Hi Karen,

I’m always grateful for information such as this, and always feel free to add links to any articles you may have (which haven’t sadly been removed from Facebook!)

I suppose in rural areas you’re more limited to stockfeed and pet stores selling cheap feed? I wonder if there are any solutions to making raw meats/bones more readily available in rural areas? I expect the issue is more logistics rather than competition from budget pet food brands.

IMO, dogs need large pieces of meat to chew, plus bones and other options. People with large dogs, unless they feed whole prey or body parts, this is challenging for them.

I don’t brush, but I do apply other options to the gums/teeth and mouth.

My youngest who was weaned onto raw, his teeth have been excellent. He turned 10 this year and the only vet intervention he’s needed was last year, one of his pre-molars fell out. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything left behind, so I had an xray done, and at the same time I ordered a dental clean. I figured, why not, that way hI can start again from a clean slate.
The Xray was all good, but as I suspected he had some tartar on the inside of his molars, the most challenging area, UNLESS the appropriate bones can be sourced.

What I’m trying to say is.. if anyone has a challenge sourcing suitable bones, just know there are other options you can apply as a layered effect.. which DO work, I know this from my own experience. The hard dehydrated chews work great for small/med dogs.

About 8 yrs ago I published a comprehensive post in A Nature Intended, but FB went and removed it 5 yrs later! So I’ve had to find other means to get this information out there. I will endeavour.

Keep up the great work David

Job well done!

Hi Sam,

There’s benefits for both. The ZIWI shanks are tough and long lasting, whereas raw lamb shanks also do a great job of cleaning teeth as well as being a healthy satisfying meal.

Caveats – raw shanks tend to be better for medium/large breeds, must be raw (never cooked), and if your dog isn’t used to raw bones then keep tabs until they’re used to it.

It depends on the chewing habits of your dog. Does your dog tend to gulp things?

Witht he bully sticks Joe, are you worried about the end piece being swallowed whole and do you use one of those gadgets to stop that ? We got one bag and then freaked out about that issue sadly.

Hi… when you say lamb shank do you mean dried like ZiwiPeak or fresh ? Would love more info. Thanks.

They’ve also recently upgraded their shark cartilage chews into a longer lasting stick form which are excellent teeth cleaners.