Feeding Raw Bones

Feeding raw bones can be a concern for some owners.

Here we explain the best bones to start off with and what to consider when feeding bones to your individual dog.

Edible bones, such as this raw chicken carcass, go towards the daily bone ration and are the ideal starter bone for pups, young dogs and beginners. They are soft, flexible and contain a lot of cartilage.

Bone is a very important part of feeding a raw food diet, but it is a subject that can cause worry and concern for the dog owner and often a reason people decide to rule out raw feeding altogether.

The inclusion of raw bone in the diet provides nutrients such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, fat soluble vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids, all of which are used by the body for blood and bone formation. Calcium is regarded as a macro-mineral and is the most abundant and essential mineral in the body. It isn`t just needed for optimum skeletal growth but also responsible for the correct functioning of muscle and nerve impulses, keeping the immune system healthy and regulating the heartbeat.

Meat contains high levels of phosphorous and very little calcium so feeding a diet of only meat and offal would be extremely deficient in vital minerals as well as giving the dog loose stools.

Our dogs anatomical features:

So what has nature blessed a dog with to make him so efficient at eating and digesting bone?                                                                                                                       

Just a glimpse inside a dog’s mouth will show a whole range of “tools” to make the job of piercing, tearing and slicing meat and bone an easy task. A pair of specialised teeth for crushing, called the Carnassial are the largest and most jagged of the premolars and you will notice your dog tilting his head on the side in order to bring them into full use.                                                             

Unlike ourselves and herbivores, a dogs jaw has no sideways, grinding action, so in order to add lubrication within the mouth and around the food there is a lot of saliva production to assist its transit to the stomach. Once in the stomach there is an incredibly strong stomach acid to not only help kill any bacteria but also to dissolve raw bone.

Edible vs Recreational                                     

Raw bones are split into two categories of edible and recreational bones.

Edible bone is consumed completely in one sitting and adds towards the dog’s dietary calcium requirements. Examples would be chicken necks and wings, duck feet, lamb ribs, pigs trotters, chicken carcass or the finely ground bone within a minced complete meal.                                                                                                             

Recreational bones are not completely consumed within one sitting and add little if anything towards the dietary calcium requirements. These would be something like a large beef knuckle bone or a venison neck as an example. The main advantage of these large bones is that they keep the teeth clean and also provide the psychological benefits that come with the chewing action, such as a release of serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin, which are the calming and feel good hormones.

Recreational bones are for teeth cleaning and also release feel good hormones as the dog chews them. They are not included as bone content, as they are not consumed in one sitting.

With 90% of dogs in the UK under 3 years of age having some form of periodontal disease and needing a general anaesthetic to remove a build-up of plaque on an annual basis, kibble despite what we are lead to believe, does not clean teeth. If you watch a dog eat kibble they gulp and swallow, there is certainly no abrasive grinding taking place in order to keep the teeth plaque free.  

Potential issues with certain bones:

If ever there is a problem with bones it is generally due to feeding a bone which is too small for your particular dog, leaving the dog unsupervised or giving very rigorous chewers weight bearing bones.

Chicken wings: Better suited for small dogs as medium and large dogs or those that are greedy feeders, can try and swallow them whole and due to the shape of the wings, carry a choke risk.

Marrow bones: The central marrow is extremely high in fat and can cause diarrhoea. They tend to be weight bearing bones so are extremely hard, which in very vigorous chewers can cause tooth fractures. There is the danger of the bone encircling the lower jaw when it has been chewed down into a “ring”, often requiring veterinary assistance. Dispose of the bone long before this risk is a possibility.

Neck bones: Chicken and duck necks are better for smaller dogs unless you can guarantee your larger dog will not swallow them whole. I have seen dogs do this on a number of occasions, with no negative consequences whatsoever as their strong stomach acid made short work of digesting it, but it is better that they chew them first. The necks have a good covering of meat on the bone and turkey and goose necks are ideal for medium to large breeds and provide a meal in themselves.

Vertebral bones: Bones that form the neck and vertebral column in larger animals such as sheep and venison, when eaten right down will become circular and have a higher risk of causing choke. This also applies to ox tail. If your dog has a reliable leave command then you can remove the bone when it starts to become eaten down into smaller sections.  

