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Author	Topic: Beware of types of bones you buy from pet stores
honeybear Member Posts: 926 From: Registered: May 2003	posted 11-17-2003 10:24 AM I bought a bone this week-end at Petco, it was about 4" long, not sure of the type, i have bought something similar that lasted for months. This one was pure white like it had been steamed. and it did not have filling in it. Well I gave it t Jake and about 2 minutes later I hear this loud splintering noise. He had broken the bone into many large sharp pieces. I panicked and too everything away. I ma returning it with a huge complaint not to mention what could have happened if he swallowed any of these. Honeybear Oh and can you feed cooked pork spare rib bones to your dog IP: Logged
Jas Moderator Posts: 536 From: Registered: May 2003	posted 11-17-2003 10:39 AM Was it a femur bone? I know splintering can happen with smoked bones too. Do you remember the name or how it was treated? When you return it have a look and make not of the type of bone. Cooked Pork ribs BIG NO NO!!!! Cooked bones splinter. *NEVER GIVE DOGS COOKED BONES OF ANY KIND* We do give raw recreation bones to the dogs, they love them, its good for them, cleans teeth!! IP: Logged
Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 From: Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-17-2003 10:53 AM I never know what is safe to give Nala. Sometimes the noises that come from her gnawing on bones scares me. She did break one of her puppy canines, but my husband assures me that's because it was a puppy tooth and was weakened because it was going to fall out soon. It still worries me, though. Jamiya IP: Logged
tuttifrutti Member Posts: 478 From:Dallas, Texas Registered: Jul 2003	posted 11-17-2003 11:05 AM We feed Ranger, our britany, these long chewsticks, they are about 12 inches, I think they are Dentleys, yeah, they are, and they are assorted flavors. Then he has some skinny 4 inch ones of the same brand, which have lately been his favorite since he wants to chew, but the others were so hard! He also has a Dentleys(?) rawhide bone, which he has worked down to about 2 inches, and it started at 10! So far we have not had ANY problems with any of the toys we give him! IP: Logged
honeybear Member Posts: 926 From: Registered: May 2003	posted 11-17-2003 12:52 PM I know it is not a femur, it didnt come in wrapping so I cant go back and look. AS for giving the dogs bones - thanks for the input, I was at a dinner last night and they served pork spare ribs. One woman there said great I will take the leftover bones fo my dogs, that is why I brouhgt some home, but wanted to check anyway since I know chicken bones are a no-no Honeybear IP: Logged
susan_cude@hotmail.com Member Posts: 813 From:Santa Maria, Ca. Registered: Nov 2003	posted 11-17-2003 03:20 PM I have always givin my dogs beef bones, cooked or not, have never had one problem with them. I have done this for many many years. "giving away my age here" hehehe I know that all other bones splinter, so they don't get any other kind. But that's just me.... Sincerely, Susan IP: Logged
MaydaysMom Member Posts: 260 From:MO, USA Registered: Nov 2003	posted 11-17-2003 05:20 PM I just bought a ton of rawhides and bones from pet co some were the smoked kind and some were shoulder haucks and then a few misc here and there. I ended up having to take over half of them away from them bc they kept splintering. Its definately turned my nose on smoked bones now. IP: Logged
debslegacyofgold Member Posts: 56 From:Post Falls,Idaho Registered: Oct 2003	posted 11-17-2003 05:43 PM I never give my dogs any kind of bones except for beef. they tend to not splinter as often...pork, chicken...bigggg no nos. ------------------ Cowgirls live hard, ride hard,and love forever!! IP: Logged
Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 From: Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-18-2003 07:24 AM I have been told several times that rawhides are not safe, but there are so many of them in the stores! Can anyone elaborate on the rawhide issue? Jamiya IP: Logged
honeybear Member Posts: 926 From: Registered: May 2003	posted 11-18-2003 08:24 AM Jimiya, i have heard that too, so I dont give them. I think it is becaus they dont digest well and like Jake, he would swallow the thing whole. no concept of just gnawing. And you Never want to give those rawhide bones that are twisted. They come undone and before you know it, there is 12" of rope down your dogs throat. ( I know from personal experience) Honeybear IP: Logged
Karriesue Member Posts: 277 From:Nellis AFB, Nevada Registered: Jun 2003	posted 11-18-2003 09:04 AM I can't give my two Huskies anything except Nylabones because they tear up every other type of bone to pieces. Every once in a while I give them big compressed bones when I can supervise them. Does anyone else have aggressive chewers? What can I give my dogs to chew on besides Nylabones. I am open to ideas. Thanks! IP: Logged
