I want to try and cut down on the tartar on my dogs teeth, he loves rawhide chews but I'm not sure if these are going to help the problem. I need something reasonably robust as he demolishes chews in no time at all.

I don't tend to trust what it says on the packets so I was wondering if you guys could recommend anything and where's the best place to get them?

I get one of these a week for each of my dogs and it has improved their teeth. They love gnawing on them to get at the tripe. The bones are safe, as they are not cooked, but I still watch mine closely.

http://www.tesco.com/superstore/xpi/8/xpi50287488.htm

What about some large raw meaty bones?

Absolutely, surely the best bone type treat to give a dog IS a nice big bone?
Don't go for expensive pet shop products - EVERYTHING they sell is marked up stupidly (though some things are only available in them).
Go to a good independent butcher, and tell them the size of your dog, they will know the best bone to give.

Even our Yorkie, Mitzi, loved gnawing on a good bone - sometimes they were bigger than her, and they go a LOT further than the rawhide stuff.

I am actually going to get some bones today - for my CATS.

Bones all the way here too Even my pups have a good old gnaw

Isn't it stupid..I get my two the shop bones but have never thought of raw meaty ones.
I always thought mine were too small for them but, hearing that Yorkies and puppies have them...I think I'll give it a go. I guess the only place is the butchers for them?

So, is it only cooked bones that are a no go? Is there one type of animal that is better...beef/pig/chicken? I know chicken bones can be dodgy.
Sorry for asking so many questions on your thread OP

Cooked bones are definitely a no go (although having said that, I have given my 2 large cooked bones from a joint in the past & they loved them but I wouldn't advise it, especially with dogs that haven't had bones before).

As for raw bones, it depends on the size of the dog but virtually anything goes, from chicken wings or necks to pork ribs or lamb bones or beef bones. Mine love oxtail which you can get in Tesco but I try to find a pack with the larger pieces as Barney tends to swallow the smaller ones whole & bring them up again at about 3.00 a.m.! You can also get pork ribs & lamb shanks from most supermarkets as well, although the lamb shanks usually have a lot of meat in proportion to bone, so possibly not suitable for very small dogs who might find the amount of meat too much & will never get to the bone in the middle.

If you have a decent butcher near you try asking if he has any bones ~ mine gives me a bag full once a week for free but I do buy mince & offal from him.

I would never leave a dog alone with a bone just in case it gets stuck between teeth or something ~ it's best to be nearby to supervise but I would do that with a rawhide chew as well.

Good luck ~ happy chewing

Thank you

Just like to say, I bought some frozen lamb chops today, defrosted a couple fully, then cut off the bone and whizzed up the meat and fat in my blender (not too much).
I fed this meat to my cats, and as I have only fed them raw fish before, not meat (other than the usual tinned food) and my three are such fussy little gits, I was amazed and very pleased that they absolutely loved the lamb.

Delilah is still chewing on one of the bones as I type this, and considering a big pack of frozen lamb chops costs less than a 6 pack of tinned foods, I see no reason why I cant replace half their tinned food with lamb chops (and other meats too).

I am very pleased with that.

Another vote for proper raw bones for doggies! Our butcher also gives us them for free. We have a large collie cross who is such a softie, she shares her bones with our slightly demented kitty!! One at each end, it's very cute!

Also Meg (the dog) absolutely loves chewing on carrots - she goes mad for them. She is 13 next month and has never had to have her teeth cleaned by the vet.

Ditto with the carrots.

Funny isn't it! Meg looks through the shopping bags for them. We even have to call them 'C-words' now because she goes mad if we even say 'carrot'!

Chicken bones are only dodgy if they are cooked - raw wings, breasts, legs form part of stable diet for many raw / BARF fed dogs and last a darn side longer than a bowl of kibble.

The only reason I switched to kibble was with 6, cost and convenience really - but all mine still get bones on a regular basis keeps them quiet for hours

We stick carrots in the freezer for our dogs - makes them last just a tiny bit longer.

One of my dogs absolutely adores red, orange & yellow peppers (not green though!) & would happily eat a whole one if I let her. Not sure that it has any dental benefits but I'm happy to indulge her once in a while.

Hi,

Defo supervise them. Had a bit of a panic the other nite with my smaller dog Lola. She had a rawhide chew one minute then it was gone bless her she was running around wimpering - it was awful. Was just about to run her to the vet when she threw up and there was the chew totally intact!! How she managed to swallow it beats me!

Scared the life out of her and us!

That's a great idea, I'll try that with Meg's c-words!


Also going to try her with peppers!

I've heard several scary stories over the years about dogs swallowing rawhide pieces. Sometimes they chew bits into a pulp & just swallow. I can remember the instructor at dog training classes giving some very graphic details about the dangers of rawhide & a vet nurse who was her assistant at the time, telling us about the poor dogs that needed life-saving operations after getting a "rawhide logjam" in their intestines.

Mine sometimes have the rawhide shoes which I stuff with something tasty ~ but the clever mutts now manage to untie the laces on these shoes, eat the tasty filling & leave the rest.

Double ditto. My Coco LOVES carrots. I buy them for my rabbits and she kept jumping into their run (she's rabbit friendly) to steal them. If carrots would be sufficient for keeping their teeth clean I might cut back on the Dentastix - bit pricey.

Both of mine get chicken wings every day and when I can get them meaty lamb bones, mostly ribs, and shoulders.

Neither of my two have any tartar to speak of.

Just keep an eye one them whilst they eat and discourage gulping or bolting.

As for shop treats they like pigs ears but they get that "beef jerky" mostly these days, it stinks and they love it, but it is very dry so not too much and plenty of fresh water available.

How old should the pup be before allowing it to have bones? We haven't allowed our Holly to have any bones, she's now 6 months, so may think about it.

There's no reason why a 6 month old puppy can't have a chew on a bone. Dr Ian Billinghurst, an Australian vet, has written a book called "Grow Your Pups on Bones"! And your puppy will probably be teething soon (if not already started) so chewing on a nice cold bone may be quite pleasant for her if her gums are sore.

I would suggest something small enough to be manageable & that your dog can manipulate, but too big to try to swallow whole. Perhaps a chicken wing or a pork rib? I find pork or lamb ribs are quite good to start with as they are "straightforward" bones ~ one long bone with a bit of meat, fat, tissue on them with no joints or bits that can easily split off.

She's lost most of her puppy teeth now. We're going to take her to the Nature's Instinct Warehouse, as it's just around the corner, as we need a new show lead, as the one I bought is now too small, and they can help us choose the right size bone

My dogs likes Venison ears which are pretty big and easy on the tummy and I give him 100% fish 4 dogs which are supposed to be good for teeth.

I'm thinking of getting some of these for my pup! Stupid question : Do I give one to her raw?