What bones are SAFE for your dogs?

Edible bones are a great inclusion to an animal’s diet for many reasons. Not only are they fantastic for oral health, but they are also a great source of enrichment and a key part of the BARF and Prey style diets. Choosing the right bone can be daunting, especially if you are new to raw feeding. Most people worry about their animal swallowing a bone or choking on it. Although there will always be a risk when feeding bones, choosing the right bone for your animal will help to reduce this risk.

Remember bones should only be fed under supervision.

Here are some tips when looking for a "BONE" to feed your dog.

• When choosing a bone, it is important to consider the individual animal. Every dog/ cat is different. What works for one, might not work for another (even if they are the same breed). Consider your individual animal’s size and their chewing style.

• When starting out, aim for a bone that is bigger than your dog or cat so that you can assess their chewing style and help them understand how to successfully eat a bone. Try holding onto one end while they chew the other.  

• Edible bones are bones that are intended to be fully consumed in one sitting and are the bones we recommend. These include, but are not limited to, necks, wings, feet, tails, ribs and frames. Some of these bones, depending on the protein, will be denser than others so may not be appropriate for your pet. For example: Beef neck bones are denser than turkey neck bones due to the size of the animal. 

• Try feeding a raw meaty bone a few times a week. Remember when feeding these, you will want to reduce your animal’s other food intake for the day to avoid overfeeding. If your animal has had too much bone, they may become constipated. When feeding bones, monitor carefully so you can adjust their diet if necessary.

THINGS TO AVOID

• Large weight bearing bones such as leg bones (beef marrow bones being the most common in the dog world) should be avoided. Weight bearing bones are incredibly strong and dense as they are required to bear the weight of the animal. It is strongly recommended not to feed these bones are they have a potential to grind down or crack dogs’ teeth as well as cause gastro problems.

• NEVER feed cooked bones as they can splinter resulting in digestive issues or even bowel blockages.

• Be cautious of machine cut bones (often found in supermarkets) as they can be quite sharp. 

Bones are a high value food. When feeding, always give your dog space and if a home contains multiple dogs, it is strongly recommended that bones are fed separately to avoid potential resource guarding.

 If you wish to read up further, here's some helpful links:

https://dogtime.com/.../52539-ok-give-dog-bone-bones-safe...

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/recreational-bones.../

#rawfeddog #adelaidesmallbusiness #adelaidedogs #doglover #naturalpetfood #petfood #rawpetfood