Ribs: If ribs are fed from young animals such as lamb or beef then they are soft and contain a good amount of central red marrow and you will find that dogs can crunch them up with ease. The only potential problem and why it is essential to supervise your dog when they eat bones, is that they can very occasionally become stuck across the roof of the mouth and require assistance to remove them.

Avoid:

There are some pet stores that still sell large baked knuckle bones for dogs. They are often sourced from overseas and are extremely dangerous due to the likelihood of cooked bones splintering and causing perforations to the gut often with fatal consequences. Raw hide chews are also a major choke hazard and are known to cause obstructions in the bowel which require emergency surgery.  

Choosing the right bone for your dog:

The main problem area when introducing raw bones to a dog is not offering a bone that is appropriate in size or type for that individual dog. It is always better to feed a bone that is a little too large than too small and also pair the bone with the chewing style of that particular dog.

If you are transitioning a dog onto a raw diet that has previously been eating kibble and you plan to feed edible bones then it is wise to leave 2-3 weeks before introducing whole bones to give the stomach acid time to adjust in order to adequately digest raw bone. Your dog will still be receiving his calcium ration from the complete minces that contain 10% finely ground raw bone.  

Raw chicken or duck carcass are good starter bones as they still contain some meat on the bones and plenty of cartilage making them flexible and easy to crunch. They are usually from young birds which mean that the bones are still quite soft.

 If your dog is straining to pass a motion or the stool is very white and crumbly then you know that they have too much bone content in their diet and you will need to re-evaluative the percentage. The majority of dogs do well on 10% - 12% bone in their diets with no issues. 

If you feed raw mince which contains the standard 10% bone, be mindful when also giving whole edible bones alongside. This will mean that your dog could have too much bone in their system at once causing constipation or gut problems. If you want to feed the occasional whole edible bone then give a mince that has no bone content for that day.

Multiple dog households:

This can certainly be a big challenge for some owners and even the most placid dog can see a raw bone as the highest valued item he has ever been in possession of. If you have a dog that shows strong resource and food guarding behaviour then offering a raw bone of any type could be a tricky situation so unless you are working through this particular type of issue with a qualified behaviourist it is wise not to put the dog in that situation.

Every dog has to be treated as an individual character in order for things to run smoothly. Some will strut around for ages showing everyone their “prize”, others will just take the bone off into the garden and bury it, you may have a dog that becomes very protective of such a precious item and then there are those greedy ones that will chew until their mouths bleed or the nervous dogs whose motto is “if it`s in my stomach then no one else can get to it” and attempt to swallow the bone whole rather than risk it being taken off them by another dog or their owner. Offering the bone or trachea when it is directly out of the freezer can help slow the consumption down.

If you have a number of dogs with very individual ways of tackling a bone then it can prove extremely difficult to manage and the only safe way is for them to be sectioned off in their own safe space where they can relax and enjoy their bone. Edible bones tend to be eaten within minutes, so they are less of an issue than the recreational bone which can be around for days on end. 

When whole raw bones are just not an option.

It is really important that you feel confident and happy in providing your dog with nourishing meals. If feeding whole bones, edible or otherwise causes you to panic and worry and is creating friction and tension within your four legged family, then just don’t feed them whole bones.

If you are giving complete meals where muscle meat, offal and ground bone is added for you, then your dog will be getting the calcium they need. If the percentage is not clear on the product label then ask the manufacturer, as it should be between 10-12 % ground bone. The raw bone is finely ground so it is unlikely you will notice it when dishing up and your dog will have no trouble digesting it.

Semi frozen tracheas are a good alternative to bones, especially for seniors or those with missing teeth, large dogs need the beef version while small dogs can manage the lamb.

If recreational bones are not fed and even tracheas cause problems then you will have to resort to other ways of keeping their teeth clean via a toothbrush or micro-fibre cloth and dog friendly toothpaste.  

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Is Your Dog a Fussy Eater?

For the majority of dogs feeding time is the highlight of the day and they leave their bowls squeaky clean.

However, there are some dogs that find the transition from dried to raw food a bit challenging, as it is such a dramatic change in moisture content, texture, aroma and flavour.

