Before you feed any bones to your dog please ensure you have read the ‘Bone Safety’ document. Always supervise your dog when feeding bones.
Raw meaty bones should make up at least 10% of a balanced raw diet. They are soft enough to be eaten without causing damage and include muscle meat and other connective tissue. Edible bones provide a valuable source of calcium and other minerals whilst providing your dog with enrichment and opportunity to exercise their chewing muscles and maintain dental health.
Suitable raw meaty bones include:
Wings
Ribs
Tails
Necks
Backs
Feet
Edible bones can be obtained from a large range of animals including chicken, turkey, rabbit, quail, fish, goat, sheep, calf, deer, kangaroo, lamb, emu, beef, and pig. Never choose weight bearing bones from large animals. The size of your dog, the way it eats and its familiarity with bones all affect the size and type of bone that should be chosen.
If your dog is a ‘gulper’ and tries to inhale all food, including bone, without chewing then providing larger bones will help prevent any risk of choking. Feeding bones frozen will also help a ‘gulper’ slow down and learn to chew.
The following is a general guideline of suitable edible bones based on breed size. Choose bones large enough to prevent being swallowed whole.
Small Breed Dogs and Cats
Bones that are less dense and able to be crushed are important to choose for small breed dogs and cats. Options include:
Chicken wings, neck and feet
Whole quail or Cornish hen
Medium Breed Dogs
Chicken quarters and backs
Duck wings and necks
Pork tails
Large Breed Dogs and Gulpers
Whole rabbit or chicken
Turkey neck and feet
Lambs head and necks
Pork head and trotters
Kangaroo tail
Goat, sheep, deer, calf and kangaroo carcasses cut into large pieces of meat and bone
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