Raw bones to clean teeth

[Maria]

I've tried to find a source of bones from local butchers, with not much luck. There are 3 relatively locally, and only                               2 say they have bones available on certain days of the week - but that they go within minutes to 'regulars'. It also doesn't help that as a veggie I don't know what the 'right' bones should look like, so would be concerned they would be giving me ones that they shouldn't have. The ones in the pet shop are 'sterilised', which look cooked to me 
I also have this dilemma about chicken wings - my local supermarkets only seem to have these 'value' ones, which I suspect may be ones from factory farms / pumped full of hormones etc...........
Maybe I 'think' too much 
Is it possible to source good quality bones / wings online at all?

[SuzieT]

Hi Maria,

Have been following this thread with interest as my boy's breath was really bad a week or so ago, without any lip fold issue and being on good quality wet and dry food (Arden in morning and Nature's menu pouch in evening), so tried a switch to half-BARF and it has really made a difference to his breath in just a few days (thanks to Michelle, for her advice!).  I need to investigate and learn much more, but for the last few nights have been feeding raw mince (defrosted after being frozen first) and minced fresh veg, with a little dry food for breakfast.  However, this morning, went to the local butchers and asked for lamb ribs and he gave me a two breasts of lamb for £3 which I have just cut up in two riblet size portions and frozen.  At the moment Humps is just looking from the bones to me and back again, and is not sure quite what to do,but I will let you know whether he tries his new brekkie soon!  Know how you feel about the chicken wings though!

Good luck

x

[Joules]

Ask the butcher if they sell chicken wings or breast of lamb (lamb ribs) - you can also buy both of these in ASDA or Morrisons - the lamb breast I have seen in Tesco does not have the bones in so that is no good if you want it purely for teeth.  With the lamb ribs, I just cut them into single ribs and give her them like that. You can get a whole lamb breast for about £3 I think.  Morrisons also sell packs of recreational bones (ie without much meat on them) for about 20 - 25p so these are ideal if you just want them for teeth cleaning and can be given in addition to normal food as a treat. Some butchers only sell chicken wings in the summer as that is when people want them for BBQs.    Now, stop stressing and just do it!   

[Maria]

Thank you.
I know Smudge will love them as she had bones at her foster home . Boysie is a bit lazy and doesn't like chewing anything much (and he has the worse teeth  ). I'm hoping something like the lamb ribs will enthuse him 

[SuzieT]

Hi Maria,

Oops - here's a tip I learnt today by mistake, keep an eye on the bone!  The gasman came to read the meter this afternoon, whilst the lamb bone was still in his bowl and he was just walking around it, eyeing it up quizzically.  When I got back inside after 5 minutes, the bone's disappeared and I know the little tyke has hidden it because he surely would'nt have eaten it that quickly?  Have searched house high and low but to no avail, now kids are having histrionics at the thought of raw meat rotting away unseen somewhere in the house!!!!!!  Am definitely giving next lot in the garden under a very watchful eye, and am off on a bone hunt tonight!

Things we do for cocker cuddles .......

Suzie
x

[cazza]

Ask the butcher if they sell chicken wings or breast of lamb (lamb ribs) - you can also buy both of these in ASDA or Morrisons - the lamb breast I have seen in Tesco does not have the bones in so that is no good if you want it purely for teeth.  With the lamb ribs, I just cut them into single ribs and give her them like that. You can get a whole lamb breast  Morrisons also sell packs of recreational bones (ie without much meat on them) for about 20 - 25p so these are ideal if you just want them for teeth cleaning and can be given in addition to normal food as a treat. Some butchers only sell chicken wings in the summer as that is when people want them for BBQs.    Now, stop stressing and just do it!   

Joules - quick question please - the breast bones in Morrisons are they frozen or fresh?
Where abouts do you find the rec bones for 20 -25p (sorry for stupid questions, but I do rarely do the shop, but if I want these then I'll have to go as OH will not bother with them  )

[Joules]

Joules - quick question please - the breast bones in Morrisons are they frozen or fresh?
Where abouts do you find the rec bones for 20 -25p (sorry for stupid questions, but I do rarely do the shop, but if I want these then I'll have to go as OH will not bother with them  )

The ones I have bought were fresh and were in the fresh lamb section.  The recreational bones were also fresh and in the fresh meat section.  They are great as it is not always easy to get bones from the butcher and I just put them in the freezer.  My Morrisons has a fresh butchery department though so you can ask on there if you have the same.  I guess they may not always have the rec bones but they do the cutting up and packaging in mine so I suppose these are what is left over.    As I wanted to stock up, they cut up some whole lamb breasts for me and packed them in sensible sized packs ie about a third of a lamb breast in each so I could just put them straight into the freezer

[Penel]

Cor your Morrisons sounds good Joules - I must go to mine again soon.  Although I get loads of meaty bones from our butchers I do like the lurchers to have lamb breast a lot as they need lots of fat in their diet to stop them from looking so waif like 

[Cob-Web]

I also have this dilemma about chicken wings - my local supermarkets only seem to have these 'value' ones, which I suspect may be ones from factory farms / pumped full of hormones etc...........

This is a big concern for me - I would prefer to feed a processed organic food (Burns do one) than a raw diet of intensively farmed meat 

I am very lucky, as I source my meat/bones from a butcher that sells locally produced and butchered meat/game.......I may well have "met" or photographed Molo's dinner a few weeks ago on one of our walks 

There are a number of online organic butchers that deliver in the UK - some even sell a pet food range.......I don't have any names to hand, as none deliver to the IoW, but they do deliver to the mainland, so if you Google, you may well find a suitable supplier

[suzysu]

..just found this ..wonder what they are like?  http://www.sheepdroveshop.com/acatalog/Organic_Doggy_Bags__.html

[Penel]

..just found this ..wonder what they are like?  http://www.sheepdroveshop.com/acatalog/Organic_Doggy_Bags__.html

I've heard that Sheepdrove products are excellent.  I think quite expensive though.

[miche]

I am lucky I get a lot of food - enough for mums 2 Golden Rets and my 2 cockers from mums butcher.  He gave us pigs tails the other day and my 2 kids were running around the garden with them holding them on their behinds and snorting.  Yuk

[LoveCatz]

Both Tesco and Morrisons sell chicken wings all year round.

[Jan/Billy]

I am lucky I get a lot of food - enough for mums 2 Golden Rets and my 2 cockers from mums butcher.  He gave us pigs tails the other day and my 2 kids were running around the garden with them holding them on their behinds and snorting.  Yuk

  Wonder what your neighbours thought? 

[Max X 2]

I nipped to our local friendly butcher & asked for a recreational bone - well that made him laugh for a start, he asked what for a dog? I said yes a cocker - he looked at his mate & said yes that sounds like a fair swap, they're a nice dog.
Well, he brought this out......................

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n320/maxinesmith/max.jpg

The lady behind in the queue laughed & said her St Bernard has them that size 

This is the 1st time Max has had a bone.  Should I try & chop it 

He was still laughing about the "recreational" bit & said to go back next week & come up with another term