Many kibble and tinned foods have flavour and appetite enhancers added, which can make raw food seem a little bland in comparison and, combined with an unfamiliar texture, a bit off putting for some picky eaters.

There are a number of ways that you can encourage shy or fussy eaters to clean their bowls and look forward to feeding times. This does only apply to genuinely fussy eaters and not dogs that are unwell. Dogs will often fast if they are feeling off colour, so it is important to not force them to eat. If your dog is refusing food, bone broth and more crucially water, after 2 days, then it is important to contact your vet to rule out any serious health issues.

Your dog may also be suffering from reflux immediately after eating which makes them reluctant to eat in anticipation of the discomfort that follows. Some signs include licking front legs, appearing to lick the air, retching or regurgitation, which is usually white and frothy. As well as taking note of what your dogs has just eaten a herbal blend which is very effective to ease reflux is Digest & Rest https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/digest-and-rest

Here are a few ideas that may help dogs that are reluctant to eat:

It is important that your dog doesn’t feel pressured or that they are being watched. It can be frustrating as you are literally willing them to eat, but its vital to give them peace and quiet and not rush them.

For dogs new to raw food and that seem hesitant to eat, this could be due to the unfamiliar smell and texture. To release the aroma and flavour in order to tempt them, you can quickly flash fry small pieces of raw food in a pan then add into the meal, and sometimes a tinned pilchard mashed in or a spoon of tinned meat usually does the trick.

Bone broth can also be too tasty to resist. You can serve it warm or defrost bone broth cubes and add to the food.

There is a nutritious blend in the Hedgerow Hounds range that few dogs can resist and will tempt the fussiest of eaters. It can be found on the website under Greens, Seeds & Superfoods https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/greens-seeds

For the majority of dogs, but much more so for fussy eaters, It is important to offer raw food at room temperature as they really dislike anything cold or chilled. You can do this by letting the food sit for 15 minutes before use, drizzling a little boiling water over the food and stirring in, just to take the chill off.

Offer tiny meals in bitesize pieces, as presenting a whole bowl of food can be overwhelming and cause a shy dog to back off.

Experiment with different bowls and plates. Some dogs prefer to eat from a plate or shallow bowl and others are fearful of stainless steel due to the noise it makes on a hard floor. Always make sure that both the dog and the bowl are on a non-slip surface and they are not worried by the possibility of slipping and falling.

If you have an elderly dog that has suddenly become a picky eater, have you considered that they may have failing eyesight, tooth pain, experiencing discomfort as they reach down for the bowl, that they are eating on a slippery surface? Raised food and water bowls placed on non-slip mats can be really helpful in these situations. As our dogs reach their senior years their sense of smell and taste decreases, so this could be another reason for losing their pervious excitement at meals times.

Game meats such as duck, venison and pheasant can be a little too strong in taste for the picky feeder so it is best to avoid those when initially transitioning to a raw diet. The same can apply to offal, so if this is the case opt for offal free mince and very gradually add in tiny amounts of liver.

Dogs that refuse raw liver will often be very interested in lightly cooked liver, as cooking changes the texture and releases the aroma.

Caroline Hearn MICHT. Dip ICAT. MIAAT. Dip. ISCP Raw Nutrition

Sports, Remedial & Holistic Massage Therapist

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Simple Ways to Improve your Dogs Diet

Adding fresh food to your dog’s meals can give huge health benefits and help in the prevention of many serious diseases .

Not everyone wants to feed raw or home cooked food, and the majority of dogs still eat tinned food or kibble. When manufacturing kibble or muesli-type food, it requires a very high temperature, and many of the nutrients are lost in the cooking process, which are then replaced with synthetic vitamins and mineral supplements.

Adding a few of the following fresh foods at least 3 times a week will supply the dog with vitamins, minerals, omega 3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants, amino acids, glucosamine, and micro nutrients that they can easily absorb and utilise within their body.

Here are a few simple ways to increase the nutritional value of any meals and add variation:

Bone Broth: Packed full of glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, amino acids & minerals. Great for joint and gut health.

Tinned Pilchards or Sardines: Omega 3 fatty acids & DHA for coat and skin health and anti-inflammatory effects. Choose the ones in tomato juice or spring water

Eggs: Either raw or very lightly cooked, provide high-quality protein and fat, and are a good source of biotin.

