01/02/2020
🦴 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 & 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗶𝘂𝗺 🦴
Edible bones are bones that are intended to be eaten entirely unlike big marrow bones, Edible bones are intended to be part of the dogs diet not additional to it.
🚫 Big marrow bones are weight bearing bones of large animals that are generally advised to be avoided as they can wear down teeth, chip teeth etc.
🥛 If you are feeding your dog a fresh food diet then bones are essential for the calcium component of their diet, if you are unable to offer bones you must offer calcium in another form, this may be via supplementation under the guidance of your vet, egg shell powder in adult dogs or crushed bone in what is called "pet mince".
🤪 When you choose the type of bones you give your dog you will need to take into account their personality when it comes to eating i.e. if they're a gulper, eat too fast etc. then you wouldn't give them bones that would be considered small for their size. Supervision is an important aspect of feeding bones.
👥👣 To slow dogs down eating bones the dog needs to feel safe, that means you and anyone in your house hasn't fussed with them when they have eaten before to the point that they eat fast to try and eat before you take something away from them - if you have fussed with your dog then feed them away from you with a closed door so they don't have to worry about you. Children should have NO access to dogs when eating if they're not able to understand their own safety and the respect a dog requires. They should be fed away from other dogs to the point the other dog cannot access them. Bones can be seen as high value to dogs and therefore they may get defensive with other dogs in their area.
❄️ Frozen bones for dogs with good digestive systems can be a good way to slow down dogs and something nice and cool on a warm day.
🥴 Edible bones are given as an entire meal or part of a meal therefore a dog shouldn't bury the bone, if they do, they're not hungry enough for it and you may need to re-evaluate how much they get fed.
🍗 If your dog mainly gets kibble then their ability to break down bones well may be affected as their pH is not quite at the level needed, however, you can help your dog by including Apple Cider Vinegar in small amounts plus a pro-biotics (such as our own Gut Dust available at our website) in their meals to help their digestive system try and function at a higher level.
✅ Different types of edible bones that you can consider depending on the size and personality of your dog may include but not limited to:
🦴 Chicken Frames
🦴 Chicken Necks
🦴 Chicken Feet
🦴 Chicken Wings
🦴 Turkey Wings
🦴 Turkey Necks
🦴 Duck Necks
🦴 Duck Frames
🦴 Duck Feet
🦴 Beef & Lamb Brisket
🦴 Whole Fish
🦴 Rabbit Frames
🦴 Pig Tails
Bones such as lamb necks and roo tails can be very dense and may require a high functioning digestive system to manage i.e. a raw fed dog. These dense bones may also carry a risk of wearing down teeth and chipping teeth.
Ribs may be too brittle and splinter and shouldn't be fed as singular ribs, always choose a rack that has at least 3.
👉 Never feed cooked bones. If you're feeding dehydrated bones, just stick to the likes of commercially dried chicken feet and necks, anything bigger could be problematic in terms of splintering.
👉 Avoid machine cut bones i.e. soup bones, these have very sharp edges.
👉 Drumsticks can splinter when broken because they are so dense.
