We have been feeding raw meaty bones for over a year now. Gigi lost her last baby teeth about two months ago, saved us $100. Our little maltipoo (2 mos) is the latest addition and receives the benefits of eating raw. She does love to graze but we take the bone away immediately because she is not strong enough to break the bones yet, besides the other two eat it quickly. We haven't had any problems. The benefits include their feces disintergrate within 24 hours, no smell; they're not as thirsty as those fed on commercial dog food. While our first dog had bouts of diarrhea it was because she was detoxing from commercial foods. Gigi didn't have that problem and transitioned rather well. I do know of our good friend who had to take their dog to the vet for surgery ($6K later) to remove the abcess caused by feeding him cooked bones.
I've learned from my last dog that there is a high number of dogs with strange diseases that weren't around when I was a child. I figure if they were supposed to be non-meat eaters then they wouldn't have teeth to tear meat. I did do research before we acquired our first dog and the history of the commercial dog and cat industry and was quite shocked. I could go on and on but it comes down to a personal decision. All in all, I approach my family's health as well as our animals' health from a holistic angle. I'm a firm believer that an ounce of prevention is always worth more than a pound of cure.