Medicinal Mushrooms:  Such as Reishi, Chaga, Turkey tail, Shiitake etc, have an abundance of health-giving qualities and are believed to help in cancer prevention and to boost the immunity.

Dandelion leaves: Contain vitamin C, B6, thiamine, calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, copper, and a flavonoid called zeaxanthin, which is crucial for protecting the retina and is an effective antioxidant. Pick from areas free from chemical sprays & pollution.

Berries: Blackberries, when in season, blueberries, and raspberries are packed full of vitamin C and rich in antioxidants.

Fresh leafy greens: Either lightly steam or, as I prefer, make vegetable smoothies for the dogs is a great way to add an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to their meals. It has also been proven to reduce the risk of some cancers just by adding a small amount of vegetables to processed food. Avoid the starchy veg and go for kale, broccoli, spinach, beet tops, dandelion leaves, Parsley, courgette, etc, plus a few berries.

Herbal Blends:  Hedgerow Hounds offer a range of herbal blends to add valuable nutrition to your dog’s meal times.

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ADDING FRESH FOOD TO THE BOWL

 It is important to have fresh food in our diets in order to reach optimal health and the same goes for our dogs too.

There are a number of ways you can increase the nutritional value of the food you are feeding your dog. It is also an ideal way of starting to introduce fresh food if you are thinking of changing over to either a raw or home cooked diet.

Starting from the top left photo (clockwise) shows homemade Bone Broth which can be frozen in ice cube trays. It is a great source of glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health and very soothing for the gut.

The Hedgerow Hounds herbal blends are a quick and easy way to add a vast array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. They are of the highest quality and have been approved by our holistic vet. There is a blend to suit every dog and every season throughout the year. They can be fed dry, re-hydrated or as a tea. Great to use in your treat recipes or in a vegetable smoothie.

Oily fish is a real treat for some dogs but others are not so keen. If they don't like raw or lightly cooked fish then tinned mackerel or sardines will still provide a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Most dogs love these and they are perfect to have in the store cupboard.  

Throughout the year there are a number of wild growing ingredients you can pick for your dog such as a few dandelion leaves, cleavers, chickweed, rosehips and blackberries. These can be added to their vegetables or treat recipes. Just make sure you always know exactly what you are picking and it is from an area free of traffic pollution and agricultural sprays.   

Eggs - Either raw or very lightly cooked will provide a huge range of nutrients all in one perfect package. Talking of the shell, the inner opaque membrane can be removed and fed, providing extra nutrition for joints and ligaments.                  

If you want to add vegetables and berries to your dogs meals then a good way to do it is by making a smoothie which will assist the digestion of vegetables by breaking down the tough cellulose wall that plants naturally have. The ingredients shown are packed full of anti-oxidants for a real boost to health and the immune system. Make a tea with one of the Hedgerow Hounds herbal blends and add that to the veg before blitzing in a blender. The inclusion of pulped vegetables also adds welcome moisture to dry food.

You can set aside some vegetables when you are preparing your dinner and either blend or steam them to add to you dogs meals. Broccoli stalks, green beans, courgette, kale are all good choices rather than starchy root veg. Rotate the vegetables fed and include seasonal variations.

In Autumn you can pick your own blackberries or my dogs actually help themselves from the low branches. Freeze some for later in the year or you can add a few blueberries or raspberries for a vitamin C boost.      

Medicinal mushrooms such as Reishii, Shiitake, Chaga, Coriolus have immune bosting and anti inflammatory properties and recent studies have shown them to have positive anti- tumour benefits. If you cant find fresh then the dried versions can be re-hydrated with hot water.

Kibble, tinned and home cooked meals can be improved on by adding a few berries, soaked seeds, Hedgerow Hounds Herbal Blends and vegetables. Little changes at the speed your dog can easily adjust to is a big step in improving the health and wellbeing of our dogs.

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Styles of Raw Feeding

There are several different ways to feed your dog a raw diet.

For some people it is personal preference, what suits their individual dog or what can be fed due to the availability of certain ingredients.

BARF

The most popular way to feed a raw diet is the BARF method which stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw Food.

