# What kind of bones to give an 8 week old puppy?



## Sunflowers

Is it safe to give an 8-week-old pup chicken or turkey necks and backs? 


I am thinking of using commercial raw dog food, but do think he will need bones to chew, especially for cleaning his teeth. At what age is it safe to feed these?
Thank you


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## lhczth

My guys are eating whole chickens and turkey necks by 6 weeks, but I sort of "crush" the heavier bones with my knife until they seem to be able to handle them easily. They aren't really crush, just broken up so it is easier for the puppies. An 8 week old pup should be able to handle chickens backs and necks easily. Leg quarters I would "crush" the bone a little and I would do the same with turkey necks.


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## Clyde

Yes I gave all that stuff at 8 weeks. Is the raw new for him some people like to feed a ground up meal for the first week to get the digestive system used to digesting the bone. I fed my puppy a chicken quarter at about 9 weeks and he pooped out a piece of undigested chicken leg bone. That really freaked me out so I didn't fed anything with the leg attached until just the other day I gave a whole chicken. The piece was 3-4 inches long and had the rounded end of the bone on one side then a shear break where he had crunched the bone at the other side. I do not know how he passed that thing?? It looked freakin pointy!!


I thought about crushing the rest with a hammer first but I was so freaked out I didn't even end up feeding those quarters to my other dogs at the time.


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## lhczth

I have started puppies, that were weaned to kibble, by grinding the RMB first. This did seem to help get their little bodies used to digesting bone. When I switched adult dogs I did not do this. I also grind for my little puppies when I start to wean them, but get away from that ASAP since I hate cleaning my grinder. 

You would be surprised how well things pass through their systems.


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## Sunflowers

Well, this morning Hans had a piece of bone from a chicken back lodged horizontally at the back of his throat and started choking. Thank goodness I was right there and was able to sweep his mouth and dislodge it. Got pretty chewed up myself, in the process. 
This won't stop me, but boy, that sure was scary.


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## OriginalWacky

Sunflowers said:


> Well, this morning Hans had a piece of bone from a chicken back lodged horizontally at the back of his throat and started choking. Thank goodness I was right there and was able to sweep his mouth and dislodge it. Got pretty chewed up myself, in the process.
> This won't stop me, but boy, that sure was scary.


Koshka did just about this to me just the other night. He wasn't choking, the bone was lodged between his teeth - he must have broken it JUUUUST right to fit. I hadn't closed his crate to feed him and he came right over to me and was pawing at me and shaking his head. I knew something wasn't right, he always finishes eating before looking for attention. Luckily it was really easy to just pull the bone out, and I even let him have it (he crunched it properly this time). But that's why I don't feed them without being on hand for anything that might happen.


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## panzerghost

Sunflowers said:


> Well, this morning Hans had a piece of bone from a chicken back lodged horizontally at the back of his throat and started choking. Thank goodness I was right there and was able to sweep his mouth and dislodge it. Got pretty chewed up myself, in the process.
> This won't stop me, but boy, that sure was scary.


I think dogs learn from this. My GSD did the same thing on his third or fourth raw meal.Since them hes been much more careful about chewing and swallowing.


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## Sunflowers

panzerghost said:


> I think dogs learn from this. My GSD did the same thing on his third or fourth raw meal.Since them hes been much more careful about chewing and swallowing.


You certainly are right. He is now a bit afraid of the big pieces and looks at me with woeful eyes so I will bite-sized cut chunks of meat for him, LOL. He walks away from the leg quarter, then keepr returning to it. 
I went out today and got some Cornish game hens, and some necks and backs packaged by Primal. I am also pounding the bones very carefully before I give him the piece.
I like that it takes him about 20 minutes to eat. I think this is much more satisfying for a dog than wolfing down the kibble in a few seconds, then looking around as if to say, "You mean, that was IT?".


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