honeybear Member Posts: 926 From: Registered: May 2003	posted 11-18-2003 10:12 AM Karriesue, I use to give Jake a very aggressive chewer knucklebones I use to be able to buy at Petspart. They didnt have the flavoring and they were kind of round and smooth natural bone about 3 tp 4 " in diameter. One would last for a year - no splintering whatsoever. but then they didnt carry them any more so I am looking at new options too. Honeybear IP: Logged
Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 From: Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-18-2003 10:25 AM Nala is also a very aggressive chewer. I give her something called an N-Bone that I found at PetsMart in the dental section. I also give her short hollow bones filled with something - liver, peanut butter, lamb, whatever else they have - from PetCo. Trying to get the filling out occupies her for a little while when I am in need of a sanity break. I am in the process of figuring out what I can re-fill them with that won't get all slobbery and messy. She also chews on a knobby type of bone - I think they might be called Velvet bones? They come in different flavors, and I get them at PetCo as well. I try to avoid things where the package says to wash your hands after touching it. If it will harm me by being on my hands, do I want my dog to eat it?? I worry about her breaking teeth when she chews. Those N-bones make a horrendous sound. I am torn on what to do about that. Jamiya IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 1387 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-18-2003 10:38 AM My understanding of the reasons rawhide chews are bad in addition to them being difficult to digest and the choking hazard is because of how it is processed. They use formaldahyde, arcenic and other chemicals that can't be washed off completely. Those chemicals are used to cure and bleach the hide. Obviously those chemicals are toxic and I'm sure a build up over time probably causes other problems. There are US made rawhides that are not bleached and do not have any of those chemicals present, I was buying those for a while until I was sitting in the vets office one day and saw a lady come screaming into the vets office trying to carry a 110# (at least) Rotty mix, the dog was pretty much limp, I jumped up to help her, the dog was barely breathing and basically unconscious. He had a raw hide roll that he had chewed the knotted ends off of stuck in his throat, you could see it but it was lodged into the roof of the dogs mouth. The dog has pawed so furiously at it's mouth that he had deep scratches on his lips and face and there was alot of blood both on his face and paws. They were able to get it out and he did make it, but it scared me enough that I quit buying them for my dogs. Even if it were a freak accident(and I don't believe it was)it's just not worth it for me. BTW when things calmed, the vet tech asked the woman where her car was..the whole front of the vets clinic is glass windows and the tech had not seen her drive up. Get this...the woman lived 4 blocks away in a duplex and had carried the dog herself 4 blocks to help! Anyhow I now buy them dehydrated or freeze dried chewies of tripe, achilles tendons, pizzles or other selections fropm a company called Natures Variety, there are other brands too. They dopn't last quite as long, but the dogs LOVE them. I also buy cow hooves which you can stuff to make them more interesting. When my horse gets her feet done I give the hoof pieces to my dogs, they go nutty for them too. I have learned how to fill their Kongs so well that they last longer than the raw hides did. I tried giving them big beef bones but Witt can break them apart in pretty short order and Dooley isn't far behind him. I never give cooked bones regardless. I read an article written by a vet not too long ago and there were even x-rays shown along with it. I don't believe everything I read but somehow this made sense to me. He said that bones take longer to digest than other things we feed dogs. So when the regular food is digested and moves through the digestive tract it can sometimes push the undigested bone fragments through the system as well and that can lead to blockages. I'd rather not take the risk until I understand more, so I am just finding alternatives like the kong. I'm sure there are risks involved in other things I do or give my dogs too, but this issue just seems simple for me to solve, the benefits don't come close to outweighing the risks in my mind. [This message has been edited by Maisey (edited 11-18-2003).] IP: Logged
neek Member Posts: 291 From:Australia Registered: Oct 2003	posted 11-18-2003 01:00 PM At least everyone's dogs that have posted EAT bones. My two take the bones I give them and take them straight up the backyard and bury them!! I've yet to see either one EAT a bone. I buy bones from the butcher, as they are meaty and large enough to keep them occupied for weeks, but I think maybe these bones will become jurassic!! I was always too frightened to give cooked bones and the ones at the butchers are cheap and made especially for dogs. I won't buy anymore though because I'm not sure they are getting eaten. IP: Logged