Many barf complete meals add seasonal vegetables and include supplements so be mindful if you are also adding supplementation to these meals that you are not giving an excessive amount or doubling up on one particular supplement.

They tend to follow the percentage of 70% muscle meat, 10% raw minced bone, 10% offal (5% of which is liver) and 10% vegetables although there are variations within the brands some of which omit offal altogether and others will include 20% vegetables.

 It may be a case of trial and error until you find a brand that suits your dog. Most of the raw manufacturers now offer a large range of proteins making it easy to rotate the type of meat and offer a good variety.

Barf meals are usually packaged in convenient tubs or tubes and are simply defrosted and served. This is a good way to feed if the owner is hesitant to handle raw meat or alternatively there are raw meals provided in the form of sausages which are simply lifted out with a  fork directly into the bowl.

80-10-10: You can buy ready made complete meals with an 80-10-10 ratio in which 80% is muscle meat, 10% raw minced bone and 10% offal.

80-10-10 is a good choice it you want to either omit vegetables or have the flexibility to add your own.

 Prey Model Raw (PMR) or Whole Prey: Prey model feeders try to replicate a very natural diet and will often not add any vegetable matter. Typically, the diet follows 80% muscle meat, 10% whole raw bone, 10% offal (5% of which is liver) The muscle meat tends to be offered in large whole pieces rather than a mince. When using the whole prey method an entire prey animal is fed such as a rabbit, quail, fish, pigeon or chicken etc which has the fur and feather left on to add to the ration. It can be difficult to source many different types of whole prey in order to add variation and not every dog will eat this way.   

DIY: This can be the cheapest way to feed a raw diet but it does require additional research in order to get the correct ratio of meat, bone and offal plus a reliable source of ingredients in order to rotate the proteins and provide a broad range of nutrients. Making up your own meals gives flexibility and can be useful for dogs that need certain proteins omitting from their diet due to intolerance and sensitivities, but it is important to seek advice in order to provide all the essential nutrients that your dog needs to thrive.

Caroline Hearn ISCP.Dip.Canine.Raw.Nutrition, Dip ICAT  

Carnivore or Omnivore?

 Whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores seems to spark many a passionate debate.

All their anatomical attributes point to them being facultative (scavenging) carnivores. Which in general terms means that they are predominately meat eaters but they can, if needed survive on plant matter.

One way to explore what our dogs are designed to eat is to look at their anatomical and physiological features and what nature has given them in order to survive to the best of their abilities.  

Dogs come in a vast array of shapes, sizes and specific breed types but basically their anatomy and how their bodies work has barely changed over thousands of years. 

The natural wild survival and behavioural traits may have lessened over the centuries but there are still many attributes that our pet dogs have in common with their distant ancestors.

Scenting ability

Nature has given the dog the most exceptional sense of smell for a very good reason. Dogs dedicate 33% of their brain for the very important task of following a scent, which is essential if you need to track and kill your own dinner or seek out something tasty to scavenge.   

Their ability to recognise a scent is exceptionable and with 300 million olfactory receptors compared to our 5 million they are in a different league to most other mammals when it comes to scenting ability.

A dog can quickly use his nose to gain lots of information about his environment and also to detect species that have travelled through the surrounding area. They also have the physique to run at speed with their nose a matter of centimetres from the ground and to follow a scent over many miles, even when the “prey” has long since passed by.   

Dew Claws

Dogs have a pointed dew claw on the inner aspect of their front legs which does not come into contact with the ground until they are moving through the faster paces, then it provides a very important role.

Many people think that dew claws have no purpose, but if you have ever observed a dog eating a raw bone you will see that they dig the dew claw into the meat or sinew to position and prevent movement of the bone while eating.

Dew claws also have a vital role in stabilising the lower leg and in particular when cornering at speed, as there are five tendon attachments coming off it leading to muscles that prevent twisting of the limb when it comes into contact with the ground. This can prove essential in injury prevention when travelling over uneven terrain at high speed, such as the chasing of prey or needing to flee a source of danger.     

Head

Carnivores have very big jaws in relation to the size of their heads. Although they have reduced facial muscles to allow for the opening of the mouth, the primary muscles that operate the jaws are the large, developed temporalis muscle on their skull and combined with powerful neck and shoulder muscles, overpower, hold prey , crush bones and have the strength to carry away items that have been scavenged so they can be eaten in a safe environment.      

