Author Topic: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?  (Read 11277 times)

Yaz

  • Guest
Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« on: March 09, 2006, 12:58:20 pm »
Wondering if anyone else out there buys beef soup bones as chews/treats for their dogs? I have bought them for years from the supermarket or butcher because they are incredibly cheap ($1.54 or so for two large ones), and my dogs act like they have died and gone to heaven when they eat them. I boil them in salted water and let them cool down before I give it to them. They will chew for hours - much better than spending a small fortune at PetSmart for stuff that cost six times as much and is devoured in minutes.

Offline brandon

  • Majestic Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 992
    • View Profile
    • HaveParrotWillTravel.com
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2006, 01:00:44 pm »
Cute Picture!

We went to a local butcher to hope to score some bones, and the butcher said "Cows don't have bones now-a-days" (Yes we live in the south)

Seemed kind of a strange comment to me  :-\  He said the new breeds aren't nearly as bony as cows of the past.  We're still looking for them :)
“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.”

Offline Rachel

  • BPO Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 1006
  • Sophie
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2006, 01:04:06 pm »
We buy them for Sophie.  She loves them.  You do not need to boil them the dogs can eat them raw.  Boiling them in salt water just sounds like it wouldn't be very good for them...  but I don't know.  I like Sophie naw on it till she has cleaned the meat off the outside and some of the marrow inside then I put it back in the freezer for the next day.  If she gets it really clean then you can leave them out and do not have to refreeze.
Rachel and Sophie

My new venture...
www.seasidequi lts.etsy.com

My blog for Sophie, crafting, and life in general
www.seasidequi lts.com/blog

Offline Rachel

  • BPO Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 1006
  • Sophie
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2006, 01:06:12 pm »
Cute Picture!

We went to a local butcher to hope to score some bones, and the butcher said "Cows don't have bones now-a-days" (Yes we live in the south)

Seemed kind of a strange comment to me  :-\  He said the new breeds aren't nearly as bony as cows of the past.  We're still looking for them :)

We get them at the grocery store.  They are usually next to the beef products and are labeled soup bones or something like that.  You can ask grocery butcher if they have any marrow soup bones sometimes they keep them in the back or run out up front.
Rachel and Sophie

My new venture...
www.seasidequi lts.etsy.com

My blog for Sophie, crafting, and life in general
www.seasidequi lts.com/blog

Yaz

  • Guest
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2006, 01:10:23 pm »
You do not need to boil them the dogs can eat them raw.  Boiling them in salt water just sounds like it wouldn't be very good for them...  but I don't know.

Only add a dash of salt if there is a lot of meat on the bones because a dog's body cannot process excess salt. 

Offline greek4

  • Majestic Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 966
  • Kole with Maia, Baxter, Rocco, and Cody
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2006, 01:10:24 pm »
I used to get my dogs the femur bone at the grocery store.  They don't always have them but when they do it only cost me about $5 for two big juicy bones.  I let my guys chew them in their cage until they get the yucky stuff off and most of the marrow out, then I refreeze.  After one more sitting they have usually cleaned them out good.  We have a few bones laying around, I put them in the dishwasher every few weeks, just in case.

Rocco has been able to break a few of the older ones, so just be careful and keep an eye on your pup when he's chewing. 
Thanks,

Emily and 1 husband, 1 boy, 1 on the way, and 4 crazy dogs

Offline newflvr

  • Tail Wagging Champ
  • *****
  • Posts: 3390
  • Cowboy is four years old and Chester is almost two
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2006, 01:30:05 pm »
We have a small market here and I can request dog bones from the butcher and get them within a day or two.  Sadly, since Cowboy has had stomach issues (the ulcerated gastrointestin al lining) he can't ever have bones again.  He's SOOO sad. :(  I've tried to explain to Chester that it wouldn't be kind for him to have a bone and leave Cowboy out, but I don't think he understands! ::)

Offline Winslow 151

  • Paw-meister
  • **
  • Posts: 538
  • Winslow at 6 Months
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2006, 01:41:37 pm »
Hi,

We get them at the supermarket, Winslow gets them raw, I've heard you should only give them raw, as cooked bones are more likely to splinter and cause injury to the pup? Is that true? I can see that occurs in Chicken bones but the beef bones seem so much more substantial.
Happy Tails to All
Winslow's Dad

Offline hairprincessnyu

  • Veteran Dog Chomper
  • **
  • Posts: 170
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2006, 08:03:43 pm »
Our vet told us not to give them to Cesco. He said they were dangerous for dogs. Has anyone else heard this?
True love is being gone all day, and coming home to a dog who licks your face.

