Raw Meaty Bones for Dogs - Our top tips

Raw, meaty bones are evidenced as the best way to remove harmful bacteria from our dogs' mouths no matter what food you feed them. But they are also a staple in the raw food diet. They need to make up a percentage to offer enrichment and key nutrients for our dogs.

So let’s look at raw meaty bones in all their glory: why you want to feed them, the ones you can feed and how their bone/calcium content may influence which ones you choose.

What are Raw Meaty Bones?

Raw meaty bones (RMBs) are exactly that: they are raw and consist of meat and bone.

The inclusion of RMBs in a dog’s diet has several benefits:

Bones as Enrichment and Stress Relief

Study after study has demonstrated that chewing can counter the effects of stress. This includes the chewing of RMBs. Not only does it reduce stress hormone levels, but it also limits the sensory processing of external stressors. In short, it keeps your dog’s attention off things it doesn’t need to be paying attention to.

At the same time, chewing improves alertness, it shortens reaction time and increases vigilance. This is thought to be due to the increased heart rate during the chewing task, which increases cerebral blood flow and brain activity.

So, chewing for the dog can help them rebalance their stress levels and also improve their alertness, which may be of interest if you are preparing training sessions.

What is also interesting is the rate of force needed when chewing, especially when we are encouraging dogs to rest and recover. A strong chewing force induces a greater reduction in stress levels. So, in this situation, larger bones may be more appropriate.

Bones for Dental Health

Periodontal disease begins when bacteria in the dog’s mouth form to create a substance called plaque. The plaque sits on the surface of the teeth, and with the help of saliva, it hardens to form tartar. Not only does it sit on the teeth, but plaque and tartar seep into gum lines, causing inflammation. Over a period of time, this inflammation and the presence of bacteria cause damage to the structures surrounding the teeth, causing receding gum lines and, eventually, tooth loss.

In addition, the bacteria found in your dog's mouth can be released into the circulatory system, which then travels through the body. It has been found to damage cardiac tissue, causing endocarditis (infection and inflammation in the heart).

There are several chews on the market promoting oral health, but the mechanism of chewing helps reduce build-up.

Chewing stimulates saliva, which produces anti-bacterial agents, helping to keep the mouth clean. Also, the abrasion that occurs during chewing helps scrape deposits off the teeth.

So, what type of chew is best?

Here’s what the data suggests:
- Raw bones reduced mouth bacteria by 79%,
- Daily brushing reduced it by 70% and,
- Marketed dental chews reduced it by 54-60%.

For those who don't/can't feed raw meaty bones, we strongly recommend Canident. It's a simple, natural and deeply nutritious daily addition to your dog's diet that will remove tartar from their teeth in 5-8 weeks or your money back!

 Bones as a Source of Nutrition

Calcium and phosphorus comprise a large part of the skeleton, so when another animal ingests another animal’s skeleton, they ingest calcium and phosphorus (amongst other nutrients). In short, bones offer our dogs a range of minerals in their diet.

The Importance of Calcium for Dogs

Whilst calcium is the main structural component of the skeleton and teeth, it also plays a role in blood clotting. In addition, it is involved in intracellular messaging, triggering the contraction of muscle fibres.

Calcium also influences fat oxidation, carrying ATP (energy) with magnesium.

Calcium’s role in muscle function also includes maintaining the action of the heart muscle. Calcium particles enter the heart muscle cells during each heartbeat and contribute to the electrical signal that coordinates its function, so it’s also vitally important to cardiovascular health.

The Importance of Phosphorus for Dogs

Phosphorus is largely used for the growth and repair of body tissues – it is a component of bones, teeth, RNA, and DNA.

In the form of phospholipids, phosphorus is also a component of cell membrane structure - this means it keeps cells healthy.

In addition, many proteins and sugars in the body are phosphorylated (a phosphate group is added - and we need phosphorus for a phosphate group to exist). For example, glucose gets phosphorylated so it can’t leave the cell again once it has entered (this means it hangs around so it can actually be used).
Bones are also a source of sodium and magnesium too!

Sodium, AKA salt, gets a bad rap in the human world. Still, it has vital bodily functions, including:

- Absorb and transport nutrients,
- Maintain blood pressure,
- Maintain the right balance of fluid,
- Transmit nerve signals,
- Contract and relax muscles.

Again, the reason we are told to reduce our salt intake as humans track back to excessive intake of ultra-processed foods and the excessive addition of “table salt” to our diet.

True sea salt is a useful inclusion in our moderate diets.

Magnesium is likely the MVP of minerals; if you’re unfamiliar with its role, you may want to head down some rabbit holes.

One of the most abundant minerals in the body along with calcium and phosphorus, magnesium is essential to bodily function.

Functions:

- Energy metabolism,
- Regulation of calcium triggered contraction of heart and muscle cells,
- Vasodilation of the coronary and peripheral arteries,
- Nerve signalling,
- Key player in nervous system health,
- Structure of bones and teeth     

- Contributors to low levels of magnesium:
- Rapid growth,
- Medications – diuretics, steroids, laxatives,
- Intestinal malabsorption,
- Diets emphasising processed foods and refined grains,
- Depleted soils,
- High calcium levels – they compete in the same pathway.