Teeth

The teeth of the dog are probably the biggest clue as to what canines are designed to eat. Like a Swiss army knife, each group of teeth have a very specific job to do in order to deal with capturing, puncturing and devouring almost a whole carcass. None of the structure or function of the dogs teeth and jaws lend themselves to eating or grinding cereals.  

Incisors are the small teeth at the front of the mouth, they are used to nibble and strip away sinew and meat from the bone.

Canine teeth also referred to as fangs or cuspids are the long pointed teeth used for holding and puncturing flesh. There are two canines in the upper jaw (maxilla) and two in the lower jaw (mandible). They are single rooted teeth and the upper canine tends to be longer and more pointed than the lower.

Premolars are designed to crush and slice due to their uneven surface and scissor like action. There is a modified molar called a Carnassial which you will see as the largest and most jagged premolar. It has three roots and is a heavy-duty tool to crush bones and meat. A dog will often tilt their head to one side to gain full use of this tooth when gnawing on a bone or to slice through a large chunk of meat for easier swallowing. The top jaw has two molars each side and the bottom jaw has three which are used for crushing.    

 Mouth

Dogs do not have any side to side action in their jaws so unlike ourselves or herbivores they can’t grind their food before swallowing. Their jaw is a simple hinge joint and has a chomping up and down movement and a strong, muscular tongue which can manipulate food to where it can be crushed by the powerful jaws.

They do not possess any salivary amylase, which is a specialised digestive enzyme that herbivores and omnivores produce in their mouth and together with the chewing and grinding action of the molars starts to immediately break down starchy carbohydrates before we even swallow.      

The oesophagus is capable of allowing the passage of large pieces of meat, after all the dog isn't capable of breaking the meat down by chewing or salivary amylase, so it needs to get the food to where that can happen, which is in the stomach.

Stomach and Digestive tract

Dogs have a short digestive tract so they can expel waste quickly which is particularly important if they have been eating food that is covered in bacteria.

We have all seen dogs eat the most disgusting and decaying of items, which if eaten by ourselves would have us omitted to hospital, yet at worst they may have a slight upset tummy for 24 hours.

They have an incredibly strong stomach acid of around pH1 which is needed to break down large amounts of protein, to dissolve bone and as a protection against any decaying food that may have been scavenged. The walls of their stomach are covered in a thick mucosa to provide protection from the corrosive acid and to literally stop the stomach from digesting itself.     

Dogs produce amylase in their pancreas which is passed into the blood stream to assist in digesting carbohydrates.

All the leading dog food companies state that dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates in their diet, yet they appear in very large amounts in the majority of processed foods.

Recent studies have shown that there has been some adaptation over the years in dogs’ ability to digest starch. One study comparing wolves to our domestic dogs showed that dogs of today had between 4 – 30 copies of a gene code for amylase while wolves had 2 copies. This shows that dogs may now find it easier to digest carbohydrates, but with such a large gap between 4 and 30 copies it also shows that some dogs will not thrive as well as others on a high carbohydrate diet. It comes back to the importance of treating a dog as an individual and just like ourselves, what is ideal for one person can be very detrimental to the health of another.   

Behaviour traits

Dogs still exhibit some of the behaviour traits of their ancestors and in certain breeds this will be particularly noticeable.  

Man has taken full advantage of these natural behaviours and over many hundreds of years, through selective breeding have created companions to work alongside them. This can be anything from using their natural herding instinct to manage sheep, tracking and bringing down prey to feed the owners family and retrieving shot game.

Many dogs are keen diggers and will bury food and in particular bones as if storing them for a time when food is scarce.  

Heightened senses and prey drive

All their senses are heightened, eyesight, hearing and in particular sense of smell so they can continually analyse who is approachable and where any potential food source may be.     

This strong prey drive is still noticeable today in the gundog, terrier and hound groups who are just primed to follow a scent or in the case of sight hounds to chase sudden movement.      

