Bone Bliss

Most of us do not think of bones as a "Live Food". I myself admit that the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of giving Oliver a bone is: "Great, he will be entertained for quite a while. I can let my guard down, no worries about chewed shoes, furniture or computer cables!"
But since I was writing an article on bones for "In the Field" magazine, I decided to read again the chapter on bones of Dr. Ian Billinghurst book: Give your Dog a Bone.

It turns out that bones are living tissue and a complex source of an amazing variety of nutrients. They contain calcium, phosphorus and trace minerals in the perfect balance to be completely absorbable by your dog.
Fresh raw bones contain all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts with the exception of methionine, this makes them an excellent source of protein too.
They also contain fat rich in fat soluble vitamins A, D and E. These vitamins are key enhancers of the immune system. Chicken bones have a very high levels of essential Fatty Acids. So there you go bones are the perfect food!

You might also not be aware of the fact that all those Glucosamine supplements that you pay top dollars for are derived from bones! By feeding those large knuclebones that still have pieces of meat, cartilage and tendons, you are providing Glucosamine straight from the source. Plus the whole range of co-factors that are not yet to be recognized and therefore not present in commercial Glucosamine supplements.

If any of you have had to take a puppy to the vet to have some baby teeth removed, I am sorry to tell you that regular gnawing of raw bones would have done the job. So bones play a very important role in proper jaw development and provide excellent exercise as puppies use almost every muscle in the body to tear and chew the meat attached to bones. Once Oliver's teething (a.k.a. destructive chewing) phase is over, I will keep giving him bones regularly to keep his teeth clean.

Right now I am using bones to keep Oliver's big mouth entertained when I am trying to crate train him! I don't' recall ever having such a LOUD puppy. His mom, Holly, was the last puppy I raised and that was 4 1/2 years ago. Maybe that's it, if we did not forget we would not keep another puppy. I need earplugs!

NOTE:
Top photo: The tiny bit of bone on the right is what is left of what started as the huge bone on the left after several hours of blissful chewing done by my older dogs!