puppies and bones

[gr8icefishinmind]

Got an 8 week old lab and just curious if it is ok for him to be gnawing on a bone or pigs ears?? I wouldn't think it would be a problem but was just curious!

[BirddogLabs]

Personally I don't let mine chew on real bones as they can splinter and pucture the intestional wall. Worked as a veterinary tech and saw first hand what can happen. I like pig ears for my pups, but just give them sparingly as they can cause diarrhea.

I've found that the basted rawhide chips or rolled rawhide sticks work very well with pups. I just watch them closely when they get it to swallowing size and then I remove it or stay close enough to intervine if necessary. Its never been a problem, just like to be cautious.

[gr8icefishinmind]

yeah, i didn't mean real bones i guess! I would never feed a dog a real bone no matter the size!!

[BirddogLabs]

By the way congrats on the new pup! Love training in the spring...is it spring yet? Awww close enough!! Have fun!!!!

[Pumpintheline]

A couple of years ago i got a new balck lab and thought it would great to give the dog a rawhide bone, to chew on instead of my waders. Three days later while watching the puppy struggle with her dog food residue and my picking up residue i noticed blood in her stool. Took her to the vet and was told "in a joking serious manner from the vet" Your puppy has rawhidenitis,as he was pulling a piece of rawhaide out of her rectum the size of a .50 cent coin. He said that bones splinter and rawhide does not digest, and I got lucky. Sometimes the rawhide will tear the intestines. Recommended Milk bones or Real pigs ears. $100.00 later and some antibotics we went home. Just speaking from my own experience.

[gr8icefishinmind]

hey thanks........the puppy loves being outside! Probably the hardest part so far has been the crate training but he is getting used to it, just doesn't like the first 5 minutes in it after that he seems to cool down and falls right to sleep or just hangs out!! Had him three days and already knows the sit command!!

heres a few pics of the little guy!!

[Todd Caswell]

I give my dogs a very large frozen raw femer bone from the butcher shop to chew on for 15 minutes or so each week, keeps there teeth nice and clean and there large enough they don't splinter, cooked ones will.

Don't like raw hide, and pigs ears don't last long enough to do any good cleaning teeth.

After 15 minutes throw them back in the freezer for next week, never had a problem.

For puppys I like a kong bone stuff it with canned dog food and freeze it.

Stay away from any toys with strings or the knoted rope type, I have a friend that just had to have surgury on a puppy last week from an obstruction.

Congrats with the new pup

[Ralph Wiggum]

We stick with Nylabones--keeps the goo and slobber to a minimum

[BirddogLabs]

Yep, I use those too!

One would think that keeping the goo and slobber to a minimum could be quite the challenge with a big boy like yours Ralph!

[Ralph Wiggum]

One would think that keeping the goo and slobber to a minimum could be quite the challenge with a big boy like yours Ralph!

It can be bad at times Thankfully, he slobbers much less than a St. Bernard, though!

[rayguy]

Try bullie sticks also called pisell sticks. For sure don't use sanitized bones as they can break teeth. We have a 6 month old lab so enjoy your pup, they grow fast.