for Scylla when she gets her kitty....

[lynwlt]

Blue,

I'm just longing for the opportunity to use the term ''bum gravy'' in conversation.......

Any tips on feeding bone to a 'gulper' dog?

Lynda

[Scylla]

I know you're not asking me, Lyn, but I should imagine the answer is to give him a mammoth's thigh-bone

scylla

[bluecow1980]

hiya lynda.... for a gulper its generally about getting more hands on. First bash the bone with a rolling pin (NEVER cut into chuncks with a knife), and hold onto the other wnd while he munches. This way even if he gulps it, it will digest easier and be much less likely to cause obstruction. However if he is just crunching fast on a chicken wing and not gulping whole i wouldnt worry too much.

With bones the general rule is not to feed the weight bearing bones, such as legs of the larger animals. So no beef, lamb, venison or pork legs, or necks (pork should also only be from uk herds never from eu).

Some feeders will give the larger bones as recreational only - e.g. something to chew on that they cant swallow, but not a part of their main diet. There is a bit of a mixed feeling about this, as the larger weight bearing bones are more likely to splinter, break teeth and cause obstructions. As a general rule I dont advise giving these to the larger more powerful dogs, as they are more likely to splinter them.

Bones to feed:
poultry - any - including the whole carcass
game birds - again up to the whole carcass
feeder rodents/chicks (from the local reptile store) - whole carcass
small game animals such as rabbit - whole carcass

For larger poultry such as turkey or goose, judge by your dog/cat and how well they are chomping on their food. I do feed turkey neck and legs to the cats and dog BUT they have been raw feeding since birth generally. My dog billy will also occasionally get some leg of pork/lamb as a recreational treat but its a very very occasional thing.

On top of the whole carcass, remember that anything chicken sized or smaller can (and should if you can get them) be fed virtually whole. Get the butcher to take out the intestines and bum, but to leave the rest inside. You then have a balanced meal in one!

Freeze all whole and game carcasses (especially wild caught) before feeding.

IF all else fails, you can feed ground bones. They dont offer the same tooth cleaning and muscle strengthening benefits, but will still ensure a balanced diet. DAF, and many of the other barf suppliers include 5-10% ground bone in their mixes. You need to take this into account if your not making your food from scratch.

[bluecow1980]

apologies for information overload....

but

While we are on the subject of cats and not wanting to bore you, there is such thing in the cat world termed a taurine bomb.

Heart (especially poultry heart)
gizzards
diaphragm
shellfish

The above are all VERY high in their taurine content, and as such should really be included as part of their everyday diet. As mentioned in the first post taurine is ESSENTIAL To cats, and along with blindness it can and does cause heart failure which is irreversable and will cause the death of your cat.

If you cant source some of the above or just want to be doubly sure, many many raw feeders choose to give a taurine supplement. Taurine is not stored in the tissues so any excess will be extreted in the urine. The supplement comes in a powder form, will last for AGES, and you just mix a little with water and sprinkle on the food, its also tasteless so doesnt interfere with a cats general fussyness.

To source your bones, carcasses, meats and especially some of the more unusual things you dont find in a supermarket (like gizzards), try local butches, gamekeepers, shooting clubs (remember no lead pellets and to remove all shot before feeding), and ethnic shops. Many many halal or similar butchers sell gizzards, poultry hearts, diaphragm etc and its generally cheap as chips! Get friendly with a traditional butcher and you might find you have an endless supply of chicken carcasses due to todays consumers preferring to buy only breast meats. Gamekeepers are also an excellent source of rabbits.

Finally - DO NOT feed only minced meats. Taurine breaks down during the processing and so what otherwise would normally be a balanced diet suddenly becomes deadly. Chopped meats are ok, minced not. I do feed mince to mine sometimes, but as part of their balanced diet, along with whole poultry heats to compensate for any taurine loss.

Supplements you might want to consider....
Salmon oil - Excellent source of nutrients and good fats
goose fat - especially if you are feeding mainly lean meats such as rabbit or chicken
slippery elm - good to calm an upset stomach
peppermint oil - again good for digestion

If your pets poo's start to become hard and white you are feeding too much bone. Equally if they suffer constipation. A tin of pilchards in tomato sauce generally gets things moving again.

Dont forget some nice fish too makes a lovely addition to the diet! Especially whole oily fish such as fresh sardines or mackerel.

[bluecow1980]

and breathe! I think i'll just shut up now lol!

[Scylla]

I love to see someone in full flow on their soapbox

You deserve a nice cup of tea and a luxury vape, Blue!

scylla

[Lilac]

No worries Blue, that was very interesting, and lovely to meet a raw feeder, i've just started recently, Lynda a bit longer...

off to see if you've posted on our raw feeding thread...well, it didn't start out that way, but has evolved into it...lol