Bones question - Eating them too quickly? Is this ok?

[Jan/Billy]

Billy hasn't had a bone for a good 18mths now. He used to guard them like mad   so i stopped feeding them to him.

Since then he's had chicken wings & pigs ears and although he was a bit iffy at first he now no longer guards them.

Tonight i bit the bullet & got some bones from the butcher, I thought i'd try them as he's being doing so well & his teeth don't look too good  

The butcher gave me a bag of mixed bones, not sure what they are   so I gave Billy one tonight, not sure what it was but it looked like a spine?  it was about a foot long. Anyway he was superb!!! munched on it quite happily not a murmour   even when i walked past him several times   wwoooohhhooo!!!! yyeeesss!!! I chucked a few cocktail sausages at him as i walked past some of the time, Billy thought it was xmas  

Anyway, I am a tad concerned as he had eaten the entire bone in less than 10 minutes!!   It was a fairly big bone too. Should i be concerned? and if so how can i encourage him to eat slowly?

He's the same with frozen kongs. He has the really big black kongs, i fill them with frozen yogurt & tuna and he's liked it clean in 10 minutes  

cheers  

[Cazzie]

It was probably am easy bone to demolish, I wouldnt be worried, my Belle devours bones in minits 

[bluegirl]

Jan, they all eat bones at different rates and some dogs just shovel them down. If it went down without a problem then I'd imagine he'll be fine, however considering he's not eaten bones for 18mths and he ate a rather large one you may find he's a bit constipated tomorrow, may even let out a little squeal when he goes. If this is the case just make sure he gets a smaller bone the next day to help prevent very hard stools.

[CraftySam]

I wouldn't worry, Sapphi virtually inhales them.   I used to panic when she'd down a bowl of ribs in under a minute.    Barney's much the same, the other two boys are slower. They all seem to do it at their own pace. If he's eating them without any problems, coughing etc, then I'd think he'd be fine.

[Ben's mum]

well done you for having another go its scarey isn't it - I've just been through this with Ben, who demolished lamb ribs in about 2 seconds flat, i was so worried I posted a help message on here and was reasurred he would be fine - and he was

I bought him a big knuckle bone last week while it was nice, and just left him to it outside - he guarded it for nearly 4 hours before deciding there was more fun things going on in the house ( I was cooking chicken)    I left the bone lying around for a day or two and every now and then he sat next to it but wasn't as bothered as I thought and he swopped it a couple of times for real goodies.

Have you tried a really big bone with Billy - one that he can't get into his mouth all at one time? that was my worry - Ben used to put everything in his mouth at once then he couldn't breathe    but wouldn't let me near him to help, sounds funny now but I thought he was going to suffocate!

cockers - don't you just luv em!!!!

Bens mum

Bens mum

[jools]

Jan, you're a born worrier!  Thank god you haven't got any kids 

Firstly, well done for getting Billy Boy to the stage where he can eat a bone without getting aggressive - that's some achievement!

The bone was obviously a soft one, and I think it's a good thing he was able to eat it quickly and not guard it for ages.

Leave the bloody dog alone you paranoid woman! 

[Jan/Billy]

you may find he's a bit constipated tomorrow, may even let out a little squeal when he goes. If this is the case just make sure he gets a smaller bone the next day to help prevent very hard stools.

He went to the toilet fine this morning, although instead of his usual one pooh he did around four or five during the walk. They were much firmer than usual & a beige colour but he appears fine   sorry for the details  

I bought him a big knuckle bone last week while it was nice, and just left him to it outside - he guarded it for nearly 4 hours before deciding there was more fun things going on in the house ( I was cooking chicken)    I left the bone lying around for a day or two and every now and then he sat next to it but wasn't as bothered as I thought and he swopped it a couple of times for real goodies.

Have you tried a really big bone with Billy - one that he can't get into his mouth all at one time?

It used to be the big cooked knuckle bones at PAH that he used to guard, like ben he'd guard for hours  

I have today given him a big raw knuckle bone & he seems fine. He's not totally 100% relaxed but there is no growling or anything and when i went near him he happily let me put some sausage and cheese right next to it.

Is it bad to give bones two days in a row?

