "complete and balanced diet". Complete with what? Processed, cooked food is dead food, containing NO live enzymes.

Kibble prepared through heating/cooking, kills live enzymes otherwise naturally contained in all raw foods. Enzymes that are necessary to break food down and prepare it for absorption. Raw food contains 75% of the enzymes needed for digestion, leaving only 25% needed to be produced by the body itself. Consider how overtaxed our canines organs are from producing ALL needed enzymes just to digest food.

Supplements should not be a substitution for natural vitamins and minerals contained naturally in quality raw foods.

Besides, commercial foods are relatively new to the canine world. Slick marketing has the public thinking the only way to provide "complete and balanced diet" for your canine...is to buy it in a sack. This is NOT true.

If you take nothing else away from having read this, please remember; nutrition is only as good as what is absorbed by the body. Without sufficient enzymes, what goes in may not be absorbed properly and much is passed as waste. These often leads to a ravenous dog, one that is constantly hungry. They are driven by cravings due largely to a failure of their food to satisfy. Another side affect from poorly digested foods are toxins, toxins which leach through the intestinal walls. Toxins present a myriad of adverse symptoms too numerous to list.

Further, grains should not make up a large portion of a canines diet....rather it be first, second or third ingredient listed on the bag. Canines do not naturally graze in wheat, corn or rice fields. They hunt...prey!

Raw meat with bones should comprise the major portion of a canines diet as nature intended. Cooking makes bones brittle, when chewed they splinter thus becoming potentially lethal. Cooked bones are dangerous! But, dogs can easily manage to crush the pliable exterior of raw bones.

Sticky, starchy grain based foods adhere to teeth, promoting tooth decay and gingivitis much like chips and bread products stick to our teeth. America is spending a fortune having their dogs' teeth cleaned. This is so unnecessary, considering a raw meaty bone can clean all tartar build up from your dogs teeth, save the dog unnecessary anesthesia and keep those greenbacks in your pocket.

Plus, crunching on bones serves the same benefit of securely anchoring teeth in the jaw bone as munching on crisp, crunchy apples does for kids.

Years ago, our grandparents' and great grandparents' dogs lived long happy lives on scraps; some nice marrow bones from the butcher, trimmings of meat handed down from the chopping block during food preparation and those leftover veggies from the table. Farm dogs occasionally caught a rabbit or prairie grouse and savored a juicy ripe peach that fell from the tree. (Dogs love fruit from bananas and apples to apricots and raisins, (raisins in quantity can be toxic...so moderation, please).) A good mousing barn cat is considered fat, healthy and a benefit. So, what happened to our thinking? Advertising, the continued bombardment of advertising...if you hear it long and often enough it seems like fact.

The numbers of dogs with increasing health problems is staggering. Itchy skin, hot spots, flea infestation, dandruff, ear infections, anal gland infections, rotting teeth, diarrhea, vomiting and sneezing/wheezing are commonly seen. Obese doughy looking dogs are everywhere. Our dogs cannot thrive on junk food anymore than our teenagers can. Sure, they can run and jump for a while....but poor nutrition will eventually take its toll in signs of poor health and/or lack of longevity.

America is experiencing a revelation of nutritional awareness. Herbs, vitamins, food content are becoming part of everyday conversation. Lets make this quest for health through good nutrition to include our beloved companions and find the real answers out for ourselves.

The health improvement seen in my own dogs on raw diet is unmistakable. I haven't had a vet bill in ages. My twelve year old Akita's teeth are as white and strong as the youngster. Their coats shine as do their eyes and spirits. They romp till they drop...sack out like dead dogs.... paws paddling as they chase phantom rabbits in their sleep.... then they're up and it starts all over again. Life is grand.

Before you adopt this major change, do your research, educate yourself and do it right, its truly not that hard. The benefits awaiting your dog or cat will be infinitum.

You'll be glad you did, my dogs sure are!

Opinions expressed in this article are based on the author's experiences, those of friends sharing this philosophy and from the knowledge gained in researching for self education. Permission is granted to reprint for non-commercial benefit only and with credit given the author. The author claims no authoritative credits , with the sole purpose of the article being to serve as testimonial to this philosophy. copyright 1996 by Judy King (revisions in 2000)

***********************
back to top

GIVE YOUR DOG A BONE

By Dr. Ian Billinghurst
http://www.ahimsarescuefoundation.org


 Dogs Eat Bones
If dogs are to become and remain healthy, its diet must be based on raw meaty bones. 

Are bones dangerous?  That question is uppermost in many people’s mind.  The answer is …yes, but only if they are cooked. Dogs are not designed to deal with cooked bones.  Cooked bones are harder, more brittle and more splintery than raw bones.  They are the ones most likely to be caught in the mouth, to pierce the intestines, to set like concrete in the large bowel, or stick like fish hooks into the rectum.  All those events are bad news for dogs.  The long and the short of it is…Don't feed cooked bones.  They are unnatural and a danger to dogs.