tuttifrutti Member Posts: 478 From:Dallas, Texas Registered: Jul 2003	posted 11-18-2003 03:41 PM has anyone ever heard of Dentely chewright rawhide bonse? I think it said that they are from Columbia but are distributed from Phoenix Arizona. I was just wondering if they were ok, since Ranger LOVES them! He has a bag of p.b. flavored ones, and of chicken basted! They are some of his favorites! I was wondering if they were ok, he probably wouldn't notice if he never saw them again! IP: Logged
honeybear Member Posts: 926 From: Registered: May 2003	posted 11-18-2003 03:46 PM havent heard of them, what I see now are something called greenies. I have to be careful because of Jakes weight problem and I dont think things like that show what the fat/calories are Hoenbyear IP: Logged
honeybear Member Posts: 926 From: Registered: May 2003	posted 11-18-2003 03:46 PM havent heard of them, what I see now are something called greenies. I have to be careful because of Jakes weight problem and I dont think things like that show what the fat/calories are Hoenbyear IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 1387 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-18-2003 03:46 PM Tutti, I'm not sure if I have used that brand or not, I was told that if it said "made in the US" it was not processed with those chemicals I wrote about above...but I don't know if that is true. I have seen those that DO say on the wrapper that they DON"T use those chemicals. If you are going to give them rawhides I would stick with the ones that specifically say they are safe and natuarally processed. IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 1387 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-18-2003 03:52 PM I went and did a search on the brand name you gave and a variation of spellings and got nothing. I can't find any info on that brand on-line. IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 1387 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-18-2003 04:12 PM I give my dogs Greenies too. Greenies are a highly nutritious chew treat. Given regularly, Greenies decrease tartar accumulation 788% and freshen breath, with a taste and texture pets love. Greenies are formulated with ingredients to diminish odors and bacteria plus strengthen gums, extending the life of your dog. Greenies contain no plastic, no inert ingredients, no added preservatives, no artificial flavors or colors, no added sodium chloride, and no addeed sugar. Guaranteed analysis: Crude Protein not less than 52% Crude Fat not less than 4% Crude Fiber not more than 5% Moisture not more than 12% Ingredients: Processed wheat gluten, glycerin, natural flavor, powdered cellulose fiber, monosodium phosphate, monoglycerides of edible fatty acids, magnesium stearate and chlorophyll. Product appearance and color may vary due to natural ingredients. All ingredients are used in human food products. I got this info of their site. 788%? IP: Logged
Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 From: Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-18-2003 04:35 PM Sometimes Nala will try to "bury" her favorite bones. I give her Greenies as a treat whenever I need a sanity break, but try not to give her one more than once a day (they are terribly expensive). Usually she just lies down to eat them, but sometimes she carries them around the house looking for somewhere to "bury" them. She will stick them in any small place she can find, and then bark at them when she can't get them back out again. (Sort of counterproductive when I gave it to her to keep her out of my hair in the first place, eh?) Sometimes she actually digs at the carpet, so we encourage her to "bury" bones in her kennels instead. We have 2 plastic kennels out on the family room - an old, small one with no door, and her current car crate. She will go inside one and you can hear her digging away. Then there's the sound of a bone being dropped, more digging, and she comes out, happy in the knowledge that her bone will not be stolen by....well, some other bone-loving creature in our house. (whispers there are none...) Jamiya IP: Logged
susan_cude@hotmail.com Member Posts: 813 From:Santa Maria, Ca. Registered: Nov 2003	posted 11-18-2003 05:18 PM WOW! Did I learn alot on this topic...o.k. no more beef bones "cooked or not" but got some good idea's...thanks! Sincerely, Susan You can train an old dog "woman" new tricks....... IP: Logged
Karriesue Member Posts: 277 From:Nellis AFB, Nevada Registered: Jun 2003	posted 11-18-2003 08:56 PM So did I. Thanks ya'll! I knew I could count on you for the info I needed! IP: Logged
