Raw Meaty Bones

🐾 Why Canine Dental Health Matters

Dental care is often overlooked, yet it plays a major role in a dog’s overall wellbeing. Diet, chewing habits, and daily hygiene all influence how much plaque builds on the teeth. Bad breath can have many causes, including normal bacterial activity in the mouth or changes in the digestive system, so it’s worth paying attention to.

A varied, low‑carbohydrate diet and appropriate chewing opportunities can support better oral hygiene alongside regular brushing.

🦷 Plaque, Tartar & Natural Cleaning

Plaque forms naturally on teeth. If it remains in place, it can harden into tartar, which is more difficult to remove. Mechanical cleaning—through brushing or appropriate chewing—helps reduce the amount of plaque that stays on the tooth surface.

Our Dental Hygiene guide explains how raw meaty bones contribute to natural chewing and abrasion.

Note: Raw bones complement brushing but do not replace brushing with a dog‑safe toothpaste.

🦴 Nutritional & Behavioural Value of Raw Meaty Bones

Appropriate raw meaty bones offer several benefits that relate to nutrition and natural behaviour:

• Chewing behaviour — Chewing releases dopamine, which can promote calmness and relaxation.

• Species‑typical activity — Dogs are designed to chew, rip, and gnaw; bones provide an outlet for this instinct.

• Nutrient contribution — Raw meaty bones naturally contain calcium, phosphorus, marrow, connective tissue, and trace minerals such as zinc, selenium, and magnesium.

• Joint‑related nutrients — Cartilage and connective tissue contain glucosamine and chondroitin, which contribute to the nutrient profile of the diet.

These benefits relate to nutrition and behaviour, not medical treatment.

🍖 Bones Within a Raw Diet

Most raw diets include bone as part of the standard 80/10/10 structure:

• 80% meat

• 10% bone

• 5% liver

• 5% other organs

Once your dog has transitioned to raw feeding (see our Transition Guide), you can explore different bone types and cuts. Our Bone Calculator helps estimate bone content so you can keep meals balanced.

Monitoring stools is a practical way to gauge bone levels:

• Firmer stools may indicate too much bone.

• Softer stools may indicate too little bone.

This is about adjusting dietary composition, not diagnosing health issues.

⚠️ Bones That Are Best Avoided

Some bones are extremely dense or prone to splintering. These can increase the risk of tooth damage or unsafe breakage.

Your group recommends avoiding:

• Marrow bones

• Weight‑bearing bones

• Beef bones

• Cooked bones (always avoid cooked bones)

These guidelines focus on physical hardness and safety.

⁉️ Bones Commonly Fed Safely

Bone choice depends on your dog’s size, age, chewing style, and experience. The following examples are commonly used because they tend to be softer and more manageable:

Small breeds & puppies (up to 10kg)

• Chicken necks, wings, feet

• Duck feet

  
  

Medium breeds (10–25kg)

• Duck necks and feet

• Chicken carcasses and thighs

• Turkey wings

  
  

Large breeds (25–40kg)

• Lamb ribs and neck

• Venison ribs

• Goat ribs

• Chicken and duck carcasses

• Turkey wings

  
  

Giant breeds (40kg+)

• Venison and turkey necks

• Goat and lamb ribs

• Chicken and duck carcasses

These examples are based on bone density and typical chewing ability, not medical suitability.

⚠️ Safe Feeding Practices

• Keep boneless food available in case you need to adjust meal composition.

• Hold the bone (if safe) to encourage controlled chewing.

• Frozen bones can be offered if your dog is comfortable with cold food.

• Always supervise raw bone chewing.

• Provide fresh drinking water.

• If cutting bones, ensure there are no sharp edges.

Exploring new bones gradually helps you understand what works best for your dog’s chewing style and size.