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Post by hooligan on May 31, 2011 8:24:16 GMT -5
Hi, folks--
Now that the weather has improved and Jack can enjoy the back yard, I've given him marrow bones a couple of times. He hasn't had one all winter because they make such a mess in the house (and no, I'm not a particularly fastidious housekeeper, but even I draw the line at grease all over the rugs).
The drawback is that Jack does have a sensitive tummy, and once again, I'm finding that the bones trigger runny poops. Because of this, he got them only occasionally last summer. He, of course, loves them, and a bone can keep him happy and occupied for hours. It's the consequences I don't like dealing with.
So, what think you? Any advice? Has your Dobe reacted similarly? Should I forget about marrow bones, or are they something his gut might get used to if I continue giving them? (Given how much he likes them, I suspect that the answer I'm hoping for is obvious.)
Cheers, Dyanne
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Post by toyzshopgary on May 31, 2011 14:29:23 GMT -5
I hear you about the mess and what I find outside is that Zeus will work on them for a while not really that long, and then leave it and come back later. Then when he returns, it's got dirt and ants all over it and I worry it's contanimated or spoiled and just can't be healthy for him. he gets more out of his outside plastic Folders coffee cans he loves to chew and rip up or his wubba kongs then a raw soup bone. ( Spoiled brat he is!)
This may sound strange but my parents when they used beef soup bones to make soup used to take the cooked marrow, spread it on bread and a little salt and pepper and eat it! So as a kid I would eat it too! It's actually very tasty and something I do now and then still. So what I do around here is boil the soup bone partially for him and fully cook some, and then let them all cool and give Zeus his partially cooked. I get some he gets some and the water we use for his kibble. It doesn't seem to bother his poops at all, but it's not something he gets very much.
My concern is that from what I heard it's the cooking that makes the bones brittle and raw bones aren't brittle. So I'm carefull to not leave him unsupervised with a cooked or partially cooked bone. Zeus doesn't like them near as much raw vs partially or fully cooked. Probably because he's such a spoiled dog because of Chris and I.
So any comments on what I do?
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Post by dobermoms on May 31, 2011 22:06:30 GMT -5
Dante sometimes gets marrow bones and he too loves them...but..He also gets runny poops sometimes. I sometimes remove some of the marrow and when he is done with a chewing session I pop them back in the freezer as I think it helps with bacteria..He also likes his deer antlers and bullwinkles which seem to satisfy his need to chew..
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Post by Lisa on May 31, 2011 22:07:48 GMT -5
I feed raw. Gino and Asha get bones often. Marrow never caused runny stools.... but I heard from other people it did. You may remove marrow and let him chew on bone. You may buy beef neck bones. He would love it. Ants all over the bone is like tabasco for us.... Gary you made me laugh. My dogs chew bones on the deck when it's warm and do it in their crates on towels when it's rainy.... but I don't mind if Gino gets a bit "tobasco"
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Post by dobermoms on May 31, 2011 22:15:00 GMT -5
I also agree with Gary that it is not advised that you give dogs cooked bones as they can tend to splinter and cause all kinds of issues...
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Post by hooligan on Jun 1, 2011 7:50:36 GMT -5
Thanks, guys. Next time, I'll try scooping out most of the marrow before giving him the bone in hopes that this will solve the problem. Unfortunately, he has little interest in his antler, probably because it's too clean. LOL. But he loves marrow bones (raw, of course), perhaps because they are so smelly, greasy and messy. Once he has chewed and licked one clean, it suffers the same fate as his antler. He loses interest.
Dyanne
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Post by toyzshopgary on Jun 1, 2011 12:10:20 GMT -5
Tell me about the deer antlers? You mean real deer antlers? Where do you find those?
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Post by hooligan on Jun 1, 2011 21:28:28 GMT -5
Tell me about the deer antlers? You mean real deer antlers? Where do you find those? Scroll down this page from Dogs in Canada: www.dogsincanada.com/blog/?p=2309I think other companies make them as well. Availability, at least at pet stores near us, seems to be hit and miss. Our local Global offered them for a while, but I haven't seen them there lately. They were recommended to us by someone whose dog loves them. So we bought one, but Jack is completely uninterested. The antler sits ignored in his toy box. Dyanne
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Post by Lisa on Jun 2, 2011 22:31:16 GMT -5
Yes... they love marrow. You may remove some of marrow and freeze it. When Jack is done with a bone add a bit marrow. It worked well for Gino when he was a puppy.
You may add some ants too... LOL!
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Post by Dobereich on Jun 3, 2011 0:04:23 GMT -5
Most times people give a bone, then leave the dog chew it until they`ve had enough. You need to condition your dog`s stomach to handle the bones, and adjust the amount of food the dog is getting when chewing bones too.
Try giving a new bone for only 20-30 mins a day and see if this helps. Once the fats have been taken out of the bone, you can leave it with them for longer. Smoked bones are often times rancid before you ever get them, so stick to fresh. You can Refrigerate the bone if its still meaty and marrow filled. But dog`s stomachs are able to handle salmonella.
It is a good idea to fast your dog from time to time, I normally fast my dogs once a month. On a fast day a good raw fresh bone will go down well, and is not likely to cause diarrhea.
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Post by dobereyna on Jun 8, 2011 20:42:48 GMT -5
Reyna LOVES her raw marrow bones, and the deer antlers. If they seem uninterested in the deer antler, I've heard soaking it in water brings out the 'smell' again and will peak their interest in it. Also smearing a little natural peanut butter on it. Gary, you are right... marrow is DELISH! I serve it to guests sometimes... Beef Tenderloin with Marrow Butter is especially decadant! The deer antlers are great because they are mess-free. Since the marrow bones are raw, I only let Reyna have it on a specific towel, then the towel goes to the wash directly after. Remember it is raw meat, so bacteria and cross-contamination of your house is a mild concern... especially anyone with kids running about. I get the bones from my butcher, and they are cheap. Just ask them to cut them a minimum of about 6" long so there is little chance of swallowing them.
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Post by ladydon on Jun 9, 2011 14:01:51 GMT -5
I haven't really tried marrow bones on Diesel but he has deer antlers. He's had it for over 2 months and it's still looks like I just bought it. Sometimes he's into it sometimes he's not...I do smear a bit of peanut butter from time to time...but soaking it in water was a good idea Joanne.
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Post by dobermarch on Jun 10, 2011 21:57:55 GMT -5
Gary - we give Nova antlers. You can get them at the pet store on Nebo road in Hamilton between stonechurch and rymal - not sure what it is called I think it is pet max??? Anyway you can also get pizzel which she freaking LOVES
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Post by Lisa on Jun 11, 2011 18:17:03 GMT -5
Gino and Asha got chicken heads today They love it.
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Post by hooligan on Jun 23, 2011 11:26:49 GMT -5
Thanks, guys. More good ideas -- for the marrow bones and the antlers.
Dyanne
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