# What bone(s) to give my dog for her first time



## shaner (Oct 17, 2010)

So I'm looking to finally give me a dog a raw meaty bone. I've given her plenty of raw food in the past, but it's always either been only the meat, or it's been ground up bones along with the meat/organs. This has been added to her regular diet of Orijen.

She's not a gulper so I don't have to worry about that, but as I've stated before on this site, she's also not a chewer. She has never in her life chewed a bone before. I've tried various recreational bones, most with meat still on them. She'll chew the meat off and leave the bone. She simply doesn't chew bones. 

With that said, I'm going to try. What would be a good bone to give her? I also worry about her choking, even though I know it's unlikely, I can't help it. But I'm not going to let my paranoia get in the way of a healthy diet for her.

So what bone should I start her on to see if I can get her to eat it. Are chicken wings a good starter bone as they are small and soft, or should I start her with something bigger to encourage chewing and not trying to just swallow it?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

If you are talking about raw feeding, then yes, chicken would be my suggestion. BUT you need to balance the bone, meat ratio, just giving bone isn't recommended as a diet.
Chicken wings have too much fat, I would go with chicken thighs or a small leg 1/4. Be sure you research the diet if this is what you are choosing to feed....better to do it right from the get-go!


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## shaner (Oct 17, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> If you are talking about raw feeding, then yes, chicken would be my suggestion. BUT you need to balance the bone, meat ratio, just giving bone isn't recommended as a diet.
> Chicken wings have too much fat, I would go with chicken thighs or a small leg 1/4. Be sure you research the diet if this is what you are choosing to feed....better to do it right from the get-go!


I appreciate the advice, but like I said, her regular diet is Orijen. I am looking to get her onto a raw diet, but I'm not convinced she'll even chew a bone. When the time is right, she'll have a balanced raw diet. Right now I just want to find a good, soft bone to get her used to eating them. I'm not concerned with nutrition or any of that right now as she gets that from her Orijen, I simply want to see how she reacts to eating bones (not just picking the meat off of them).

I was looking for advice on a good bone to start with. Are chicken thighs and chicken 1/4's fairly soft and a good place to start?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Yes, that is what I would give, they are soft and have enough meat to counter the amount of bone. Too much bone can cause constipation. Turkey necks are a favorite of my dogs. They take a bit longer to chew(tom necks are big, one neck can weigh a pound, so I cut those in 1/3's)
Even if you are just giving this in addition to the Orijen, you still need to maintain a ratio of meat/bone for proper digestion.


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## shaner (Oct 17, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> Yes, that is what I would give, they are soft and have enough meat to counter the amount of bone. Too much bone can cause constipation. Turkey necks are a favorite of my dogs. They take a bit longer to chew(tom necks are big, one neck can weigh a pound, so I cut those in 1/3's)


Okay, thanks a lot. Do you ever worry about your dog choking? Am I being irrational by worrying about it?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I never read about dogs choking on bones that are rawfed(or introduced to it) They will bring it back up or gulp it down. 
When Karlo was a young pup he literally swallowed a thigh whole. Scared me, but he digested it and passed it.


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