GoodboysBaddogs Member Posts: 409 From:Los Angeles, Ca. Registered: Aug 2003	posted 11-19-2003 12:50 AM hey ALL, i've been able to find a good type of bone w/ the company called Nature's Variety. Their actually Dry Roasted Treats, and the specific one is "Beef Shank Filets". NV makes all kinds (5-Raw/1-Raw Variety Pack, & 11-Dry Roasted) of Raw & Dry Roasted Bones, it's basically up to you to choose what you want to go with. I love the variety, but i pretty much just go w/ the Beef Shank Filets. My dogs love them, & it gives them hours of chewing. And, lasts to the point where i'd have to throw it away after a couple of days or so. I used to get the same type of set-up/bone from Petco, or Petsmart, but they were roasted/cooked differently, deffinatly not as freash and healthy looking (nutrient providing) as NV's. Plus w/ the Petsmart & Petco type, they would finish it in 1 hour. Swallow the bone and everything! They would be able to break down the bone little by little, but NV's type does'nt break down as fast, even after a couple of days going at it. The NV's type states that it provides additional quality protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, as well as a natural source of glucosamines, chondroitin, collagen, and calcium for healthier joints and connective tissue. Perfect reward for the athletic dog, i'd say. Again, they have all sorts of bones... Natures Variety is a company worth looking into (for nutrition in general)... Check them out. MAISEY: I read in one of your links at your post "FOOD FOR THOUGHT", that it's not a good idea in general to feed "any" type of bone. Cooked or raw, round or not, any bone can cause harm to a dog than do any good. It provided proof on what exactly a dog get's from chewing and eating a bone(s). They reccomended to NOT feed ANY type of bone. Good stuff to read & know about. It definatly gave me better confidence in making the decision on what type of bone & whether or not to feed bones to my dogs... Thanks for that one! IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 1387 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-19-2003 01:22 AM Goodboys, I'm glad you liked that link, I didn't understand the article to say DO NOT give any kind of bone, I read it to suggest that feeding whole raw bones was dangerous and that the actual bone didn't offer anything more than phoshorus and calcium, items that can be gained from other options. I think the danger disappears when the bone is ground finely. The article takes the idea that the bones have nutritional value, which is the reason people who feed raw diets feed them to their dogs. It asks exactly what nutrition does the bone(just the bone) offer, provides research that shows the bone provides calcium and phosphorus but little if anything else, it then suggests that those can be gotten from other sources so taking the risk of injury to your dog by feeding whole raw bones is not worth it. At leaste thats a short summary of what the article talked about...and of course only my perception. Personally I like the fact that the Natures Variety food I am feeding has the bones finely ground...but thats just me, I get so worried. When I gave the boys beef bones they inhaled them and Witt cried out in pain as it went down because it was too big to swallow, I freaked out, it scared the heck out of me. I am happy feeding the raw, but I prefer the bone ground up for now, at least until I learn more. IP: Logged
goob Member Posts: 552 From: Registered: Mar 2003	posted 11-19-2003 01:27 AM Maisey, here's a site that sells bully sticks for pretty cheap, http://bullysticks.com/ You do have to buy bulk, at least 10 at a time, but they're still cheaper than buying from Petco or Petsmart or the like at $5 apiece. I haven't bought any, but plan to after x-mas, when I've got a bit of extra cash. Goo (sick little doggy that she is) LOVES bully sticks, and has even been know to open the drawer that I keep all treats in (normally she doesn't bother, which is why I still keep them there) if there's one in there and get it out. They last her about an hour, but she doesn't get to eat the whole thing at once, at that much, we have to ration them out IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 1387 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-19-2003 01:31 AM Thanks Goob, good to see you around...what did you do..get a life? Your girl looks so huggable! IP: Logged
GoodboysBaddogs Member Posts: 409 From:Los Angeles, Ca. Registered: Aug 2003	posted 11-19-2003 01:57 AM MAISEY: Thats what i got from that article too. I was going to type what you typed, but i guess i just tried to explain it in different words. Your opinion is the same w/ mine. Ground is the smarter way to go, untill proven otherwise. JMO-too!! [This message has been edited by GoodboysBaddogs (edited 11-19-2003).] IP: Logged
