Feeding Cats & Dogs Bones

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Feeding cats and dogs bones

.In the wild, catching and eating prey has always involved the consumption of bones so it follows that eating raw bones is as natural for or pet dogs and cats as it is for their wild cousins. Not only are bones nutritionally beneficial for your pet providing a highly digestible source of calcium and playing an integral role in dental hygiene – the macerating action as your pet chews massaging gums and teeth and cleaning away food residue and tartar.

The best bone for dogs

Select bones according to the size of the dog that’s eating them. Large dogs can handle lamb necks and shanks, whole rabbits and chickens or chicken carcasses and kangaroo tails. Small breeds can tackle chicken frames, chicken necks or wings, lamb flaps, brisket bones and ribs.



Tips for feeding dogs bones

Pick size-appropriate bones so they are eaten, not left lying around.
Select bones with some meat remaining that will encourage your dog to exercise their front incisor teeth while tearing at the meat.
Avoid cooked bones and bones of a size that they can be swallowed whole.
Avoid very large beef leg bones (marrow bones) as they are extremely tough and can fracture teeth.
The best bones for cats

.Cats prefer softer, smaller bones than dogs. Chicken necks and wings with the skin removed, rabbit pieces and kangaroo tails tend to be most popular. Many people I see at my practice don’t think cats can eat bones, but I’ve seen my cats devour a rabbit headfirst. It’s not that they can’t eat bones, it’s just that many cats don’t want the hard work!








Tips for feeding cats bones

Start your cat on bones early – as a kitten if possible – and make bone feeds a regular routine.
Tempt a fussy cat by turning bone feeding into a game, tying a raw bone to a piece of string and playing ‘cat and mouse’ with it until your cat is super keen to get a hold of the reward
Frequency of bone feeding

Puppies and kittens can tackle soft macerated meat and bone pieces as soon as they develop their milk teeth, at around four to five weeks old and should have a bone offering every day during their growth phase.


For cats and small breed dogs, this daily bone feed routine ends around six to 12 months of age, for medium sized dogs at 12 to 18 months, and for large and giant breeds, at two years old.


Adult dogs and cats can still happily eat a bone every day, but can get by with bones at least twice weekly. Feed older pets bones more frequently to match their increased calcium requirement and help prevent arthritis.