In the 80/10/10 model, that middle 10% is raw edible bone—and it does a specific, important job: it's the primary source of calcium and the mineral balance that keeps your dog's diet complete.
Why bone matters
A muscle-meat-and-organ diet without bone is dangerously low in calcium and skewed in its calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. Raw edible bone corrects that. It's not filler—it's structural to the whole model.
Raw bone only—never cooked
This is the one safety rule that's non-negotiable: never feed cooked bones. Cooking makes bone brittle and prone to splintering, which can cause serious internal injury. Raw edible bone is pliable and digestible. Good options include chicken necks, wings, and carcasses, or other appropriately sized soft bones matched to your dog.
The digestion feedback loop
Bone content shows up quickly in the litter test. Too much bone produces hard, white, crumbly stools and possible constipation. Too little produces loose, dark stools. A firm, well-formed stool is the sign your bone ratio is dialed in.
Match bone size to your dog
Always supervise, and choose bones sized appropriately so they're chewed rather than gulped. When in doubt, coarse-ground raw meaty bones remove the choking risk entirely while still delivering the calcium.
Balancing bone across rotating proteins is exactly what our Feeding System calculates for you.
Educational only—not veterinary advice. Always supervise your dog with raw meaty bones.
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