What Are the Healthiest Dog Chew Bones? My Gardening Day with a Twist

I volunteer at the community garden several times a year, teaching neighborhood kids about where food comes from, the joy of growing your own, plus some organic farming secrets I've picked up along the way. My terrier Pixie joined me today. The kids love her. As I'm chatting about growing the biggest carrots and keeping the cabbage worms at bay without synthetic pesticides, my girl enjoys one of her favorite healthy treats for dogs.

Healthy dog bones are a thing around my house. Since my real kids left for college, my three dogs have all but replaced them, or at least my significant other thinks so. I spoil them endlessly but also want them to stay healthy and strong. That's why I, too, wanted to know: what are the healthiest dog chew bones?

Here's what I've found out.

What Is the Healthiest Chew Bone for Dogs?

Spoiler alert! They're real, all-natural, single-ingredient grass-fed beef bones for cattle raised in the USA. These healthy dog bones check all my boxes for healthfulness. In the midst of explaining the health perks of sustainable gardening practices, it's easy for me to see that when searching for the healthiest dog chew bones I need to consider what makes a dog bone healthy. Let's break it down!

Natural Ingredients

You already know that ultra-processed dog treats, rubber toys, or, worse, those containing microplastics aren't natural. But what is natural anyway? Wood pulp is natural. It's made out of trees. But would your furry friend eat a tree in the wild? Not if they had any other choice.

Dogs are descended from wolves. They want to eat meat, chew on dog bones covered in meaty goodness, and lick the nutrient-dense bone marrow out. I can talk all day with the neighborhood kids about why eating their vegetables is important for their health.

But for dogs, the answer is clear. The most natural thing dogs chew is real bones—preferably those that retain nutrition-dense meaty bits and bone marrow.

High Nutritional Value

A dog bone is more than a treat when you get marrow-filled bones. The best bones for dogs are loaded with lots of nutrients that my Pixie needs for skin, coat, bones, joints, heart, immunity, and overall health, such as:

• Glucosamine and Chondroitin can promote joint mobility and comfort.
• Collagen is a protein used to coat and nourish skin, as well as strengthen bones and joints.
• Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that reduces the oxidative stress that leads to premature cellular aging and some diseases, including the big C.
• Vitamin D is important for bone strength, immune health, and much more.
• B12 is important for metabolism, brain health, and mood support
• Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid found in greater abundance in grass-fed beef marrow bones. It's good for the heart, brain, and immune system.
• Omega 6 is an essential fatty acid that helps regulate the body's inflammatory responses, reproductive health, and bone, skin, and hair growth.

Omega 6 has been getting a bad rap in the health news recently, so I want to set the record straight. Omega 6 is essential, meaning humans and dogs can't make it and need some for health. While humans often get too much Omega 6 because of ultra-processed and fried foods, dogs do not—unless my son has been feeding Pixie chicken nuggets under the table again.

Free Marrow Refill Recipe Guide

Promoting Self-Care

When you give your dog one of those processed treats filled with sugar and preservatives, they eat it, and it's gone. I'm sure it tastes good.

But these kinds of treats don't feed a dog's instinct to gnaw. Dogs gnaw on bones for entertainment, alleviating boredom, and managing stress. When dogs do not have appropriate things to chew on, they may find something in your house, like a table leg or your brand-new running shoes.

Instead of getting mad at my sweet baby for chewing on things, I want to realize why they do it—and give that dog a bone.

Supporting Dental Health

Dogs may have developed the need to chew because this is how they clean their teeth. They scrape plaque off their teeth with the surface and massage their gums to promote healthy gum tissues. This, in turn, keeps their teeth healthier and intact longer.

While on this topic, I want to mention the importance of choosing the right bone for dental health. Bone density matters here. If the bone is too hard, it can shatter their teeth. That's not supportive of dental health. Smoked bones are cooked at a slow and low temperature. This gives the bone the right texture for healthy gnawing—not too soft, not too hard. Smoking also locks in flavors and kills pathogens, further making dog bones healthy treats for dogs.

What About Rawhide Dog Bones?

Rawhide bones are made out of dried animal skin. They shape it like a bone. This type of dog bone fills the need to chew, dental health, and self-care. But you asked: what are the healthiest dog chew bones? That's not rawhide.

There are several reasons I don't give it to my dogs.

1. It often contains traces of toxic chemicals used in the drying process. These include sodium sulfide, chromium salts, lime, and bleach. To be fair, much of this gets washed off or evaporates, but it's still not ideal for my spoiled pooches.
2. Dogs don't eat dried rawhide in nature, so I call it unnatural.
3. Rawhide can break off and pose a choking hazard, especially if you have an aggressive chewer.

And finally, the nutritional content is nowhere near that of meaty marrow-filled beef bones. Rawhide contains some protein and a little fiber.

Best Bones for Dogs

Now that we have established that the best chew bones are real, I want to summarize some other characteristics I look for in a healthy dog bone.

• Beef bones because they don't splinter and aren't easily swallowed when sized correctly for my dog.
• Grass-fed beef bones because they're higher in vitamins and Omega 3 and lower in saturated fat.
• From herds raised in the USA because I like to support local farmers and our economy.
• From cattle aged 29 months or younger so they have denser, more nutritious bones.
• Slow and low smoked bones instead of raw, boiled, dinner bones, old bone broth bones, etc., because they're prepared to the right density to protect teeth

A Day Well Spent

Today was a great day. I got to inspire the next generation to think about where food comes from and to learn how rewarding it can be to grow some of your own food. I think we'll have plenty of new community garden volunteers helping us out this year.

For me, choosing to buy healthy dog bones for my furry kids is just an extension of my commitment to my own health and that of my family. Knowing what the healthiest dog chew bones just comes down to doing a little research and watching how content Pixie looks when I give her these healthy treats for dogs.

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