Raw Bones are Completely Different!   Whilst cooked bones are potentially fatal for dogs, raw bones in my experience, and in the experience of numerous dog owners, dog breeders, and other veterinary surgeons have been the only single food item that guarantees a dog will have excellent health.  This is hardly surprising.  It’s a dog’s heritage.  

Bones and Dental Health.  Bones are Nature’s toothbrush for dogs.  As dogs chew on bones, rip the flesh off bones, crush bones, that very action cleans the teeth, and massages the gums, stopping tarter, gum infections, tooth root decay, dental abscesses, and a whole body poisoned by a grossly infected mouth.  An extremely common condition in today’s dog fed on soft mush convenience food.   The rise in the incidence of mouth problems has paralleled the increase in consumption of processed food, together with the decline in consumption of raw meaty bones.  The result of no bones on a dog’s menu, processed food only, is teeth covered in TARTER, receding gums, tooth root decay, and the most vile, stinking mouth infection.  Left untreated that mouth infection, spreads via the blood stream,and may lodge in other organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, prostrate, uterus, etc.  The rapid increase in canine dental problems over the last  years has spawned. 

Bones ..Essential Nutrition for a Dog.  Bones are full of vital nutrients for dogs.    Because bones are living tissue, just like any other part of the body, they are a complex source of a wide variety of nutrients.  Bones contain minerals which are embedded in protein.  They also contain fat.  With the fat are fat soluble vitamins and the central part of most bones contains marrow which is a highly nutritious mix of blood forming elements, including iron.  Raw bones also provide natural anti-oxidant/anti-ageing factors including enzymes.

Bones Provide Your Dog with all the Minerals it Requires.  Bones are nature’s storehouse of minerals for your dog.  They contain calcium and phosphorus in perfect balance, together with all other minerals essential for your dog’s normal functioning.  Bones are the storehouse of all the minerals your dog requires in perfect balance, and in the perfect form for optimal absorption with no excesses or deficiencies.  It is natural for dogs to eat bones.  A dog’s body is designed to use bones as it’s main source of minerals.  This is what dog’s bodies have been doing for millions of years.

Protein in Bones.  Fresh bones contain all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts with the exception of methioine.  The amino acid lysine, essential for normal bone growth is present in large quantities.  Fortunately methionine is found in abundance in meat.  This means that raw meaty bones contain your dog’s total protein requirements.

The Marrow in Bone.  When your dog eats bones, your dog is receiving many of the nutrients which help produce blood and a healthy, well functioning immune system.  This is because the bone marrow is where blood is formed and it is also part of the immune system of an animal.  When your dog eats raw bones, he or she is consuming all the important blood forming nutrients, particularly cooper and iron. 

Raw Bones Prolong Your Dog’s Life. Bone eating dogs are long lived healthy dogs.  They seem to be particularly free of the degenerative diseases of old age.

Beef or Chicken Bones?   Raw chicken, on the bone is without a doubt the very best form in which to feed your dog most of its requirements of raw meaty bones.  I often recommend chicken wings. DON'T FEED COOKED CHICKEN BONES TO YOUR DOG.  There is an incredible difference between cooked and raw chicken!  Beef bones may be older and will probably be harder.  Most butchers and supermarkets will supply bags full of bony off-cuts.  We think of these off-cuts, as good general bones.

Buried Bones. We all know that dogs bury bones, saving them for later on.  In the case of raw bones, they slowly decompose under the action of their own enzymes.  It is quite healthy for your dog to eat these buried bones, as long as it was a buried RAW BONE.  It is nutritious for your dog.  It just has different qualities to fresh bone, similar to aged meat. 

With cooked bones in which all the enzymes have been destroyed, the resulting rotten bone could possibly make your dog sick.   Buried cooked bones cannot decompose under the action of their own enzymes because they have been destroyed by the cooking process.  Instead, they are attacked by bacteria, which can produce dangerous toxins such as Botulism, a deadly paralysis.

Meaty Bones Provide Incredible Exercise For Your Dog.  Meat left on the bone means your dog will have to rip, tear, and chew at it.  This is the way nature intended your dog to eat.  It is part of keeping your dog healthy.  It is vitally important for your dog’s health that it eats its food in as natural a form as possible.  All that exercise of chewing, ripping, and tearing at large clomps of bones and meat is a benefit to dogs of all ages. 
© 1993, reprinted with permission Dr. Billinghurst is self published. His books can be purchased from his web site www.BONSAH.com

Copyright © Ahimsa Rescue Foundation 2003 - 2007
No reprints or copies without expressed, written permission
reprinted with kind permission from Teresa L. Morton, Ahimsa Rescue Founder
http://www.ahimsarescuefoundation.org



chloebutton  talabutton  

The above information is simply informational. It's intent is not to replace the advice of a veterinarian nor to assist you in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with your own veterinarian for confirmation of any diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.