Overview
Yes. Bone meal added to commercial dog food is safe for dogs to eat. Dogs benefit from the high calcium and phosphorus content. Garden-grade bone meal poses toxic risks and contamination. Excessive consumption can cause mineral imbalance.
Can dogs eat Bone Meal?
Benefits
- Bone meal refers to the ground animal bones of cattle, pig, or poultry used in commercial dog food as a rich source of calcium and phosphorus, which promotes neuromuscular functions.
- Bone meal helps to achieve the ideal calcium to phosphorus ratio of 1.2:1 to 1.4:1 for adult dogs. Without the right supplementation of these minerals, the ratio tends to become imbalanced.
- Adding bone meal to dog food prevents nutritional deficiencies in dog’s diet without having to rely on man-made additives.
Risks
- It’s easy to oversupplement with bone meal. When this happens, it can cause mineral imbalances in adult dogs. For instance, high calcium levels can result in skeletal deformities. Additionally, overdosing on these minerals can put stress on the kidneys.
- Contamination is possible when using the wrong kind of bone meal. Non-food grade bone meal (such as those found in garden fertilizers) may contain heavy metals, such as lead or arsenic. They are not suitable for canine consumption.
- Low-quality bone meal may still be contaminated with bacteria due to wrong processing methods (e.g. low temperature). This may result in digestive problems in dogs.
Servings
- Choose bone meal products specifically made for animal consumption.
- Do not use garden or agricultural bone meal.
- When making homemade bone meal, make sure that the bones are pulverized and no shards remain.
- Consult your vet for the correct amount of bone meal appropriate for your dog.
