Simple question about dog bones

foreign_correspondent

our butcher has started making 'paddywhack' dog treats - paddywhack is a big tendon which runs down the shoulder/neck, and can be bought prepared in pet shops - however, whenever I have seen it in pet shops it stinks - the stuff from our butchers is freshly made and roasted, and actually smells lovely - just like roast beef! It definitely smells edible!

They are selling them for about 25p each I think, I bought Badger a couple and she loved them - they are quite big though, so I hack them in half first. It may be worth asking your butcher if they do anything similar, though I have never spotted them in a butchers before - or if not, if they would save you some raw paddywhack to roast at home - I presume it only gets chucked away otherwise.

MrsTinks

FC good point - next time I'm at the butchers I'll ask him And point out to him that maybe he can make an extra few £ by selling them I love having a good friendly butcher who you can actually talk to and get what you want

foreign_correspondent

Mrs T - just in case he has no idea what piece of the animal you are asking about, my butcher said it is a big ligamant that runs through next to the chuck in beef.

Its worth asking about though, it smells good, and Badger loves it! It made me wonder though, whether most dog treats being stinky is about them being ancient and poorly stored? My dad used to call in at a warehouse that sold pet food, and says the pigs ears and things were always open to the air and often covered in flies...

Ruby_Moon

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

Rather than spending a quid on a bone for the dog to play with spend 99p at Asda for a turkey leg for its tea. Safe, healthy, a bone to chew on and you're also feeding the dog at the same time.

Raw bones are free from the butcher though

~Chameleon~

Ruby_Moon wrote: »

Raw bones are free from the butcher though

That's assuming you can find a butcher that still butchers his own carcasses these days! It seems more and more are buying in from meat wholesalers so not only don't we get the scraps and bones for dogs, we also miss out on some of the cheaper cuts they think nobody wants, such as hands of pork, trotters, hocks, pig cheeks etc!

Claire_Bear

I know our local butcher does, I saw him unloading a full pig carcass from a lorry the other day and carry it across the road into his shop! I'll probably be popping in to get chicken wings for my cat every now and then, is there any other kind of bones they can have? I might go and buy some meat and cheekily ask if there's any offcuts going spare (if cats can eat them of course)

suki1964

My butcher here has a big plastic box under the chopping bench where all the offcuts that dont go for mince get chucked and hes more then happy to let me sift through take what i want.

They have to pay for the disposal of their waste products so its saving them money

MrsTinks

I doubt you'll get many off cuts for the cats to be honest. Most cuts like that would probably end up in the mincer and eventually in a sausage You may be lucky and find one willing to give you the tips of chicken wings etc but mainly what butchers can't sell is bones - I knwo one nearby sells a bag of bines for a couple of quid as "dog bones". My local butcher however will give them away free! It does happen that he doesn't have any - there are so many doggy people in our village that all suitable bones are usually snapped up - he benefits because he doesn't have to dispose of a large quantity of bones and it's rare that anyone walks in asking just for a bone
If I get chance tomorrow I will ask about the possibility of raw chicken wings and paddywack - just depends on if I get a chance to get down there... Not sure any of them would be suitable for the mitmots unless I mushed them in the food processor though...

Claire_Bear

Thanks, I didn't know whether the doggy bones would be suitable for cats as well, I guess they'd be too big? Also don't know if he'll have any chicken bones going spare? If not then I'll just go and buy some normal chicken wings, sure they'll be pretty cheap anyway

suki1964

Claire_Bear wrote: »

Thanks, I didn't know whether the doggy bones would be suitable for cats as well, I guess they'd be too big? Also don't know if he'll have any chicken bones going spare? If not then I'll just go and buy some normal chicken wings, sure they'll be pretty cheap anyway

Could possibly have the carcuss - you can feed them

Rabbit

Lamb ribs

Should all be soft enough for a cat

Oh and perhaps you have a game butcher? They may have birds that are being chucked as not sold