Raw bones can be a healthy and safe part of your dog's balanced diet.

Offering nutritional, physical and mental benefits, raw bones have been a necessity to the canine species' wellbeing for thousands of years. And it's no wonder—they help clean teeth, distract from negative behavior and provide much-needed nutrients.

If you've ever done any research on the subject, I'm sure you've noticed the back and forth between dog experts about the pros and cons of feeding raw bones. I'm on the pro side of the argument. I'm a huge fan of raw bones as they provide a slew of health and wellness benefits for my dog. Completely digestible and perfectly natural, raw bones are an important part of his daily diet.

Two Ways to Feed Raw Bones:

1) Grinding bone and adding it to his food - If you're planning on grinding bones, choose soft, hollow bones like the wings or necks of poultry. These can be crushed in a meat grinder and added to your dog’s food. 2) Giving him a large bone (for recreational purposes) to chew on - Go with a hip or femur bone from large animals like cows and bison, which are filled with marrow.

Raw Bones Help Clean Teeth

If you don't brush your dog's teeth with a toothbrush, you need another way to get the tarter off those chompers (especially the back molars) to keep them pearly white. Excess tartar build-up causes bad breath, cavities, gingivitis, and can lead to expensive teeth scaling and extractions that can only be performed by a vet. When your dog chews on a raw bone, it helps to stimulate saliva enzymes when given after a meal. All he needs is 10 or 15 minutes to help remove trapped food particles from the teeth.

Minerals and Nutrients

Raw bones can be a fantastic source of minerals and other nutrients. Because bones are composed of calcium phosphate, a mineral that aids your dog's proper growth, a raw bone can help a canine's skeletal system to regenerate and adapt. In fact, the calcium in raw bones can be up to four times more digestible than most commonly available calcium supplements. Raw bones are especially important for large-breed puppies—these pups tend to grow quickly and need the extra calcium phosphate boost.

Unwanted Chewing Habits

Does your dog excessively self-lick, scratch and exhibit other nervous behaviors? A raw bone can help divert his attention away from these destructive behaviors and promote a new, positive chewing habit.

After Dinner Snack

If your dog likes his food a little too much or needs to be distracted from your meal time, let him chew on a raw bone. It helps satiate your dog's appetite and will allow you to enjoy your dinner in peace.

Keeps Tummy Troubles Away

Keep your dog's stomach in good working order with raw bones. It's beneficial for his digestive tract as it offers a cleansing and scouring effect on his system. By providing extra roughage in your dog's diet, he'll be a lot more regular at potty time, and it'll stimulate anal gland emptying.

All-Natural Habit

Chewing is a natural instinct for dogs. I prefer to nurture it with a quality raw bone instead of a factory-made plastic substitute that has no nutritional value. Besides, your dog loves that raw bone's yummy taste and the mental stimulation. Plus, all that chewing is a wonderful workout for your dog's jaw muscles. It's important to note that if you're giving your dog a bone, you should be monitoring this activity. That's because you want to make sure the bone doesn't break off into pieces he can swallow or choke on. And be sure change up their recreational bones on a regular basis (after a few days), so you and your dog don't have to deal with any nasty (and dangerous) bacteria.

I've been giving my dog raw bones since he was a puppy, and he's enjoyed impeccable dental health. I love that it helps keep him busy and away from other chewing distractions… like my shoes!