Giving your dog a nice juicy bone as a treat seems like the right thing to do, yet most dog owners refrain from doing so. Why is this the case? When asked why they don’t give their dog a bone, the average dog owner will regale you with stories of choking, cracked teeth, and intestinal issues, although the tales they tell are usually based on hearsay as opposed to an event they experienced first-hand. Many dog owners have become a little gun shy in feeding bones to their dogs, which may explain why gum disease among dogs is now more prevalent than ever before.
Before we get to talking about safely feeding bones to your dog, let’s first take a moment to explain the benefits of doing so. As we already mentioned, gum disease is at an all-time high right now, and part of that is because we feed our dogs dry food and do little to keep their teeth and gums healthy. When dogs work over a juicy bone, the chewing, biting, and shearing action that is involved in getting at the bone helps remove tartar that can lead to unhealthy teeth and gums. Internal issues, particularly those having to do with the digestive track, also appear to be less in dogs who regularly chew bones.
The question now then is why so many vets recommend that you do not feed bones to your dog. The reality here is that most people who do give bones to their dog tend to give them the cooked variety. This is where problems can arise, as all the goodness that you find in an uncooked bone is essentially leached out during the cooking process. Dogs, especially those who are dry fed, have a harder time breaking those types of bones down in the stomach, as the use of dry food means that they have less stomach acid than dogs that are primarily fed a raw meat diet.
The upshot of all this is that bones can indeed be good for your dog, assuming that you take the time to give them the right type of bones. Cooked bones are always a bad idea, so never feed those to your pup. Similarly, large leg bones are also not a good idea for smaller dogs such as Cavoodles and Moodles, as they are fortified with iron and zinc, which tend to make them tougher and more difficult to chew. A big bone like that is a better idea for bigger dogs such as Groodles and Labradoodles, but they can still damage their teeth, as their natural instinct is to bite down on those bones.
Oxtails appear to be the perfect choice, as they are smaller, less tough, and are usually surrounded by meat. A raw, meaty bone can be given to your dog once a week without doing him any harm, but you should still be paying attention to his stool, just to be sure that all is well. If you notice that they have small yellowy-white stools, ease back on the bones, as this is a sign of too much calcium. Other than that, let your dog enjoy the benefits of a good bone.
Spaying аnd nеutеrіng are оnе оf thе most responsible wауѕ dоg оwnеrѕ саn care fоr their реt. Fіrѕt of all, ѕрауіng refers tо thе rеmоvаl оf a fеmаlе dog’s reproductive оrgаnѕ whіlе, аѕ the word іѕ commonly used, neutering refers tо thе procedure іn mаlеѕ. Whеn a fеmаlе dоg is ѕрауеd, the vеt rеmоvеѕ her оvаrіеѕ, fаllоріаn tubеѕ, аnd utеruѕ. Spaying rеndеrѕ a female dоg no longer able tо reproduce аnd еlіmіnаtеѕ her heat сусlе. Also, when a mаlе dog is nеutеrеd, both testicles аnd their аѕѕосіаtеd ѕtruсturеѕ аrе removed. Neutering rеndеrѕ a mаlе dоg unаblе tо rерrоduсе аnd аnу behavior rеlаtеd tо brееdіng іnѕtіnсtѕ, lіkе humping, mау cease. Thе рrосеdurе іѕ аlѕо knоwn as castration.
A heart murmur іѕ a vіbrаtіоn or sound originating frоm thе hеаrt and аѕѕосіаtеd mаjоr blооd vеѕѕеlѕ. Thіѕ іѕ a саrdіас dіѕоrdеr whісh relates tо abnormal activity іn thе dоg’ѕ blооd flоw. Yоu саn hеаr іt whеn you lіѕtеn to іtѕ hеаrtbеаt. Inѕtеаd of a ѕhоrt аnd rаріd beating, it wіll sound lіkе рrоlоngеd and soft thudѕ. Thіѕ ѕоund саn bе a mаjоr dіаgnоѕtіс сluе in determining whеthеr thеrе are аnу abnormalities оf the heart оr dаmаgе tо blооd vessels.
A growing puppy should only be fed a formula which provides enough nutrients for their rapidly growing body. While it is important that they have access to plenty of food this should be controlled and only given to them at feeding times. Feeding times for most puppies over 8 weeks old will be twice a day, with larger breeds needing feeding at least 3 times a day while still young. 