GoodboysBaddogs Member Posts: 409 From:Los Angeles, Ca. Registered: Aug 2003	posted 11-19-2003 02:04 AM GOOB: Nice pic! She's looking good. Can you post a pick of her w/ her harness and that light weight drag thing she pulls when you guys (& girls/GOO) go for a run?! I'd like to get a look at how she's all geared up, if it's okay of coarse..? Possibly like a side-shot or something... IP: Logged
Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 From: Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-19-2003 03:57 AM So then are Bully sticks okay? Jamiya IP: Logged
honeybear Member Posts: 926 From: Registered: May 2003	posted 11-19-2003 08:24 AM Jimiya, Wylie does the same than is Nayla, you give her a bone or new chew toy and she immiediately buries it. Last year my husband bought pigs ears for the dogs for Christmas (a big no-no in my book) I gave it to her she ran outside and buried it an a planter. Well a few months ago I saw digging thru the planter, and then remembered she buried it there almost 6 month earlier. I wand and got it out for her, gave it to her and she went and immediately buried again. crazy dog! Honeybear IP: Logged
MaydaysMom Member Posts: 260 From:MO, USA Registered: Nov 2003	posted 11-19-2003 11:06 AM I am so confused. My vet did tell me that rawhides should only come from the US bc of fermaldahide. My dogs love love love the shoulder haucks but that was one of the bones that was splintering into little pieces the other night. Their are so many books that say that bones are essential to a dogs diet (if you feed home made or raw) I guess we are sticking to Kongs filled with peanut butter and eazy cheeze lol IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 1387 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-19-2003 11:57 AM Mayday, Me Too! as much reading as I have been doing and all the opinions I hear are confusing. All you can do is do your own homework and make the best decision you can for your dog, the one you are comfy with. I know people who have fed cooked bones for many years and never had an incident, yet I know that they have just been lucky. The article I read that's located in the Food For Thought thread kinda put it in perspective for me and I decided that for me, I will not eliminate bone from their diet, just make sure it is finely ground. I can't do that with beef bone though. The person who wrote the article did tests, research, and seemed to ask questions that were basic. Check out the article for yourself. I'm still mulling things over and trying to come up with a solution for myself. I'm very much still open to learning more. I asked my own vet how often he has dogs come in with blockages, perforations or other bone related issues. He said quite often, and more so since people are becomming aware of feeding a raw diet. He was more irritated about the dogs who come in that have been fed the diet wrong, people feeding only raw meat. I mentioned that it would be interesting to see statistics from his clinic...putting a bug in his ear, lol. I find alot of articles and sites that will say Yay or Nay but don't give anything to support the information they are reporting. It's easy to slap your opinion on a web page...but I want to see how you arrived at it and what evidence you have to support it. In trying to learn about the BARF diet, whick I am NOT feeding, I have to say that on many message boards asking a question that may in any slight way suggest a doubt or negative aspect..will get your head chopped off darn quick. I prefer to stay here and nag Jas about feeding raw, it's safer! I simply asked the question "how do I select the size of bone to feed my dog?, he gulps them down and I'm not sure if I should make them smaller or larger to keep him from getting hurt" The response I got ranged from "how stupid can a person get?" to "you haven't trained him right if he is gulping down food" Soooo, I'll hold off on trying to feed them bones until I learn more. (and stay here and bug all of you for your experiences and thoughts) I posted the article below for you to check out. http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/bones.html This one was on the tests they did about the composition of bone, it was interesting. http://www.thepetcenter.com/xra/bonecomp.html IP: Logged
goob Member Posts: 552 From: Registered: Mar 2003	posted 11-19-2003 01:33 PM quote: Thanks Goob, good to see you around...what did you do..get a life? Your girl looks so huggable! I've been taking some college classes the past couple months, picked up a little extra work, just a bunch of little things that add up And yes, Goo is a big mush, lucky for her, it gets her out of a lot of trouble quote: Can you post a pick of her w/ her harness and that light weight drag thing she pulls I don't have any of her with the drag weights, but here's one of her in her harness, pulling (well, standing, not pulling, but she had been pulling) the kids... IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 1387 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-19-2003 01:47 PM We are working right now to modify the little Red Flyer trailer Shawn bought me for Witt. I'm having trouble deciding how I want it set up and I can't find a harness that I like (unless it costs a fortune!) I think I may take his regular harness and line it with fleece and add the loops for the poles. We have a friend who has an auto and RV upholstery business so he could do that for us pretty easily. Just for starting out and until I am sure he is done growing. IP: Logged
