His teeth are really bad

[happydog]

I didn't think dogs were allowed chicken bones - because of them splitting sharply. Is that just a myth?

Do you mean these normal doggie bone things you can get from the pet shop or butchers?

 I was also v scepticle, and then i thought, well if my dogs will munch a rabbit (given the chance ) its really just the same! And when i spoke to my butcher tonight and asked him for some wings he said no prob as they normally throw them away and i can have them! For free! So ask around all !!

Lucky you! I have to pay for mine, but I do get chicken backs free from the butchers.

Cooked bones (chicken, lamb-whatever) that are small enough to be crunched are a definite no no.  Cooking makes bones brittle and prone to splintering.

Raw bones are much more pliable and are OK to give . Try it yourself (bending them with your fingers I mean-not crunching them  )

[Archiesbones]

6 weeks ago we had to have Archie to vets his teeth were horrendous, very discoloured and very very infected gums, she said he had to have op to remove some of his teeth straight away.  I asked if i should have been cleaning his teeth and giving him bones, her reply was she doesnt recommend any bones for dogs teeth ! After having 8 plus teeth removed and the rest cleaned, we continue just to give Archie normal dry food with 'Plaque Off'  His breath and teeth have been wonderful since  Cost £200 for op but well worth it 

[happydog]

  I asked if i should have been cleaning his teeth and giving him bones, her reply was she doesnt recommend any bones for dogs teeth !

  Unfortunately a lot of vets are still blindly giving out this advice. I am lucky in that I have a more enlightened vet who, having seen the effects of BARF feeding on Fern generally as well as the state of her teeth (hardly a spot of tartar at nine years old), thinks it is very good for her. Unfortunately a lot of people only hear half the advice and feed cooked bones as part of an unbalanaced diet, so I suspect a vet would rather give out the blanket advice, of no bones and to feed proprietary dog food in order to avoid being sued.
My vet quizzed me as to exactly what I was feeding to begin with, when I told her I had changed to BARF and was satisfied that I had a firm grasp of the need for variety. She told me that she has been horrified at what a limited unbalanced diet some of her clients  feed their dogs regularly and how unhealthy they are as a result. It is a case of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing perhaps  .
You have to be careful initially when you introduce a dog to bones if they have never had them before. Once they get the hang of crunching before they swallow though it's fine  .

Sorry to hear Archie has had to lose some teef archiesbones 

[Eceni]

I'm a vet - well, I used to be - not in practice any more... but I do feed BARF - so it's not all of us who are against it. 

good luck

e

[DennyK]

One of the other bones which non-BARF feeders can consider as a "recreational and teeth-cleaning" exercise is beef marrow bones - from the leg. 

I feed raw (can't feed chicken only lamb) but the breast of lamb isn't enough I find to clean Paddy's teeth - and he can't take too much bone content anyway as it sets off his colitis, so he's only on about 5% of his total intake being raw meaty bones - a real nuisance.  He had a general anaesthetic last Tuesday for X rays to be taken on his back injury, so I asked them to clean his teeth at the same time.  I'm going to try him on marrow bones again to see if he can tolerate them as he's been very stable tummy-wise for some time now - will also try the plaque-off stuff.....