The-Truth-About-Pet-Foods

12
THE “DON’T FEED YOUR PET
BONES” MYTH
Offering your pet raw, clean chicken wings or necks, or raw, clean
beef knuckle bones, can virtually eliminate degenerative tooth
and gum disease. This modern plague results from the constant
consumption of mush and melt-in-the-mouth food trinkets. 1 The accumulation
of tartar and the resultant septic gum disease bring on tooth loss.
This oral/dental degeneration not only causes foul breath, but the cruel
pain can affect appetite. Additionally, chronic mouth infection can seed
organs with infection, resulting in degenerative organ diseases. 1-2
You say, “But won’t bones get caught in their throat” And I say,
“How did dogs and cats survive in the wild for eons” They ate raw
bones and meat exclusively. The dental disease we see in modern pets is
virtually nonexistent in animals in the wild eating their natural, whole – and
bony – prey.
Raw bones also provide important elements including minerals, protein,
fats, proteoglycans, collagen, vitamins and enzymes in perfect proportions,
exactly as nature intended. This is not to mention the exercise
and entertainment pets enjoy from bone gnawing and chewing.
A Caution: Don’t feed smaller cut bones such as from beef and pork
which can be consumed too rapidly and may lodge in and around teeth.
Moderation is the key. Excess bones (particularly if cooked) can cause
severe constipation if suddenly introduced into the diet. The animals’
1. Wysong RL, “Rationale for Dentatreat,” 2002. Vet Clin North Am Small
Anim Pract, 1998; 28(5):1129-45. Veterinary Medicine, 1989:97-104.
2. Hefferren JJ et al, Foods, Nutrition and Dental Health, Volume 1, 1981. Microbes
Infect, 2000; 2(8):897-906. J Am Geriatr Soc, 2002; 50:430-433. J
Periodontology, 2001; 72:50-56.
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