Offline Rachel

  • BPO Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 1006
  • Sophie
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2006, 09:09:31 pm »
I have not heard that.  I've only heard that cooked bones are not good because they splinter easier but raw ones are great for dogs.
Rachel and Sophie

My new venture...
www.seasidequi lts.etsy.com

My blog for Sophie, crafting, and life in general
www.seasidequi lts.com/blog

Offline kathryn

  • Supreme Drooler
  • ****
  • Posts: 1709
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2006, 09:26:24 pm »
I have been getting the small smoked knee bones from Petsmart for the girls but I recently got the full femur bones.  In fact, Kaila is chewing on it right now and they love the smoked meat on the bone.

Kat
Kaila - Belgian Malinois
Shiner - Malinois x Ridgeback
Toulouse, Cayenne, Raven - DSH



Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas and oil, as well as current market conditions, the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience

Offline hairprincessnyu

  • Veteran Dog Chomper
  • **
  • Posts: 170
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2006, 11:14:05 pm »
So the raw bones won't splinter then? Even if the dog can chew through them? (Which Cesco would)
True love is being gone all day, and coming home to a dog who licks your face.

Offline brandon

  • Majestic Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 992
    • View Profile
    • HaveParrotWillTravel.com
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2006, 11:26:18 pm »
The last time we fed a bone, it was one of those huge knuckle bones from petsmart, and bava passed sharp pieces of bone and it .. uhm, I don't know of a delicate way to say this, it made his bung bleed a little I think.  Seems like the soup bones wouldn't break as sharply as the knuckle bone did.

 Is that right? Will they still pass bone pieces with eating a soup bone?
« Last Edit: March 09, 2006, 11:26:57 pm by brandon »
“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.”

k2campbell

  • Guest
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2006, 11:49:25 pm »
We asked our vet regarding bones that would be good for Kate, and we've never had a problem since following her advice... 

She gets one or two a week, we buy from a specialty "health dog food" store.  But any store that carries the BARF (or any raw diet) should carry them.  Kate only gets raw uncooked bones (they are frozen in-store).  They have bison, cow, moose - everything you can think of.  Kate has done absolutely wonderful with them.  We've never had one splinter, she's never gotten the runs - nothing!  I'd definitely recommend them, Kate will never get anything else (for bones that is - she still gets dog cookies)! Oh - and they cost around $2 or $3 each, they have different sizes (knuckles, legs, etc) :)

Another bonus is that it cleans their teeth really well too...  ;)
« Last Edit: March 09, 2006, 11:50:09 pm by k2campbell »

Offline Senghe

  • Big Paws-a-holic
  • **
  • Posts: 358
    • View Profile
Re: Who Else Buys Beef Soup Bones?
« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2006, 08:06:47 am »
I give Flynn a whole raw one and he's a very happy boy. He prefers the shin bones to the rhigh bones as there's more meat and sinew left on them for some reason. He likes them best when they have matured for a few days and go a bit pongy.  ;D

I personally wouldn't cook them as cooked bones go brittle and if they do splinter, they can be really sharp. Raw bones still have the natural collagen in them, so are more flexible. I usually find they are very resillient for the first day or two then the dogs can usually grind very small pieces off as they gnaw which can be safely swallowed.

Flynn never has diahorrea or constipation with the raw bones and never splinters them despite having teeth, jaws and a head like a Canadian black bear.
« Last Edit: March 10, 2006, 08:09:49 am by Senghe »