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Should I worry about meat and bone meal or Milk-Bones for my dog?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 5 years and 10 months old | 17 lbs

What does meat and bone meal mean in dog treats/ food? Is this an unhealthy ingredient? Why or why not? are milkbones an acceptable treat for my dog?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 17th, 2018

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chloe. The pet food industry and its terminology can be very confusing. Meat generally refers to skeletal muscle tissue from the animal source (chicken, beef, etc). Meal meal is formed from tissue leftover after slaughter. It is cooked down and dried to be added as a protein source. Bone meal refers to ground bone and adds calcium and phosphorus to the diet. Milk bones are nice treats for dogs as then come in very small sizes. This helps with portion control as many peta are overweight. I have attached an article that will explain this further. I hope this information helps! http://news.vet.tufts.edu/2017/02/unwholesome-ingredients-in-your-dogs-food/

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