Whole Bone Alternatives: When and How to Use Them in a Raw Diet
What we ideally attempt to create when feeding raw is a food modeled on the perfect food for a cat: a mouse, rat, or rabbit. This type of food is called Prey Model Raw. And mice, rats, and rabbits have bones from which our kitties derive many needed minerals, trace elements and other nutrients – not just calcium. Feeding raw, or desiring to feed raw, we already understand that it is best if nutrients are consumed in their natural, unprocessed form. Not only can processing damage nutrients, but researchers of human nutrition are learning the importance of consuming some nutrients at the same time and in the same ratios as they naturally occur. The importance of providing nutrients in as natural a form as possible cannot be stressed enough: the more we provide nutrients in an unnatural form, the more likely we are providing them in a less-than-optimal manner simply because of the oh-so-many things we don’t know.
One of the biggest advantages of creating our own cat food when compared to buying commercial processed foods is that we control the extent to which nutrients are provided in their natural form. The closer we come to this objective – the closer we are to actually recreating a mouse – the less nutritional unknowns are a factor.
That said, there are times when we need – or may temporarily need - a whole, raw bone alternative:
Alternatives to fresh, whole bones for raw feeders include:
Ground Bone
As close to natural as possible without being whole, feeding your kitty with no teeth ground food is a good option. Due to the potential for oxidation of nutrients, ground food must be at least minimally supplemented. There are several time-tested recipes for ground food available, notably Dr. Lisa Pierson’s of CatInfo.org and that of Anne Jablonsky of CatNutrition.org. For those that do not wish to invest in a grinder, you can cut the meat and organs into bite-sized pieces and use any of the other bone alternatives.
Powdered Bone Alternatives - Calculating the Calcium:Phosphorus (Ca:P) Ratio
When using powdered bone alternatives, we can no longer use PMR bone feeding percentages. The only option is to calculate a healthy calcium:phosphorus ratio (Ca:P) based on the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the product and the meat and organs we use. The ideal Ca:P ratio for cats is between 1.0 and 1.3 parts elemental calcium for each 1.0 part of phosphorus. (2) To calculate the Ca:P ratio, it is the amount of elemental calcium in the product that is used, and thus that content must be determined (often on the label, but sometimes we must contact the manufacturer). Many calcium carbonate products list the amount of “calcium” in the product, but calcium carbonate is 40% elemental calcium, not 100%. If you choose to use a supplement not covered in this article, please ensure your calculation is based on the amount of elemental calcium in the product. To determine the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the meat or organs you will be feeding, please refer to the USDA Nutrient Database. (3)
Bone Alternative amounts to use are in the raw / homemade recipes.
One of the biggest advantages of creating our own cat food when compared to buying commercial processed foods is that we control the extent to which nutrients are provided in their natural form. The closer we come to this objective – the closer we are to actually recreating a mouse – the less nutritional unknowns are a factor.
That said, there are times when we need – or may temporarily need - a whole, raw bone alternative:
- Transitioning to prey model raw
- Cats with no teeth or dental problems
- Cats with special medical needs, such as kidney disease
- Cats with impaired GI systems that make digesting and metabolizing whole bone difficult (at least initially).
Alternatives to fresh, whole bones for raw feeders include:
- Ground bone
- Powdered bone and alternatives:
- Freeze-dried bone: Microcrystalline Calcium Hydroxyapatite (MCHA)
- Eggshells (97% calcium carbonate) (1)
- Other forms of calcium, e.g. calcium carbonate
- Bone meal (not recommended, it is hard to find other than as a fertilizer)
Ground Bone
As close to natural as possible without being whole, feeding your kitty with no teeth ground food is a good option. Due to the potential for oxidation of nutrients, ground food must be at least minimally supplemented. There are several time-tested recipes for ground food available, notably Dr. Lisa Pierson’s of CatInfo.org and that of Anne Jablonsky of CatNutrition.org. For those that do not wish to invest in a grinder, you can cut the meat and organs into bite-sized pieces and use any of the other bone alternatives.
Powdered Bone Alternatives - Calculating the Calcium:Phosphorus (Ca:P) Ratio
When using powdered bone alternatives, we can no longer use PMR bone feeding percentages. The only option is to calculate a healthy calcium:phosphorus ratio (Ca:P) based on the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the product and the meat and organs we use. The ideal Ca:P ratio for cats is between 1.0 and 1.3 parts elemental calcium for each 1.0 part of phosphorus. (2) To calculate the Ca:P ratio, it is the amount of elemental calcium in the product that is used, and thus that content must be determined (often on the label, but sometimes we must contact the manufacturer). Many calcium carbonate products list the amount of “calcium” in the product, but calcium carbonate is 40% elemental calcium, not 100%. If you choose to use a supplement not covered in this article, please ensure your calculation is based on the amount of elemental calcium in the product. To determine the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the meat or organs you will be feeding, please refer to the USDA Nutrient Database. (3)
Bone Alternative amounts to use are in the raw / homemade recipes.
1. Dr. Peter Hunton, Calcium Sources for Laying Hens, Poultry Industry Council of Canada, Factsheet #133. http://www.poultryindustrycouncil.ca/pdfs/factsheets/fs_133.pdf
2. http://www.knowwhatyoufeed.com/faq.html
3. This database is updated periodically. As of the writing of this article, the current release is SR25, September 2012.
4. NutritionData.com, Nutritional Effects of Food Processing. http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/processing
2. http://www.knowwhatyoufeed.com/faq.html
3. This database is updated periodically. As of the writing of this article, the current release is SR25, September 2012.
4. NutritionData.com, Nutritional Effects of Food Processing. http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/processing