Lamb feet

[jumstead1023]

Are they safe?

 

[Dr. Sara]

I think the answer for any challenging chewy food is 'it depends'. Some dogs will eat a lamb foot sensibly and thoroughly. Others will try to bolt it down and choke on it. I generally hold any food that might be a problem until I see how the dog will approach it. I never leave a dog alone with a food that could cause choking. They do think these are delicious!

 

[Dr. Christina]

Thanks, Judy, to show people the variety of foods that are available. As with all foods, every individual processes them differently so we need to observe, and as Dr. Sara says, be watchful as well.
Dr. Christina

 

[jumstead1023]

The reason I ask is that a local farmer likes to give me items when he butchers animals. The chicken heads were not a big hit with my dogs but they love the dehydrated ones. I have very voracious eaters so I’m thinking no.

 

[Deena]

Hi Judy...what is the length of them? With or without skin?
As others have said...observe and you will most likely have your answer. I have bought lamb feet from my pet carnivore that are skinned and blanched. For my dogs, they are safe. Bone is soft enough to consume the entire food w/o the risk of breaking teeth. They are long enough that my dogs won't eat whole. I especially love them for puppies since they provide a nice l-o-n-g chew. If I had access to "straight from the lamb" I would certainly give them a try.

 

[Dana]

along the same lines.... lamb leg bone? we just deboned a leg of lamb and I gave the bone to Murphy. He enjoyed all the meat off the bone, then ate the cartilage knuckle but when he started cracking the bone to get the copious amount of marrow out of the center, I took it away. Is is dangerous for him to consume little bits of bone?

 

[tsharlo1]

This is Kedron gnawing on a lamb leg when she was about 3 months old. i didn’t let her eat the whole leg But she sure enjoyed it!

 

[Dr. Christina]

Perfectly fine, and actually needed for health, to ingest bone. In the last 10-15 years I have suggested not allowing them to gnaw on really big bones too vigorously as I have seen more fractures than before (lower health?).
Dr. Christina

 

[Dana]

Perfectly fine, and actually needed for health, to ingest bone. In the last 10-15 years I have suggested not allowing them to gnaw on really big bones too vigorously as I have seen more fractures than before (lower health?).
Dr. Christina

so I am confused by this.... you would let him heat the whole bone? or you would not allow him to eat it?

 

[Dr. Christina]

I would not allow dogs to try to eat big bones. They can, as Dana said, gnaw the cartilage off, but when they begin to try to crunch big bones I would remove them. Hope that clarifies it.
Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Sara]

I agree with Dr. Christina. The likelihood of injury depends on the dog's chewing style. Dogs with an intense, aggressive chewing style are far more likely to fracture teeth when chewing on hard bones. Hard bones are the weight bearing bones (limb and vertebral bones) of large animals like sheep, goats, and cattle. Virtually all commonly fed bird bones (pigeon to turkey size birds, not emu) are much softer. The only danger with these softer bones is that the dog may choke if they try to bolt down a piece (like a turkey breastbone) that is too large for them to swallow. In all cases, whole bones are the safest option, as the cutting process may create artificially sharp surfaces.

When dogs have frequent access to bones, they tend to have a gnawing chewing style, rather than an aggressive chomping style. Dogs who CONSISTENTLY have a gnawing chewing style will slowly chew the hard bones, and are unlikely to fracture teeth on them. Any dogs chewing hard bones can create excessive wear on their teeth with continued chewing. With all dogs it is important to remove the bone before the dog is capable of damaging their teeth with it. This is why it is so important to monitor your dogs when they are chewing bones.
I hope this helps!
Dr. Sara