Jul 30, 2008

Dem Bones...

Once a week, The Mafiosos receive what are called "recreational bones." These are bones that are too large and dense to consume. They are instead raw bones that provide chewing pleasure. These bones help keep their teeth and gums clean and provide a much needed workout to the jaw and neck muscles.

Besides the benefit of a teeth cleaning and muscle workout, chewing on these bones help keep The Mafiosos stress free. I've read a few articles that indicate chewing causes a chemical release of endorphins in dogs which in turn have a calming effect on a dog. This explains why after gnawing on these bones, The Mafiosos immediately take long naps.

These bones only stay around for one day. Anything left after that I toss out. If left out, these bones do get hard and brittle.

If you're thinking of perhaps trying this out with your dog, make sure to do so in moderation. For some dogs, the marrow of a bone can be too rich and cause a trip to Squirtsville, U.S.A. I'd suggest letting your dog have the bone for a half an hour to start with and then gradually increasing the amount of time you let your dog chew on the bone. Please take note that these are RAW bones. Please don't ever give your dog cooked bones! Cooked bones can splinter and cause fractured teeth. Additionally, there is the possibility of perforationing of the intestines or blockage if a cooked bone is consumed whole.


Okay, enough talk about raw recreational bones. Let's get to the meat of things!



Working out those back molars...





"Nom, nom, nom!"





"Rawr!!"






"Sluuuuuuuuurp!"





Getting to the good stuff...
The Marrow!





I also found out while composing this blog that Pugs' faces completely disappear while working on a recreational bone.





But a smooshed face just means you have to get creative to chew on your bone!





Gino learned to tackle it in parts.



"First you do the front."





"Then you do the sides..."





Yummy! Makes you want to go out and get one, doesn't it? ;-)

1 comment:

  1. "Nothing gets between me and my bones ... not even my face."

    ReplyDelete

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