How To Feed Bones

1) No cooked bones,
2) Feed the right size for the breed,
3) Avoid weight-bearing bones,
4) Avoid hollow-marrow bones,

What Size Bones Are Best?

Weaning/Puppies

- Chicken necks, backs, wings, feet, thighs,
- Duck feet, necks,
- Rabbit, cut,
- Quail, cut in half,
- Goat ribs,
- Lamb breast,

Small Dogs

- Chicken necks, backs, wings, feet, thighs,
- Duck feet, necks,
- Rabbit, cut,
- Quail, cut in half,
- Goat bones, cut,
- Lamb breast

Medium/Large Dogs

- Chicken necks, breast, backs, wings, feet, carcass,
- Chicken, split,
- Duck necks, carcass, feet,
- Duck, whole,
- Rabbit,
- Turkey necks, carcass,
- Game birds,
- Goat bones,
- Lamb shoulder, necks, breast,

Giant Dogs

- Chicken necks, breast, backs, wings, feet, carcass,
- Chicken, split
- Duck necks, carcass, feet
- Duck, whole
- Rabbit
- Turkey necks, carcass
- Game birds
- Goat bones
- Lamb shoulder, necks, breast

But your choice doesn’t stop there…..

You may also choose RMBs based on the bone content of each. Here are some of the more common choices that raw feeders make:

Raw Meaty Bone Bone % Meat % Calcium

Whole Chicken

(without organs or feathers) 32% 68% N/A Chicken Head 75% 25% N/A
Chicken Neck (with skin) 36% 64%
Chicken Neck (without skin) - - 1.15 g
Chicken Wing 46% 54% 0.92 g
Chicken Rib Cages 80% 20% 1.63 g
Chicken Back 44% 56% 1.33 g Chicken Foot 60% 40% N/A Chicken Breast 20% 80% N/A Chicken Leg Quarter 30% 70% 0.88 g Chicken Leg 27% 73% N/A Chicken Thigh 21% 79% N/A

Whole Duck

(without organs and feathers) 28% 72% 0.87 g
Duck Head 75% 25% N/A
Duck Frame 80% 20% N/A
Duck Neck 50% 50% N/A
Duck Wing 39% 61% N/A
Duck Foot 60% 40% N/A

Lamb

Lamb Neck 32% 68% N/A

Lamb Ribs 27% 73% 1.36 g

Whole Rabbit

(without organs and fur) 28% 72% 0.65 g
Whole Prey Rabbit
(with organs and fur) 10% 90% N/A
Rabbit Head 75% 25% N/A

Whole Turkey

(without organs and feathers) 21% 79% N/A
Turkey Neck 45% 55% 1.84 g
Turkey Wing 33% 67% 2.90 g
Turkey Back 50% 50% N/A
Turkey Breast 14% 86% N/A
Turkey Thigh 20% 80% 0.74 g
Turkey Leg 38% 62% N/A

*based on 100g of complete RMB

Calculating Edible Bone Content

It is generally suggested that a healthy adult dog’s diet consists of 10% bone. For example, if you calculate that your dog should eat 500g of raw food per day, 500 x 0.10 = 50g, so your dog should have 50g of edible bone.

If you want to feed chicken feet as your bone, with a bone content of 60%, 50g / 0.60 = 83. Your dog would, therefore, need 83g of chicken feet.

How Do I Know If My Dog is Getting What He Needs?

If the stool is hard and chalky, or dry and crumbly, too much bone has likely been fed. You may choose to feed 1 boneless meal and return to regular feedings with slightly lower bone content.

If your dog consistently has dry or chalky poops, you may find reducing his bone content overall is helpful. Here you can choose bones with a lower bone content or simply exclude bones from meals intermittently.

If on the other hand, the stool is poorly formed, and there are no other underlying health issues for this, you could increase the bone content. Some dogs require more bone to maintain firm stools.

Whilst the general rule of thumb suggests a bone content of 10% in a raw-fed dog’s diet, this will vary for puppies and of course cats.

Puppies and kittens may warrant 15-20% bone content, whereas adult cats need around 6% bone content.

Despite these numbers, it's important to feed the dog (or cat) in front of you and for the most part, their poop will tell you how well the current bone-feeding schedule is going. Remember, no matter what we’re feeding, we always aim for that brown-ish, perfectly formed stool.

Raw meaty bones are a great addition to any dog’s diet but are a staple in the raw-fed dog. Establishing the bone/meat content is useful if you are DIY’ing your dog’s food, but it's also helpful if your dog’s poops aren’t looking great (and you’ve ruled out any other potential causes).

Conclusion

For some, feeding a raw diet can be overwhelming, and we completely understand.

Hopefully, feeding bones is now a little less overwhelming for you.

But, to start, choose and feed a bone appropriate for your dog’s size. Supervise whilst eating and then take a poop watch.

Don't forget to visit The Den (click on "meet ups") and catch up with Lisa's fantastic Canine Nutrition Academy - Module 5 is all about feeding raw meaty bones!