For decades our dogs have been eating a diet regarded as a completely balanced convenience break-through. Heavily advertised, the “best way” to feed a dog was gently shoved down our throats by the Pet Food Companies. For decades we believed them and our dogs have been the losers.

Slowly doubts arose. Breeders noted more allergies and cancers in their lines. The teeth of many dogs were rotting, and their gums were red, swollen, and infected. Lethargy and dull coats became more common. Breeders wondered at problems with joints and hips, kidneys, the pancreas, and even heart disease. What caused these horrible conditions and why were they becoming so common?

The concept is an old one. Compare your dog with a wild dog. Apart from a few breed specifics, they are essentially the same. The years have not changed the canine’s intestinal or digestive capabilities. What do foxes eat? Foxes love chicken, not boned or cooked, not just the by-products, but the entire chicken, bones and all! And of course he never built himself a fire to cook the chicken, but if he had, he would have had to forego the bones because they get brittle and splinter once they are cooked. So the fox ate the whole chicken a-natural. He also feasted on small rodents, rabbits, fallen ripe fruit - maybe even a bit of vegetation. In fact, he loved to eat the intestines of his victim - the intestines contain much varied vegetable matter all crushed up ready for him to ingest.

Everyone tries to tell us that dogs must not ever eat bones of any shape or form. Why? I can’t answer that as I can see no reason to deprive a dog his right to eat what he was designed to eat. The reasons, if they even have a reason, are often unfounded or not substantiated.

Bacteria! Raw meat does carry bacteria like Salmonella, and other deadly-to-human bacteria. However, when we compare a human’s digestive system to that of a dog we begin to understand how the dog’s digestive system can handle these bacteria. The dog’s digestive intestinal tract is substantially shorter than that of a human and this is precisely why these bacteria are dangerous to us. With our long intestinal tract, bacteria have ample opportunity to wreak havoc, a dog rarely has a problem unless the dog is very ill. Certainly the average healthy pet is more than able to cope with bacteria in small numbers. The benefits of raw meaty bones, with all their active natural enzymes, are too essential to the dog’s system to ignore. Of course, you should not feed your dog over handled, poorly stored raw meat. Instead, purchase your dog’s meat from the same source that you buy your own and buy lesser cuts of meat.

Bones are dangerous, they would have us believe. Yet, the same vet that tells you never to feed your dogs bones will sell you a raw-hide chew that can be just as deadly, if not more so. The truth is that COOKED bones are dangerous. Never feed dogs cooked bones; there is no benefit and far more risk of splintering than with raw bones. In fact, raw chicken bones are soft, as they are generally from very young birds. These bones are easily munched and crunched and supply so many valuable nutrients to your dog. A raw-hide or Nylabone type chew is a piece of dead matter. Rawhide offers little more than a slimy mess and I have experienced the personal trauma of trying to retrieve one of these from my dog's throat.

I have fed hundreds of chicken wings, necks, and carcasses, not to mention beef necks, lamb shanks, and pork joints and I have never ever had one negative incident. Instead, I have happy and appreciative canines. Zero problems, just healthy wonderful mouths with a lovely fresh breath.

Dry dogs biscuits and bone-like chew biscuits accomplish very little when it comes to teeth cleaning. This is a huge consideration when considering the benefits of raw bones, as decay on a dog's teeth can kill it. Canine dentistry is a thriving business.  Why? Because we’re told not to feed our dogs bones - and to date there is no substitute for a good old-fashioned raw bone for cleaning teeth. Nutritional benefits aside, raw bones are still the best tooth-brushing devise available to a dog.

Of course, there is a lot more to feeding a raw diet than bones, but that pretty much sums up the basics of the diet. Choose bones that contain an adequate amount of meat on them (for this reason, neck and back bones are great). The exercise that dogs get ripping that meat off is another great benefit. They work for their food and thoroughly enjoy themselves in the process. A raw bone with some meat attached provides protein, essential fat, calcium, minerals and many vitamins and anti-oxidants + exercise and muscle work + psychologically rewards. The benefits are profound! It is beyond me why this has become taboo!

Though a balanced diet requires other nutrients, I can assure you though that you will not get that balance out of a bag or can. Only the dog himself really knows what he needs in his diet, and no kibble will ever totally balance your dog's diet.

One thing that wild dogs did not eat in abundance was cereal products. Many dry foods contain huge amounts of wheat or soy-based products that are, in most cases, discarded refuse not suitable for human use. Various government regulations stipulate the listing of labeled ingredients. The Dog Food Industry cleverly splits names, which give the illusion that the main ingredient is meat. Various versions of the same ingredient, may, if their weights were combined, actually outweigh the meat that heads the ingredients list.

Speaking of that meat content - look hard at what type of meat is specified. There have been disturbing reports from the USA and Canada about euthanized dogs and cats, road kill, and diseased animals being recycled at rendering plants and then sold as meat, meat-by products, or animal fat to some Commercial Dog Food Manufacturers. Even a chicken label will only guarantee you that it’s chicken parts - don’t expect the breast meat! Let the buyer beware...and get educated.

Before you throw out that bag of food, consider that incorrect feeding of a home prepared ‘natural’ diet is not much better than a kibble diet. I would hate to see us, in the process of eliminating commercial foods, take several steps backward, only to find a new range of problems with dogs on all-meat diets. I would strongly urge anyone keen to feed their dog a raw diet first learn a little of the nutrient requirements of your dog. Feeding kibble for simple convenience is an injustice to our loyal and loving pets. I would not feed my children like this and I find it sad that people feel that their dogs are not worth a little time and effort. In all reality, placing some chicken necks in a bowl with a few added ingredients is as simple for me (and less hard on the nose) as opening a can of dog food. If people cannot justify spending 10 minutes a day preparing a nutritional meal for their dogs I question why they have a dog at all. Rare it is to find human devotion equal to that of our dogs. Surely, they are worth a few minutes of time to guarantee them a good meal.