Jas Moderator Posts: 536 From: Registered: May 2003	posted 11-19-2003 07:15 PM Raw bones offer a useable form of nutrition and contain nutrients, help clean teeth and raw chicken necks & backs are full of good edible cartilage (joint support). A raw meat diet would be unbalanced and missing nutrients if it didn't include bone. The marrow of raw bones is good for dogs. Raw meaty bones and Recreation Bones (knuckles, femurs etc) are different. Raw meaty bones contain a lot of vit & min, EFA's, enzymes, fiber.....etc. I am another against giving Rawhide. I dislike rawhide and most is processed with lye or other chemicals. Because dogs do not digest rawhide, it can sit in the stomach or intestines and basically mold - causing pathogenic bacteria to grow. I've also seen many dogs gag on sticky rawhide and come close to choking as they break off pieces and attempt to swallow it can also cause an obstruction. Compressed Rawhide might be safer but dogs are still not digesting. Most dogs like rawhide but I'd steer clear of it. IP: Logged
MaydaysMom Member Posts: 260 From:MO, USA Registered: Nov 2003	posted 11-20-2003 12:19 AM Thanks for the articles Maisy. Someone had posted about a dog getting a bone stuck in his throat! That would totally kill me if something like that happened to one of my crew. The problem is that bones and such used to be my sure fire way to keep my dogs occupied during times I needed peace and quiet If you feed a home made diet are supplements such as bone meal enough? or must you have actual bones? IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 1387 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-20-2003 01:47 AM Mayday, I am not feeding a homemade diet. I am feeding a raw product that I purchase. It's frozen and has everything they need already in it, including finely ground bone. I don't know enough to feed a homemade diet yet and I know that you can make your dog very ill if you don't know what you are doing. I'm still trying to sort it all out but I have seen that at leaste for my cat and Poodle dry dog/cat food is just completely wrong for them. The more I read about a biologically appropriate diet the more convinced I am that traditional kibbled diets are all wrong for dogs. My concerns with feeding raw are basically being able to balance the nutrtion they get effectively, not in every single meal but over a period of time like a week, contamination, and the safety issues with feeding whole bones. So those are the things I am concentrating on learning about. It is affordable for me to feed the Poodle and two cats the purchased raw diet I do, but my two larger dogs...WOWZA it gets expensive then, so I would like to get to a point where I can feed them a homemade raw diet. They get raw foods but it's in addition to the Canidae I feed them right now. IP: Logged
Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 From: Registered: Sep 2003	posted 11-20-2003 07:22 AM Do you use any of the Nature's Variety supplements, Maisey? What's the difference between the frozen and the freeze-dried foods? I notice they also sell whole bones (from their website): "Nature's Variety Prairie Brand Raw Frozen Bones contain meaty ham bones, lamb femur bones, split beef knuckles, turkey necks, and meaty beef femur bones." Are these okay to give? My sister said to give Nala frozen bones to chew on, but the vet said they can break their teeth on them. So if I thaw them first, are they okay for her, or are they a choking hazard? Arrrrgh! We did have luck with refilling Nala's little hollow bones (meat-filled bones, I think they call them) so we don't have to buy them at whatever outrageous price PetCo charges. My husband made a concoction of peanut butter, oatmeal, and jello and put in in the fridge. It came out nice and solid and non-gooey, so she can use them inside. They don't last her terribly long, but usually it allows me enough peace to get SOMETHING done. I have not noticed the bones splintering or breaking. I was told by a PetsMart person to make sure the ends of the bone were the "right" size for her - not too small and not too large. Too small and she could get her jaw wedged in them - apparently this girl works at a vet's office and people have brought their dogs in with a bone wedged onto their jaw. So I err on the side of big - Nala goes through them faster, but at least she doesn't get them stuck on her! We get her the short ones because she can't get the stuff out of the middle of a long bone and it is wasted. Jamiya IP: Logged