boiling bones

i'm interested in giving bones to my dog for healthy teeth, etc. when i go to my local grocery store, wegman's, the bones that they have are marrow bones. i know they're pretty hard, so i would only give them to him about 2 times a week under supervision. however, i am really wary about giving raw bones (although i know the benefits and i hope a couple years from now i will be able to) so i was wondering if i could boil them to sterilize them and for how long i should boil them. i've read on some previous posts about people boiling their bones, and i know the cooked ones are bad, so i was looking for a better alternative

thanks!

Im just wondering what you need to sterilize them for?
Boiling them will also change the physical state of the bones, I wouldnt recommend it.

Perhaps turkey or chicken necks would be better... I know there would be raw meat on them, but if you could... that would be the way I would go for your dog.

Boiling actually makes the bones more likely to splinter, making them dangerous for your dog.

If you want to sterilize them, you could try freezing them for a couple of days before giving it to your dog.

I wouldn't boil any bone. Freezing is a better option, beside their mouths have an armory of effective bacteria to break down a lot of nasties. I mean, they lick their butts for christ sake. yum. :yikes:

Never ever boil, bake, heat or cook a bone in any way if you plan on giving it to your dog! Raw is best when it comes to bones...

well i read previous posts about people who boiled their bones, that's where i got the idea..
hmm...
i would give the bone to him raw, but my mom doesn't like the idea of the floor getting all messy when the bone begins to thaw as he chews...since we live in an apartment and not our own place...

Mine get the bones in their crates. No messy cleanup for me.

I use either their crates or a blanket - you can teach them to stay on it.

i wish i could give raw, i really want to.
the problem is, my mom is really uncomfortable with the idea of raw, so there's no way i can do what i want to do...is there any alternative i can give him?

Ask your mom why she is uncomfortable with it? Give her some info on it. Many people are hesitant at first. But if you talk to them about it, and give them time to think (and give some good literature) most come around.

i've actually talked extensively to her about it (about the benefits, etc.) but she just won't budge. we are korean, and my mom grew up in korea, so the concept of feeding raw is just not familiar to her. it doesn't help when all the families we know with dogs feed just low-quality kibble (we personally feed canidae) if it hadn't been for my research on this site, we would have never even found a food like canidae :yikes:

i've wanted to feed raw for quite some time now and i'm still working on persuading her, but for now, the closest she'll come to raw is feeding EVO.

We aren't saying feed raw as a diet. In some cases, it's not always the best option.

However, one raw bone every now and then would make a nice recreational bone to keep your dog busy and clean his teeth.

Boiling bones can make them brittle and thus the dog can choke.
Plus bone marrow has great nutrients in the middle of bone you lose if you cook - It goes into the soup whcih is why they call them soup bones

Nutri dent has a whole line of different toys designed to help keep teeth clean.
My dogs prefer the bones.

If you live close to a Petco they have a fake line of bone marrow looking bones filled with sugar ( not good for teeth) or empty you can fill with cheez or peanut butter.

Or you can just get a tooth package and just brush the teeth.

Either way good luck.

i know the diet isn't for everyone, but my mom just isn't willing to even remotely consider raw bones either i desperately wish i could give him raw bones, i know the benefits are great.