A (Raw) Bone to Pick with You
By Diane Krueger
Make
no bones about it, dog bones are not what they used to be and that’s a good
thing. These days there are more natural and nutritional options available. No
longer do we have to feed our beloved dogs artificial bones with imitation
flavors that have no healthful benefits. Instead we have options, like raw
bones, that our are good for our dogs’ health and well-being.
There
are two types of raw bones. First, are recreational raw bones. These are uncooked
bones filled with marrow or meat. Recreational raw bones should be served
frozen and should not be fully consumed. It’s important to discard these bones
once the marrow or meat is gone. These bones should be given as a snack or
treat. They are not meal supplements. These bones can help clean your dog’s
teeth and provide a great alternative for those destructive chewers out there.
The
second type of raw bones are nutritional raw bones. And if you’ve been apprehensive
about converting your dog to a raw food diet, this is a way to tip your toe (or
paw, as the case may be) in the raw food waters to give your dog some of the
benefits of a raw diet without a full on conversion. Feeding your dog nutritional
raw bones is a great way to provide natural minerals and nutrients your dog may
be lacking. Nutritional raw bones are an excellent source of calcium and
phosphorus. Aside from being good for bones, calcium is essential for
cardiovascular and immune functions. And when fed as part of a balanced diet,
these bones offer a natural alternative to using synthetic calcium supplements.
Not to mention phosphorus aids in kidney function, as well as cell and tissue
repair.
It’s
super easy to feed nutritional raw bones. These bones are considered “soft
bones” and do not splinter like the recreational raw bones, so your dog is able
to chew and digest these without a problem. As is the case when you give any kind of bone,
do not leave your dog unsupervised during the feeding.
Hungry Hound offers a variety of raw bone products,
including Northwest Naturals’ Raw Marrow Bones and Raw Duck Necks; Primal’s
Raw Beef and Bison Bones and Raw Turkey Necks; in addition to Vital Essentials’
Raw Bar with several options like necks, ears and bully sticks.