Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I buy my bones at Peoria Packing, because they have big meaty pork necks for $.59/pound. You can find pork neck at just about any market, but you have to be careful to not get bones that are either too small or have sharp edges. Turkey necks are also good, and cheap. Avoid beef bones because they tend to be too hard.

I agree it's crazy that Jewel won't sell you beef bones for your dog. Dominick's will, and cut them to your preferred length. Sunset too.

I don't know how big a pork neck bone is, but I wouldn't give my dog any bone from any kind of fowl. Hearing just one story of fatal consequences is enough to convince me. The advice I've seen from various sources is just the opposite of yours, Suzy - I've seen only beef bones recommended as being sufficiently hard, for safety's sake.

But perhaps you have a much smaller dog than mine. For the greyhound, I'd recommend only beef leg bones.

Katie wrote:I don't know how big a pork neck bone is, but I wouldn't give my dog any bone from any kind of fowl.

Katie - pork is not fowl - not sure I understand? In any case, dogs can eat raw, meaty chicken and turkey bones except I'd only give necks or wings from the turkey as the legs are too big for most dogs (having said that, I know someone whose Golden Retriever who took down and ate the entire raw Thanksgiving turkey while it was thawing) . . . but the size of the bones is why I would not give a beef leg bone to a normal-sized dog, unless it's cut in really manageable pieces, but even still, a cow leg has to be sufficient enough to support 1/4 the size of the cow - I'd think it's too sizable for a dog to eat down.

As for:

s4shon wrote:Where can I buy raw bones for my greyhound? I asked the butcher at Jewel, and he said they weren't allowed to sell them??

Were you asking for bone scraps at Jewel, i.e., no meat on them? Otherwise, I too don't understand, if only because you don't need to ask for bones from the butcher, you'd just buy a package of chicken wings or leg. The key is to feed them raw, meaty bones, which have a combination of meat and bones. Just bones alone I wouldn't think provide them with a balanced diet.

Anyway, I too purchase my dog's meat at Peoria.

I think Katie was referring to the turkey necks. I chose not to feed turkey bones, but did feed chicken. The turkey just seemed much harder, sharper and splintery. I do know people who do feed them, and I do have smaller dogs, so YMMV.

Katie wrote:I don't know how big a pork neck bone is, but I wouldn't give my dog any bone from any kind of fowl. Hearing just one story of fatal consequences is enough to convince me. The advice I've seen from various sources is just the opposite of yours, Suzy - I've seen only beef bones recommended as being sufficiently hard, for safety's sake.

But perhaps you have a much smaller dog than mine. For the greyhound, I'd recommend only beef leg bones.

I have greyhounds - the big kind - and they eat chicken (well, the one who isn't allergic, that is) every day. The warnings about chicken bones only apply to cooked chicken, raw is just fine.

And no, no beef bones! The last thing you want is a bone to be hard, believe it or not. If it's hard enough to withstand chewing, it can break teeth, or splinter and cause injury. Soft bones, like chicken/pork/turkey/fish etc are fine.

aschie30 wrote:Anyway, I too purchase my dog's meat at Peoria.

Stay away from the pork hearts and tongues, and we'll get along just fine