Bones and legs for dogs

I've got a four month old lab who is the usual vaccuum cleaner when it comes to scraps. What should (or more importantly shouldn't) I give her with regard to scraps from the carcass? She's happy chewing on legs but should the bones, neck, pelvis etc be boiled, roasted or just raw? How much raw meat is right for a pup? I'd be glad of any advice as I've already had one trip to the vets with her passing blood after a lamb bone!

Thanks
 
Hi northernroe, always feed the bones raw, that way there is less chance of them splintering. Raw meat is great for the pup and you could feed 100% raw (+ some veggies). Have a look on Google for BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diets, there is plenty of information. As a guide, my GWP was eating 2lb raw meat a day at 4 months, plus some raw veg, eggs, cottage cheese etc mixed in. I'm assuming from your post that you only feed raw when its available, i.e. when you've got a carcase to butcher; if so, I wouldnt worry, just feed 1 or 1 1/2 lb of scrap meat as a meal instead of the normal complete food. If you are feeding a lot of bone, make sure there is plenty of meat on it as too much bone can cause constipation.

Cheers

Mac
 
I usually prefer to give them a side of ribs each when butchering. A little bit of meat on there with softish bones.
 
Thanks for the replies. I have to say I didn't give her the ribs as I thought they might splinter but will try with the next carcass. The pup has had lots of fun pulling the meat of the shins which keeps her quiet!
 
As I've not seen a post from Morena, I though I'd better chip in with a vet's view.

Scraps are fine as the odd bit here and there, but I'd be very wary of raw meat as the main basis of a pup's diet, especially the large, faster growing breeds like Labs. The problem is that the Calcium to Phosphorus ratio in meat is not balanced. It is one of the factors behind in cartilage damage and potential arthritis in a young dog. There were loads of cases like this when the rottweiler was popular in the mid 80s and fed exclusively on raw meat. The natural diet for a dog would be the whole animal, hide, bone, intestines etc which is then correctly balanced.

Personally, I like the simplicity that comes with a bag of dried kibble. Pick a quality food (ie not an own brand) stick to it, keep the pup slim and it should be fine.

As a chewing aid, the legs etc are great, just avoid her trying to break them up to much, so remove them before the cracking starts! Cooking makes them more likely to be crunched up and this can lead to constipation as Mac states.

Have fun training!
 
Seems like good advice, increasing the amount of meat has led to some sloppy, not very easy to clear of the patio jobs that I'd rather avoid :)Will stick to the Hills Science and a bit of fresh stuff to persuade her to learn her trade.
 
sudden change of diet will cause sloppy stool, if you must change a diet , fade it in gradually. Too much protien is not good,where as a good balance of raw veg (carrots etc ) for chewing & a good dry food with approx 18-22% protien , the dog wil manage just nice. With uncooked smooth bones for treats .
 
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