Raw bones for dogs

Having now lived with Dogs for over 18 years, I am amazed at all I have learned along the way. I just wish I knew when I was younger what I know now.

The first dog I had lived to a great age of 16 years, but he sure had his fair share of problems along the way. He cost us an absolute fortune in vet bills. The things I have learned since could have saved us a lot of money and Sam the stress of undergoing veterinary treatments on way too regular a basis.

Raw meaty bones

The benefits of feeding your dog raw bones are quite impressive. It was something I always shied away from in the past, but I am a total convert. This is not to say that my dogs (Faye is pictured below) are only fed raw foods.

I know many dog owners feed a strictly raw diet. To be perfectly honest, I just don’t think we have the funds or the time to get involved in food preparation for three dogs on a twice daily basis. What I do ensure, however, is that all three dogs get a raw bone each at least twice a week.

It is always advisable to ease a dog into raw meat or bones gradually, especially if they are not used to them. Once you are sure they can handle the different food then you will be glad you took the time to introduce them into their diet.

Advantages of raw bones for dogs

There are quite a few advantages to feeding raw bones to dogs. First we will look at the main benefits and then examine each one in turn.

• Helps to keep their teeth clean
• Stops bad dog breath
• Stops problems with their anal glands
• Keeps them occupied
• Improves their overall health

How to clean a dog’s teeth

You can, of course use a dog toothpaste and a toothbrush to clean a dog’s teeth. I wrote about teeth cleaning for dogs on my site and included a recommended toothpaste and toothbrush Kit. I, however, prefer a hands-off approach! If you supply your dog with a good few bones each week then they will do the job for you.

It is great that we don’t actually have to learn how to clean dog’s teeth ourselves. As long as we are fine with them munching on bones we can just sit back and let them teach us!

A nice hard bone will last your dog hours if not weeks. Hard bones are very tough for the dogs to eat, but they will keep going back to them over and over for a chew. This biting and scraping action will strip the plaque and tartar away from their mouths.

I really wish that our first dog had been supplied with bones. I simply never gave it enough thought, and the result? He had teeth removed at great cost and he had extremely bad dog breath.

How to stop bad dog breath

This is part of cleaning dogs’ teeth. In nearly all cases your dog will have bad breath because its teeth are not clean. The bad breath smell many of us associate with dogs does not have to be tolerated.

None of the three dogs I have smell. Well, apart from a recent gassy dog issue, but that is another story!

My dogs have lovely fresh breath. There is not a hint of discoloration on their teeth, and I can honestly say there has never been any kind of bad smell coming from their mouths.

This is because if they are not munching on a fresh, raw meaty bone, they have settled down with an old bone for a good chew.

Anal gland problems

Not the nicest of topics, I know, but it is one that many dog owners have to deal with. The sacs of many dogs are a real problem.

We had to take Sam to the vet every few months to have them emptied. You can do it yourself, but I just couldn’t face doing it. I guess I was just not prepared for the awful smell.

Dog glands naturally empty themselves, but a lot of owners find this is not the case. It is much more likely to be a problem in later life for many dogs. The problem occurs because of a lack of fiber.

Raw bones, once again, are the answer. Feeding relatively soft bones to your dog will go a long way to solving the problem. The fiber from the softer bones will pass through your dog and naturally help to empty the sacs.

If your dog “scoots” its bum along the ground on occasion, then it is time to give the dog a bone.

An occupied dog makes for a happy owner

This is one aspect of looking after dogs that shouldn’t be overlooked. Sometimes we would just like a little time to ourselves. Giving the dog a job to do will give you some peace.

There is no job a dog likes better than when it involves food. A nice big bone can keep your dog occupied for hours and will allow you a little time to get on with whatever you want uninterrupted. We all like a little peace now and then!

General health benefits

Dogs naturally eat raw food. There has never been a case of anyone reporting a wild dog first sparking up the barbie before they ate a nice portion of ribs. Raw is natural.

Raw meat and bones will give your dog a lovely coat, a healthy mouth and a sparkle in their eye. Dogs fed a proportion of raw food have smaller, harder stools and actually eat less than those supplied with only dried food.

A few health reminders

Never feed cooked bones, as they are extremely dangerous. They shatter easily.

Freeze pork bones for three weeks before feeding as there is a very slight chance of the dogs getting a fatal bacterial disease. This is extremely unlikely, but it is better to be safe.

Remove the thin bone in chicken thighs as it is very sharp. The rest of a whole chicken is fine though. Dogs love chicken or turkey necks.

Conclusion

Above all, give it a try. Why not talk to your vet first if you have any concerns? If your vet tells you that raw bones are not good for dogs, then go find yourself a new and sensible vet.

I am not saying just feed your dogs raw ( I don’t). It may be too expensive, too time consuming or just not to your liking. What I hope you will get out of this is to slowly introduce a few bones to your dog’s diet.

May the Doggie Force be with you all.

Note: ThatMutt.com released a raw feeding guide with 10 raw dog food recipes.