Calgary Canine

The Better Butcher

377 Heritage Drive SE

Raw bones are not recommended for all dogs.  Dentists generally hate bones due to their propensity to crack teeth and the marrow is ultra-high in fat;  both are serious and valid concerns.  Jay however, is a power-chewer who disintegrates a 12” bully stick in under 2 minutes.  An example of his tooth prowess is posted below as an aside.  It’s difficult for me to find a long-lasting chew for him, and chewing is an important stress reliever for his anxiety.  I therefore use 2” beef leg bone sections for training sessions.  I need them regularly, and I’ve had a tough time finding a reliable supply.  Initially I used Puppy Love bones purchased from pet stores, but found these to be prohibitively expensive and stores consistently had no stock for weeks, leaving us boneless.  I then switched to having soup bones cut at my local grocer, but again discovered that they would run out for extended periods of time.  The meat cutters also seemed to resent my request to cut them to 2” lengths.

The Better Butcher has solved our dilemma.  They always have bones in the freezer, pre-cut to the correct size. (larger bones are available too)  Prices are more reasonable than pet stores, and the quality is better.  The Better Butcher of course offers tantalizing temptations for human carnivores as well, everything from roasts and steaks to bacon smoked in-house and handmade sausages.

http://www.thebetterbutcher.ca

Note:  I don’t believe that dogs are allowed in the store, which is just as well, because the intoxicating smell of homemade sausage would drive Jay into a frenzy.

Note 2:  If raw bones are a reasonable risk for your dog, a tip to get extra mileage out of the bones is to sterilize them in hot soapy water after the initial chew, then re-fill them with mashed sweet potato, pumpkin, almond butter and banana mixtures etc . . . then freeze for an excellent, healthy dog popsicle.

Never boil or put the bones in a dishwasher for sterilization.  The high temperature and water-logging breaks down tissue and weakens the bones, introducing a higher risk of bone fracture.  It can be lethal at worst and painful and expensive at best if your dog ingests bone fractures.