Do dogs need raw meat bones?

Raw meat bone chewing can help to reduce plaque and tartar build up hence promote good oral health hygiene. However, there are risks associated with feeding pets raw bones. These risks include the wearing down of teeth, or even slab fractured of the teeth, constipation, obesity, and life threatening complications such as gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation. These risk can be minimized by supervising your pet at all times while they chew on raw bones, and only offer a bone that is larger than your pet’s mouth so that the bone cannot be swallowed whole.

The consumption of raw meat has increased the risk of infections such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. These infections serious gastroenteritis. Also, eating raw chicken bones can lead to botulism which will damage nerves much like tick paralysis.

If bones are to be fed, make sure they are raw, as cooked bones are brittle and can break into sharp shards. Bone if given, should start from young age to avoid improper chewing behavior later on in life causing permanent irreversible damage to teeth.