Are Ground Raw Bones Better than Whole Bones?

You already know that the least of your worries is the bacteria that are naturally present in raw meat for your dog. Let’s discuss another question involving the raw dog food diet.

Are ground raw bones better than whole bones?

Do you know that even toy dogs and small breeds can easily manage slabs of meaty bones as long as the bones are proportional to the dog’s size? As a matter of fact, the tearing of the meat and the gnawing of whole bones are enjoyed by dogs.

There are BARF and raw feeders who give ground meat and ground bones to their pets. Those foods are still far, far healthier than the most expensive kibble in a pet food store. But is the ground form better than a whole meaty bone?

Consider these important points:

  • Ground meaty bones are like pelletized dog foods. They can be easily gulped by the dog, and they encourage choking. A dog can manage one huge and delicious slab of meaty bone by gnawing it first. With ground bones, you defeat the purpose of switching to a raw dog food diet. You also rob your pet the satisfaction of tearing and ripping the meat.
  • Ground meaty bones do not exercise the dog’s jaw muscles and scrub the teeth and gums. This is one of the major reasons why many people choose raw dog foods. Raw-fed pets do not have the periodontal disease risks that their commercially-fed counterparts possess. The mere act of gnawing at meaty bones cleans the dog’s teeth. You don’t have to worry about his dental health anymore. Consequently, there’s no plaque that can potentially travel to his vital organs like the heart. If you feed your dog with ground meat and bones, then the food accomplishes nothing when it comes to promoting good oral health.
  • Ground meaty bones have more surface area for bacteria to colonize. It is not a big issue with dogs because they are perfectly equipped to deal with bacteria. Just consider this fact: people get E. coli food poisoning more from ground hamburger than from the non-ground steak forms of beef. The bacteria have more breeding area in ground meat.

Whether or not you prefer to feed your dog with ground meaty bones is up to you. It’s just that, you are depriving your pet with one of the most beneficial effects of raw dog food: its inherent teeth-cleaning effect to avoid plaque – the same plaque that can damage the heart.

So, what are you waiting for? Start on any of the easy-to-make raw dog food recipes on this site!