Can I feed my dog extra bones?
Raw, uncooked bones are a great inclusion into your dog’s diet as they provide a natural source of calcium and glucosamine-chondroitin which help strengthen bones and joints.
Our dog food recipes already contain approximately 10% crushed bone and cartilage, however whole bones are also great for dental health as they’re known as natures toothbrush. If you were looking to add whole bones to your dog’s diet ensure that you adjust their overall intake as both our recipes and a bone could cause too much calcium and result in white stools.
We recommend to feed a raw meaty bone in replacement of a similar sized portion of your dog’s food. Ensure to feed bones suitable for teeth cleaning such as chicken, turkey or beef bones and stay away from weight-bearing bones that may have the potential to cause harm. Get in touch with us if you were having trouble choosing the right bone-size for your pup and remember, feeding bones should always be a supervised activity.
Related FAQs
Can puppies eat raw bones?
Yes, puppies can eat raw bones, always supervise this activity. From about 3 months old you can introduce them to poultry bones. We recommend poultry bones for puppies as they’re softer on puppy teeth.
How strictly do I need to adhere to your feeding guidelines for my dog?
Our feeding guidelines that are located on our packaging and website are a guide. It's important to remember that your pet's metabolism, breed, size, age and activity level may affect their overall nutritional requirements. The important thing to focus on ultimately is that your pet is within a healthy weight range. Use our feeding guide as a starting point, feed and monitor their weight and adjust their feeding amount if required.
Our feeding guide is based on the life stage and energy requirements of your dog.
The calculation uses:
Resting Energy Requirements (RER)
Body Weight (BW)
Maintenance Energy Requirements (MER)
Life Stage Factor
Calculation:
RER= BW(kg)0.75 x 70
MER= RER x life stage factor
Refer to link for example calculation and life stage factors:
Many people wish to include a serve of meaty bones for dental health and treats for rewards and / or training - these also need to be considered as part of the daily energy from food being provided to your pet.
Dr Nicole's article on weight management for pets.
Introducing our Kangaroo recipe to your dog
Kangaroo is a very rich tasting, 'gamey' meat. Some dogs will love the unique taste while others may regurgitate or reject the food and need a slow introduction.
How often should I feed my puppy?
Puppies and kittens should be fed more regularly than adults.
A rough guide for your puppy or kitten would be:
2-4 months: 4 meals per day
4-6 months: 3 meals per day
6-12 months: 2 meals per day
Puppies and kittens require more food, more regularly than an adult dog or cat due to the amount of growing and developing they will be doing in the first 6 or so months of their lives. Making sure they get adequate nutrients regularly in this life stage is essential.
Allowing pregnant and lactating pets to feed as often as they want is ideal.
Are low fat diets suitable for puppies?
We generally don’t recommend our Kangaroo recipe for puppies who need a higher fat diet to fuel them as they grow. In instances where a puppy has a suspected allergy and a low allergen protein, like Kangaroo is suitable, extra fat will need to be added to the diet to increase these levels for puppies, or you will need to feed MORE of these recipes to make sure they're getting enough calories each day.
Puppies requiring single protein diets can eat our Turkey or Goat single protein recipes.
Which product should I feed my dog?
Big Dog has a product suitable for dogs of all shapes and sizes.
Our core range of diets are flavour based, mixed protein diets that provide all the macro and micronutrients your dog needs to be healthy and happy. These include protein, amino acids, healthy fats (including omega-3 fatty acids), moisture, antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics, fibre, phytonutrients, active enzymes and essential vitamins and minerals. Mixed protein raw food diets, most closely represent an evolutionary diet. The predominant protein source in each of our core diet range represents the flavour of that product. Our core range consists of Beef, Chicken, Tasmanian Salmon, Lamb, and Combo (combo being a mix of all those proteins).
Our single protein, allergy range is formulated for dogs with food intolerances to certain meats, most commonly being beef and chicken. As a single protein diet, our Kanga and Turkey diets contain only muscle meat, offal and bone of these species. Additionally, Kanga is a low fat option that may be suitable for overweight dogs.
Our Scientific range has been formulated to address dogs with health conditions, assisting from the inside out. The Sensitive Skin diet contains an abundance of natural anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids designed to promote healthy skin, coat and a stronger immune system, as well as long term healing and reduction of potential future skin issues. Our Wellbeing Diet has been specifically formulated to support dogs with common chronic health conditions including arthritis, pancreatic issues, liver problems, renal conditions and some cancers. It is lower in fat with a mixture of traditional healing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and health-promoting herbs.
Nourish Nutrition has two specialised recipes, Optimal Support and Joint+ Support. Nourish Nutrition is a targeted range of raw, functional diets designed to support dogs managing chronic health conditions, naturally. Backed by research and crafted with care, each recipe combines whole-food ingredients with functional nutrients to delivery gentle, effective support for joint, immune, and organ health. Trusted by pet parents and vets alike, Nourish Nutrition offers a holistic, science-informed approach to feeding our pets.
For more information on each product, see our products page for dogs.