Jan, you're a born worrier!  Thank god you haven't got any kids 

Firstly, well done for getting Billy Boy to the stage where he can eat a bone without getting aggressive - that's some achievement!

The bone was obviously a soft one, and I think it's a good thing he was able to eat it quickly and not guard it for ages.

Leave the bloody dog alone you paranoid woman! 

  you know what I'm like  

Yes it's good he's not guarding but you know Billy, who knows what he's up to, next week out of the blue he may guard again   you just don't know.
I'm only giving him bones  when there is just me and OH at home, no visitors etc. I wouldn't risk it if we had visitors  

[Danni n Betty]

Well Done Billy...and Jan 
All your hard work is paying off!!!

Im still to scared to give Betty a bone, not because of guarding, but because she doesnt chew 
If shes got something she really loves, she just woofs it down in seconds, no chewing, and I know she would be the same with something as high value as a juicy bone.
Are there any safe, or even better, soft  bones I can start her off on to test how she would be.
Oh and me being a veggi, any not too gross looking ones would be nice too.....a spine..eeuuugghhhhh 

[Cob-Web]

I have today given him a big raw knuckle bone & he seems fine. He's not totally 100% relaxed but there is no growling or anything and when i went near him he happily let me put some sausage and cheese right next to it.

 Yey - well done Jan - I know what a HUGE achievement for you and Billy 

[Jan/Billy]

You never warned me about the blood 

Have just gone into the dining room (where Billy was eating his knuckle bone) to find blood all over my beige carpet 

oops , think he'll be eating them on a tiled floor in the kitchen in future 

[Jan/Billy]

Im still to scared to give Betty a bone, not because of guarding, but because she doesnt chew 
If shes got something she really loves, she just woofs it down in seconds, no chewing, and I know she would be the same with something as high value as a juicy bone.
Are there any safe, or even better, soft  bones I can start her off on to test how she would be.

Maybe a raw chicken wing perhaps? think you can bash the bones with a rolling pin first before you give them to her.

Billy is the same, he woolfs things down. I always make a point of leaving the room that he is in if he has something tasty, so i am less of a threat & therefore he may eat it more slowly. Although more often than not he comes into the room where i have moved too  

[bluegirl]

Danni, I feed my bones after a meal not as part of it most of the time, so how about giving the food then following on with a chicken wing or a strip of 3  lamb ribs, these are soft bones and if she's already eaten she may well slow down a bit, at the very least the food already in her stomach will act as a layer of protection as the bones go down. Dogs have very strong digestive juices which will dissolve the bones even if she didn't chew them too much and if she is sick, as they sometimes can be after bones just let her eat it again as it will be more chewed up that way.(sorry don't want to put you off but neither do I want you to panic and stop before you've started if she regurgitates.)

[Joelf]

Great news about Billy's bone eating,Jan; what a good boy!!

Spike's record is 2 chicken wings in about 20 seconds; Domino comes in at a close second with 2 wings in about 40 seconds.

If it's a large hard bone then it will probably take Spike about 20 minutes to get through it; Domino probably nearer an hour.

Soft bones like lamb ribs take Spike about 5 minutes; Domino about 10-12 minutes.

[Danni n Betty]

Danni, I feed my bones after a meal not as part of it most of the time, so how about giving the food then following on with a chicken wing or a strip of 3  lamb ribs, these are soft bones and if she's already eaten she may well slow down a bit, at the very least the food already in her stomach will act as a layer of protection as the bones go down. Dogs have very strong digestive juices which will dissolve the bones even if she didn't chew them too much and if she is sick, as they sometimes can be after bones just let her eat it again as it will be more chewed up that way.(sorry don't want to put you off but neither do I want you to panic and stop before you've started if she regurgitates.)

Wow, thanks for all that info Karen  ,gross bits too, as no doubt I would totaly freak if she vomited, Im a total novice 
Should get myself a doggy emergancy/ first aid book really.
She normally gets a big chew treat after her tea at the weekends, so I might just pop to Asda and get some of those lambs ribs. Please some one be online though incase I panic 

[bluegirl]

No probs
It's always handy invest in a first aid book, doubt you'll every need it but would stop you going into panic mode should anything ever happen. I've got one cos I was interested in how to best perform CPR on a dog, although with some of the stuff mine eat I'm not so sure I'd be willing to do it.