Raw meaty bones( RMB) are bones with muscle meat and connective tissue. They provide essential nutrients, natural dental care, jaw exercises, and mental stimulation. Dogs should be supervised when chewing on RMBs, especially when first introduced. Differentiating between the chewers and the type of bones will circumvent problems inherent to giving your dog a bone.

Providing your dog with the correct type and amount of bone is crucial to her health. Not all bones are equal. Raw meaty bones and air-dried bones are covered with meat and connective tissue that aids in the digestion of the bone. However, bones exposed to prolonged cooking at temperatures exceeding 160 °F have changes to their cellular structure, and the outer layer of muscle and connective material surrounding the bone is destroyed. Moisture and other essential nutrients necessary for the proper digestion of bone are leached from the bones during cooking, rendering them less digestible for your dog.

Recreational bones provide jaw exercises, mental stimulation, and natural dental health care. The connective tissue mimics dental floss as your dog gnaws on it. In addition to providing a fantastic opportunity for dogs to exercise their jaws and clean their teeth, they also offer amino acids and necessary fatty acids.

Recreational bones include marrow bones, femurs, and hip bones. Dogs will spend extra time gnawing outside, licking, and chewing at the center to extract the marrow. These bones are meant to be discarded after the chewing sessions to avoid cracking teeth or choking hazards.

Bones that can be consumed are soft and malleable, known as edible bones. Birds and small animals have hollow, non-weight-bearing bones that are edible. These bones are high in calcium, phosphorus, and trace elements, making them essential to your dog's raw food diet.

The following is a list of RMBs that provide optimal nutrition while generally being safe for your dog

Feet: Raw chicken and duck feet are among the most recommended items for this category. Raw feet include ligaments and connective tissue, making them a great collagen and chondroitin source. However, chicken feet have a relatively lower bone density than other bones and may contain less calcium than larger, denser bones. For example, raw meaty bones like chicken or turkey necks, wings, or backs tend to have higher calcium levels, ranging from 10-15% calcium by weight,  while chicken feet contain approximately 2-3% calcium by weight.

Feet: Raw chicken and duck feet are among the most recommended items for this category. Raw feet include a lot of ligaments and connective tissue, which makes them a fantastic source of collagen, glucosamine, and chondroitin.

A raw meaty bone alternative is pork trotters (foot). Due to their size, pork trotters are suited for large breeds. Pork trotters are very heavy in fat, so they may not be an ideal raw meaty bone for dogs with a fatty food sensitivity or those with pancreatitis.

Tails: Tails of pig, lamb, ox, and goat are raw meaty bones suitable for dogs of all sizes. These raw meaty bones are pliable enough for small and large dogs in reduced serving sizes.

Wings: Raw chicken and duck wings are excellent RMB options for raw diets. The three sections that make up these wings are the drumette, wingette, and wingtip. Small breed dogs who require smaller portions can benefit from this type of RMB. The wings should be cut into sections per the size of your dog. 

Dogs who have issues with pancreatitis should be limited to bones without marrow.

No matter what type of RMB is fed, there are inherent risks to feeding bones to your dog. To minimize the risks, the following guidelines should be followed.

Turkey Drums: The bones of turkey drumsticks (legs) and drumettes (wing section) are thick and can snap apart. These bones should be used for dogs over 50 pounds. For smaller dogs, remove the muscle meat and use bone for bone broth.

Beef Bones: Beef bones that have been ground can be fed to your dog safely, but whole beef bones are much denser than other bone types. These bones could risk your dog's teeth and digestive tract. 

Weight-Bearing Bones: Weight-bearing bones can cause fractures to the teeth in dogs who are aggressive chewers. If your dog is a gentle chewer, these can be fed with small amounts of meat still attached (with supervision). Once your dog is done chewing the meat off the bone, grab the bone and save it to make bone broth.

Machine-Cut Bones: Because of their sharp edges, machine-cut bones should not be offered to your dog. Machine-cut bones are frequently small, posing a risk of perforating your dog's gastrointestinal tract. You don't have to throw away a machine-cut bone. Remove the muscular meat to feed to your dog and make bone broth with the bone.

Cooked Bones: Cooked bones are never recommended to be added to your dog's diet. Cooked bones splinter rather than break could damage your dog's teeth, mouth, or gastrointestinal tract. They are not as digestible as raw bones and can cause impactions or blockages in the intestinal tract.

Depending on your dog’s size, some bones may be easier (and safer) than others to chew. Most raw, meaty bones can be found at your local grocery store or butcher shop. Remember that these bones may be called ‘soup bones’ at your local grocer. 

Match the bone you’re considering with your dog’s head size. There isn’t as much concern with a bone that’s too big. If the bone is too small, it can become a choking hazard.

Accidents with bones tend to occur when dogs are left unsupervised. Supervision is critical when introducing your dog to recreation bones. You must determine which type of chewer your dog is. The following are our descriptions:

Gummers: These dogs lick and chew on the bone over time. They wait until the bone is entirely soft before consuming it. These dogs are often patient and enjoy their bone slowly over time.

Nibblers: Nibblers are dogs that take small nibbles here and there. They are a bit more interested in the bone than gummers but are still patient while eating.

Methodical: Methodical chewers have a way of studying their bones as they are consuming them. They are patient but grind the bone into small pieces before swallowing.

