We simply do not understand why there is so much controversy about feeding bones to dogs. After all, if dogs couldn’t eat & digest bones, they would be extinct. For thousands of years dogs have chewed & fed on bones, it’s been a part of their diet & evolutionary journey.
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Raw bones are completely safe to feed your pet, unlike cooked bones which can splinter in your pet’s digestive track. The cooking process makes bones hard & brittle, increasing the likelihood they might splinter and cause internal injury to your dog or even fracture teeth. Cooking can also remove the nutrition contained in bones.
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There are two types of bones –
Raw Edible bones – These bones are the hollow, non-weight-bearing bones (typically chicken or duck wings, necks & frames). They are soft, pliable, do not contain marrow, and can be easily crushed. These bones provide calcium, phosphorus and trace minerals which can be an essential part of your pets balanced raw food diet. These bones are suitable for all size dogs.
Raw Recreational bones – These bones are filled with marrow -- don’t supply significant dietary nutrition for your dog (they are not designed to be chewed up and swallowed, only gnawed on), but they do provide mental stimulation and are great for your dog’s oral health. The gnawing process is very relaxing to a dog & helps relieve stress, bones are also a good distraction for dogs that suffer from anxiety.
When your dog chews on a raw recreational bone, especially a meaty one with cartilage and soft tissue still attached, his teeth get the equivalent of a good brushing and flossing. This helps to break down tartar and reduces the risk of gum disease.
It is best to remove & dispose of recreational bones once the dog has lost interest in stripping off the meat, as a bone left to bake in the sun becomes very brittle.
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Choosing the right size recreational bone for your dog - A bone should be large enough that your dog can strip all the meat off but not eat too much of the bone.
Large Dogs - Bones from beef & other large animals are good for large, aggressive chewers. Some options for large dogs include beef trotters, beef femurs & neck bones, venison bones & pork necks etc.
Medium Dogs - Bones from animals such as goats, kangaroo, pork tails & lamb femurs etc are good choices.
Small Dogs - Poultry bones are mostly edible for all sizes of dogs & especially for small dogs, duck wings, duck feet & chicken feet are all good options.
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Bones are an important part of a pet’s diet - We recommend that each day or two that you include a Meaty Bone into your pets diet. Feeding too much bone can cause constipation resulting in white crumbly stools, feeding the right amount of bone can help with dogs that have soft stools from being feed kibble, a naturally firm stool is very beneficial in helping dogs with anal gland issues as the anal glands express as the dog passes firm stools just as nature intended.
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Even Puppies will benefit from being fed an appropriately sized bone as this will help with puppy teeth & teething, a cool bone can be very soothing to the gums of puppies developing adult teeth, working as a natural & healthy chew toy with the added benefit of providing additional calcium & nutrition.
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Dogs in the wild have beautiful teeth and healthy gums - This is because the prey they eat requires a lot of chewing, and the sinewy composition helps to clean each entire tooth. This is very beneficial for tooth & gum health and exercising the jaw muscles, also being a natural & fully absorbable source of calcium with the added goodness of marrow. Bones also help to keep your pet occupied while you are at work & can even be frozen as a treat for a hot summer’s day.
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WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND THAT BONES ARE FED UNDER SUPERVISION
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Next time someone, even a vet, tells you not to feed bones to your dog, tell them “That doesn’t make sense as dogs have eaten bones for thousands of years, so chew on that!”