Instinctively driven to eat seasonal berries, grasses and herbivore droppings.

ling an empty stomach and go some way to enriching the life of a highly sensory being that is our beloved If dogs are given a large, natural environment to wander over it is surprising how much time they spend exploring, sniffing, experimenting what is edible and generally foraging. This can include a particular type of grass, seasonal berries, herbs, plant roots or tubers, clay soil or rotting wood. This could be for medicinal use, to ease a stomach upset, rid the body of parasites, provide additional fibre and moisture or to top up on minerals that are lacking in their diet.

Studies of wild canine populations demonstrate the wide variety of food stuffs that they will eat over the changing seasons. This is also dependant on location and if there is access to fallen fruit, nuts, berries, fish, small mammals or waste food from human inhabitation nearby in which to supplement the diet. 

Dogs particularly favour the droppings of herbivores such as horses, cows and deer. Although this is only digested, fermented grass and possibly hay in the case of domesticated animals, it does provide enzymes, fibre, moisture and have probiotic qualities.

What are dogs?

Set aside for a moment your views on what dogs should be eating and look instead at what Canis Lupus Familiaris, aka our dogs, actually are?

They are highly intelligent, inquisitive, scavengers, exploring their world primarily by scent. They investigate aroma, taste, texture and edibility with all their senses. They are foragers, trackers, diggers, chewers, adventurers, opportunists and hunters. They are playful, problem solvers that adapt to their environment and not only the food source that is available at that given time but also the volume and frequency of that food.

Nature has given them the anatomy and physiology to eat a vast array of food types and if it was absolutely necessary, the ability to track, catch or at least scavenge their own dinner.  

Baring all this in mind, are we not doing them a major disservice by serving up the same beige pellets in a bowl, every single day for a lifetime?

I am certainly not suggesting that you encourage or allow your dog to chase and catch wildlife, but could you offer some more enrichment at mealtimes?

This could be by adding a little steamed or pureed vegetables into their meals, a sprinkling of herbs or blackberries, offering some appropriate fresh cooked food, rotating the flavour or type of food you offer, the use of interactive food toys, snuffle mats, games in the garden that involve tracking and finding their favourite treats or food.

Eggs are great for our Dogs !

Either fed raw or lightly cooked, eggs are a valuable addition to our dogs diet.

Eggs provide a high quality, complete source of amino acids which are the building blocks of protein.

A good source of vitamin A, B12, Riboflavin, Iron, Folate, Zinc, Selenium, Fatty acids, Choline, Fat soluble vitamin E,D and K and provide the ideal ratio of calcium and phosphorous, if the shell is also fed.

Just one egg will provide 13 essential vitamins and minerals, including lutein which is essential for eye health. Egg whites contain a substance called avidin which affects the uptake of biotin, but the egg yolk has high levels of biotin. So, unless you are feeding just the egg whites on a regular basis rather than the whole egg there shouldn’t be an issue.

Egg shell can be used as a calcium supplement, and the inner membrane of the egg contains an abundance of nutrients to support joint health. This opaque membrane will provide collagen, elastin, glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid.

Feeding a selection of eggs including chicken, duck, quail and guinea fowl will offer a broader range of nutrients. One thing that is essential, is that the eggs must be free range and preferably organic as these are higher in animal welfare as well as offering higher levels of the anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids. These free range birds will have benefitted from a natural lifestyle of foraging, had sunlight on their backs and lived a more relaxed life.

The eggs pictured are from a local farm shop where the hens & ducks can be seen roaming free. The eggs are higher in nutrition as the birds have access to a natural lifestyle of foraging and I know that the shells haven`t been sprayed with chemicals unlike many supermarket eggs, which is important if you are going to feed the shells.
Duck eggs have a larger yolk to white ratio and are higher in protein, fat and contain more Omega 3.

Quail eggs although tiny, have large amounts of vitamin B1 and 5 times as much iron and potassium as hens eggs. Their protein value is 13% where as hens eggs are 11%. Quail eggs rarely cause allergies or sensitivities so worth considering if eggs normally cause problems.

Your dog will benefit from eating free range organic eggs 2-3 times a week.

Eggs can be offered whole, either raw or lightly cooked or broken onto your dogs usual food. If you would rather cook them then a scrambled or boiled egg very lightly cooked will be well received.

There are almost 200 different breeds of chickens in the world, and one hen will lay anything between 250 and 300 eggs a year !

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