Champion Chompers: Champion chompers gnaw at the bone until it’s completely gone. They are less patient than the three above, but they aren’t in a hurry to swallow the bone. 

Gulpers: These dogs will consume any portion of the bone they can fit in their mouth. They aren’t interested in waiting for the bone to become soft. They are interested in what pieces can be taken off the bone to be consumed. 

The gummers, nibblers, and methodological groups of dogs should be supervised, but the risk is minimized. Champion chompers and gulpers must be overseen. If you notice them biting off more than they can chew or are about to swallow a hard piece of bone before allowing it to soften, that portion should be removed. 

It’s also important to note that dogs who aren’t fed a raw diet have a different gastric pH than those who are. Kibble-fed dogs could develop nausea or diarrhea after consuming a raw, meaty bone until their stomach becomes accustomed to a new addition to their diet. 

Feeding raw meaty bones assists in fulfilling the need for calcium, vitamins and minerals, and protein. 

Choose the RMB based on your dog’s size, chewing style, and preferences. 

Recommending raw bones in the veterinary practice | IVC Journal 

Revisiting the concept of behavior patterns in animal behavior with an example from food-caching sequences in Wolves (Canis lupus), Coyotes (Canis latrans), and Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) - ScienceDirect  

Food-caching in timber wolves, and the question of rules of action syntax - ScienceDirect  

Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition? | British Journal of Nutrition | Cambridge Core  

Refrigeration or anti-theft? Food-caching behavior of wolverines (Gulo gulo) in Scandinavia | SpringerLink  

Food storage in a changing world: implications of climate change for food-caching species | Climate Change Responses | Full Text  

Scavenging: how carnivores and carrion structure communities  

Extreme lightweight structures: avian feathers and bones - ScienceDirect  

Facilitation by Introduced Top Predators: Grey Wolf Subsidies to Scavengers in Yellowstone National Park  

Brady, C. (2020). Feeding dogs dry or raw? The science behind the debate. Farrow Road Publishing. 

Feeding Behavior in Free-Ranging, Large African Carnivores | Journal of Mammalogy | Oxford Academic  

Tucker. (2016). Food preservation and biodeterioration (Second edition..). John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Articles from future units will be accessible once you have completed that unit.

Unit 7 - Dog Bones: Myths and Truths about Air-Dried versus Raw Bones   

<a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/raw-meaty-bones">Raw meaty bones</a>( RMB) are bones with muscle meat and connective tissue. They provide essential nutrients, natural dental care, jaw exercises, and <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/mental-stimulation">mental stimulation</a>. Dogs should be supervised when chewing on RMBs, especially when first introduced. Differentiating between the chewers and the type of bones will circumvent problems inherent to giving your dog a bone.

Providing your dog with the correct type and amount of bone is crucial to her health. Not all bones are equal. Raw meaty bones and air-dried bones are covered with meat and connective tissue that aids in the <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/cellulase">digestion</a> of the bone. However, bones exposed to prolonged cooking at temperatures exceeding 160 °F have changes to their cellular structure, and the outer layer of muscle and connective material surrounding the bone is destroyed. Moisture and other essential nutrients necessary for the proper digestion of bone are leached from the bones during cooking, rendering them less digestible for your dog.

Recreational bones provide jaw exercises, mental stimulation, and natural dental health care. The connective tissue mimics dental floss as your dog gnaws on it. In addition to providing a fantastic opportunity for dogs to exercise their jaws and clean their teeth, they also offer <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/amino-acids">amino acids</a> and necessary <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/fatty-acids">fatty acids</a>.

Recreational bones include marrow, femur, and hip bones. Dogs spend extra time gnawing outside, licking, and chewing at the center of these bones to extract the marrow. These bones are meant to be discarded after the chewing sessions to avoid cracking teeth or choking hazards.

Bones that can be consumed are soft and malleable, known as edible bones. Birds and small animals have hollow, non-weight-bearing bones that are edible. These bones are high in <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/calcium">calcium</a>, phosphorus, and trace elements, making them essential to your dog's raw food diet.

The following is a list of RMBs that provide optimal nutrition while generally being safe for your dog.

*Raw chicken and duck feet are commonly recommended as a source of collagen and chondroitin, thanks to their ligaments and connective tissue. However, their bone density is lower compared to other raw meaty bones. Because poultry feet contain only 54% of the calcium found in other bones, such as necks, wings, and backs, and have minimal muscle meat, they should never be the sole source of calcium for puppies. They should only be used occasionally as the raw meaty bone component.

**Pork trotters (feet) can serve as an alternative to raw meaty bones, especially for large breeds due to their size. However, they are high in fat, making them unsuitable for dogs with fat sensitivities or those prone to pancreatitis.

It’s also important to note that dogs who aren’t fed a raw diet have a different gastric pH than those who are. <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/kibble">Kibble</a>-fed dogs could develop nausea or diarrhea after consuming a raw, meaty bone until their stomach becomes accustomed to a new addition to their diet. 

Unit 7 - <a href="https://feedreal.com/articles/myths-and-truths-about-airdried-bones-versus-raw-bones">Dog Bones: Myths and Truths about Air-Dried versus Raw Bones  </a> 

Raw Meaty Bones: Safety and How to Add

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