Raw food advocates say that giving your dog bones is integral to the success of the “natural” diet. But is it safe to feed bones to dogs?

Bones are usually the issue that sticks in the craw of many people who are thinking of feeding their dogs according to the diet plan called BARF, a humorous acronym for “bones and raw foods,” or sometimes, “biologically appropriate raw foods.”

We’ve all been told that bones are dangerous, that dogs can choke on them, that they can cause teeth to fracture, that they can obstruct or perforate the bowel with potentially fatal consequences.

A 7-week-old Bernese puppy chews happily on a chicken neck. Dr. Billinghurst suggests starting pups as young as 2-3 weeks on raw meaty bones.

Yet dog owners who advocate the diet rave about their dogs’ beautiful coats, tartar-free teeth, and sparkling good health. Not surprisingly, the subject has taken on emotional overtones, with people taking strong (and usually inflexible) positions…

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