# Swallowing RMBs whole!



## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

I've recently moved my puppy Panzer to raw. I use a mix of MM, OM, ground RMBs and veggies for most of the meals, but also add 4 oz of whole RMBs (chicken wings, chicken thighs) each day to get the chewing down. My problem is that he will swallow the RMBs whole!! Because I'm afraid he will choke, I've been cutting them up in to smaller peices, which he still swallows whole. I'm not too concerned now because he still has his puppy teeth, but once his adult teeth come in, I want him to get the "clean teeth" benefit of raw and that can't happen if he never chews his bones!! Any suggestions? Should I serve the whole RMBs frozen??


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## kbella999 (Jan 6, 2012)

I would try whole chicken quarters. The bigger pieces help prevent the gulping and swallowing whole pieces. You can also do the partially frozen which helps to slow them down also.



jprice103 said:


> I've recently moved my puppy Panzer to raw. I use a mix of MM, OM, ground RMBs and veggies for most of the meals, but also add 4 oz of whole RMBs (chicken wings, chicken thighs) each day to get the chewing down. My problem is that he will swallow the RMBs whole!! Because I'm afraid he will choke, I've been cutting them up in to smaller peices, which he still swallows whole. I'm not too concerned now because he still has his puppy teeth, but once his adult teeth come in, I want him to get the "clean teeth" benefit of raw and that can't happen if he never chews his bones!! Any suggestions? Should I serve the whole RMBs frozen??


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

I guess I'm just so afraid that he'll choke if I leave the pieces even bigger!! He is VERY food driven! At each meal (he is still on 3 meals a day) you'd think it has been a week since I fed him last! lol 

And since he still has his puppy teeth, is it too soon to be giving an entire quarter? I have been trying to avoid the drumstick because of the huge knuckle on it. Wasn't sure his little teeth could handle that.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

How old is the puppy? You can sort of chop the bones in the leg quarters so you break them up a bit without actually cutting the RMB into pieces. Usually the larger the pieces the more the dog/puppy will be forced to chew. I have heard of people holding the RMB so the pup is forced to chew/gnaw, but I have never had to do this.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

He will be 19 weeks tomorrow. So how would I chop up the leg quarters without cutting them? Smash them with a mallot?


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

This is actually why I feed ground raw. Rafi is a gulper and I do know of a few dogs who have choked. 

I occasionally feed Rafi chicken wings for the teeth cleaning benefits and I do sometimes hold them to slow him down (if he is gulping).


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

So it is not a problem to continue with the ground RMBs? I have no problem with this and it acutally would make it easier for me! I just thought that one of the benefits was chewing the bone...but I guess as long as their getting bone and all the benefits of raw in general, I can deal with a little tartar on the teeth!


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## TimberGSD2 (Nov 8, 2011)

Milla is almost 13 weeks and I give her the whole thigh, but she is a chewer not a gulper. I would think the bigger the bone the more he would have to chew it. But I'm new to raw too. 

Maybe a rec type bone in the future for teeth cleaning?


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

Yeah, I give him marrow bones 3x a week for rec. But I wasn't sure if that was enough to keep his teeth clean.


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## Bear L (Feb 9, 2012)

I gave whole chicken quarters and backs since my puppy was around 12 weeks. The bigger the better for her since it keeps her busy and I just love it when she's occupied. If I give her something too small, she will gulp it down.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

Bear L said:


> I gave whole chicken quarters and backs since my puppy was around 12 weeks. The bigger the better for her since it keeps her busy and I just love it when she's occupied. If I give her something too small, she will gulp it down.


Good to know. I was too afraid to go bigger since he was gulping!! I was too afraid he would try to swallow anything bigger whole and choke!


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## Clyde (Feb 13, 2011)

You should try to give something that is no smaller then his head. I often gave my young puppy chicken frames basically tail to neck without the limbs attached and bison tails or turkey necks which were over a foot long so way to big to swallow. Also neck bones from larger animals really force the dog to chew. For a puppy they may be more recreational if he cannot actually eat them yet but they will get him chewing.


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## kbella999 (Jan 6, 2012)

Be careful about giving weight bearing bones such as femurs and knuckle bones because they can break teeth.


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## nitemares (Dec 15, 2005)

Go bigger not smaller for sure... besides bigger keeps them occupied more and more mentally stimulated


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