bones, ANY bones, should never EVER EVER EVER be cooked. cooked bones (including those "smoked" bones you see everywhere) will splinter. raw bones do not splinter.

i have been feeding my danes raw for almost 7 years so i have been asked this question more times than i can count!

Nina, are there certain bones that should be avoided...period? I've heard that those large cow bones just shouldn't be given...do you give your dog those. Also, what are the best bones as far as easily digested.

any weight-bearing bone (i.e., cow femur, etc.) is too hard for a dog to actually eat. many people give them as "recreational" bones just for chewing but with an aggressive chewer, they can easily break teeth. i don't give them to my girls for that reason and also because there's no telling where they would end up in the house. heaven forbid my girls should have to **gasp** stay outside! LOL

my dogs get all kinds of bones in their meals, everything from chicken to turkey to cornish hens to quail to pork neck and pork ribs. all of those bones are consumed and are easily digestible. however, i don't really know that i would give a kibble-fed dog these bones as they will be eaten. mixing raw and kibble at the same time is not a good idea as these foods digest at different rates. also, a dog not used to consuming bones could get diarrhea and/or vomit. just not a good idea.

in the past, i have always given my dogs bully sticks for chewing. of course, those also get eaten. the 2 danes i have now have absolutely no interest in them which has saved me a considerable amount of $$$!!!!! LOL

I agree, NEVER cooked