Feeding Lamb Chops

[Jasperxxgabby]

As a rare treat I have given Jasper a lamb chop ( in his two and a half years he has had 3 maybe 4 the last one he ate was last xmas)
Now I am wondering if I have been right or wrong leaving him eat a lamb chop.
Do anyone feed or consider feeding a lamb chop to their cavalier.
Normally the only bone Jasper and Gabby have are their raw hide bones, dental bones or dental sticks.

[Cathy Moon]

I don't let my cavaliers have any bones at all - I feel it's too risky. I give them bully sticks or cow's ears sometimes.

[Justine]

I woudnt trust bones either.

[littlelady]

I was told never to give bones because of splinters, i dont know if it's true.

[cy1266]

I'm assuming the lamb chop was cooked; I definitely wouldn't be feeding any cooked bones, as they can splinter and cause internal damage. Mine eat lamb riblets but they're raw so I don't worry about the bones.

[shell nyc]

Raw lamb chops
Cooked lamb chops

Cooked bones are always a big no-no, but appropriate raw bones can be fed with minimal risk. My guys get lamb shanks a few times a month (cheaper here than the chops, with better meat-to-bone ratio.)

[Karlin]

Def no cooked bones! Raw bones -- the issue is controversial. You need to read up on feeding raw bones (small enough to be completely eaten) and decide what level of risk you are comfortable with. I know many people have no problems but I know of cases of raw bones creating serious and sometimes fatal situations and nearly ended up at the emergency vet myself with Jaspar and raw chicken wings (short version -- dog increasingly agitated and uncomfortable, vomiting but bringing little up, at 3am got ready to drive to emergency room, then he vomited a raw wing he had eaten 12 hours earlier, including two long shards of totally undigested, very sharp pieces of bone. So much for the 'raw bone is pulverised quickly in the gut' argument for feeding raw bones. It hadn't altered in 12 hours of sitting in a stomach). I do still give some raw bones, but closely supervised. I prefer to give marrow bone segments for gnawing but cannot find a butcher who does them.

[simonrickell]

We feed raw bones, to our dogs benefit.

However, if your dog is a gulper then I may be wary about the size of the bone. Great big bones can only be eaten by knawing. Chop bones could be swallowed whole - which could be bad if they got stuck in the throat.
This wouldn't stop me feeding them - just take some time to make it the right size.
My companion in the kitchen is a meat cleaver - which I use to break down bones to size. Our Guinness can be a bit of a wolfer - so the smaller bits make it ok to his stomach - and his digestion does most of the rest.

[Jasperxxgabby]

Thanks guys for all your sound advice. I did give cooked lamb chops I will probably give raw as a treat after I read up on it and feel confident enough.

Karlin glad to hear your Jasper was okay after such a scary and tense experience.

Simonrickell, Jasper is what I call a dainty eater he thinks about it first then slowly eats (he puts years on me) Gabby on the other hand you put food down blink and its gone so you advice about gulpy eaters was sound.

Again thanks all much appreciated.