Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health

by Tom Lonsdale

Times change. However, our pets' nutritional needs remain the same as their wild ancestors millennia ago.

Cats, dogs and ferrets need raw meaty bones to stay strong, healthy and happy. This timeless truth, however, has been lost to pet owners, with disastrous consequences.

In Raw Meaty Promote Health, 'whistleblower vet' Dr Tom Lonsdale draws upon decades of research to explain how industrial diets devastate pets' health, with tartar-encrusted teeth, sore gums and stinky breath signalling the downward spiral of sickness, suffering and endless trips to the vet.

He shows why dogs and cats crave the ripping, tearing and crunching of raw meaty bones - nature's miracle treatment and preventative. As well as providing the right nutrition, the tough, chewy texture has medicinal keeping their teeth clean, gums healthy and breath sweet. This, in turn, benefits their immune system, heart, liver, lungs and kidneys.

First published in 2001, and still as relevant today, Raw Meaty Bones makes no apology, exposing a veterinary profession lost without a moral compass, beholden to multinational 'junk pet food' companies.

The pet health revolution starts here, protecting your pets, your wallet, and the natural environment.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Dogs, Health

500 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 14, 2001

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally heard about this on NPR, immediately got this book and another and was sold. 10 year later, my dog still does absolutely great on this diet. I will do it with every dog I ever own.

[Literary Titan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health, by Dr. Tom Lonsdale, is an eye-opening exploration into the world of pet nutrition. It challenges the norm with a bold proposition: the best diet for our carnivorous companions is one that mimics their natural eating habits, primarily consisting of raw meaty bones. Through an engaging narrative, Lonsdale critically examines the pet food industry and its impact on pet health, offering a fresh perspective on what truly constitutes a healthy diet for domesticated animals.

Dr. Lonsdale's writing style is a blend of informative and persuasive, making complex veterinary concepts accessible to a broad audience. His arguments are well-structured, guiding the reader through a logical progression of ideas from the problems inherent in commercial pet foods to the benefits of a natural diet. The book provides a passionate and dedicated perspective on the pet food industry, offering insights that will be enlightening to many readers. While Lonsdale's enthusiasm is clear throughout the text, it also opens up opportunities for readers to seek out additional, varied viewpoints to enrich their understanding. This approach highlights the importance of a multifaceted discussion in scientific matters and encourages readers to explore the topic further to form a well-rounded opinion.

The most compelling parts of the book are the case studies and personal anecdotes from Lonsdale's veterinary practice. These real-life examples effectively illustrate the health transformations pets can undergo when switched to a diet of raw meaty bones. The book thoroughly examines the pet food industry, presenting its critique with a depth that emphasizes the author's deep commitment to animal welfare. The book is very detailed. It serves to ensure the reader fully understands the complex issues at hand. This reflects the author's passion for the topic and their desire to inform and educate readers about important aspects of animal care.

Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health is an enlightening read that challenges conventional pet nutrition wisdom. It's a valuable resource for pet owners seeking to improve their pets' health through diet, as well as for those interested in a critical look at the pet food industry. This book is especially recommended for pet owners who are exploring natural diets for their pets and veterinary professionals interested in alternative perspectives on pet nutrition.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review for Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale

Apologies for my late review but I have been unwell for the last few days. I found this book to be a fascinating read as I'm a cat owner of three cats at the moment and I have had many cats over the years. I found it interesting that it mentioned feeding raw meat to help protect the teeth as I can't see my current three touching it! They are very picky and unfortunately, my youngest girl has suffered with her gums since being a kitten. One vet did help me source food for her but after a while she wouldn't eat it. It might be different if you started your kitten on raw food from the start but where would you source it from? Can chewing toys help promote teeth and gum health? I can't remember vets from years ago talking about plague and bad teeth but they definitely do nowadays. Especially when the inoculations are due and they do a health check. Plague build up does get mentioned. This is definitely an enlightening read. It appears it caused quite a stir at the time when it was first mentioned in the veterinary world. This could be an interesting series.

Blurb :

Times change. However, our pets' nutritional needs remain the same as their wild ancestors millennia ago.
Cats, dogs and ferrets need raw meaty bones to stay strong, healthy and happy. This timeless truth, however, has been lost to pet owners, with disastrous consequences.
In Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health, 'whistleblower vet' Dr Tom Lonsdale draws upon decades of research to explain how industrial diets devastate pets' health, with tartar-encrusted teeth, sore gums and stinky breath signalling the downward spiral of sickness, suffering and endless trips to the vet.
He shows why dogs and cats crave the ripping, tearing and crunching of raw meaty bones - nature's miracle treatment and preventative. As well as providing the right nutrition, the tough, chewy texture has medicinal benefits: keeping their teeth clean, gums healthy and breath sweet. This, in turn, benefits their immune system, heart, liver, lungs and kidneys.
First published in 2001, and still as relevant today, Raw Meaty Bones makes no apology, exposing a veterinary profession lost without a moral compass, beholden to multinational 'junk pet food' companies.
The pet health revolution starts here, protecting your pets, your wallet, and the natural environment.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I saw the book blurb, I knew it was a book I wanted to read.
It triggered a long-buried memory – a research paper I read a decade or so ago about cat food. I don’t remember the exact wording, but it was about the scam of it being “balanced” and “the best a cat can get”. It was basically about how it was not made to have the ingredients that are the best for the pet, it was how it was made “good enough” for the animal to stay alive. Not to thrive, but to survive. But it’s sold as the responsible choice for anyone who gets a pet. That one research paper back then sent me down the rabbit hole of reading what pet food actually is and what it isn’t. So, OF COURSE I wanted to read this book too. OF COURSE.
By the way, there is more than one book by this author. But today let’s talk about this one.
On one hand, this book felt like home. Because, you know, it all has the same beliefs and ideas I accepted long time ago as true, and I have done so much reading about what pets really need. On the other hand, it made me think even more and even deeper about all the pet food industry in general. And, it made me realize that my thinking has some huge blind spots. To be more specific, the role of food additives in causing hyperactivity and other health problems. The author is drawing parallels between human and animal dietary needs when it comes to FOOD ADDITIVES. How come I never thought about those in pet food? Omg. Furthermore, the author also mentions the veterinary industry's reliance on commercial pet food, and that is something I hadn’t thought about before also. Really.
Do you have a dog? If you do, get this book. And get your dog a few bones to crunch. As it will take at least a few days for the book to reach you (and then a few more for you to read it), let me quickly tell you why your dog needs those bones NOW. Teeth, you want your dog to have healthy teeth. Healthy gums, as it could have massive effect on the jaws and gums. EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, you do want your dog to be happy, right? Immune system support. And finally, natural instincts – all dogs have those and meeting those makes any dog happy. But the book goes into it all deep. DEEP.

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

us that dogs and cats are carnivores or at least in dogs cases omnivores and require the right nutrition. I have to say as a pet parent it’s certainly alarming if you look at the ingredients of pet food there is often little meat or fish content and rather we find crude ash and numerous other fillers that make up the composition. Dr Lonsdale highlights this and how by switching to ‘Raw Meaty Bones’ not only benefits your pet physically but allows them to indulge in their natural instincts. I can honestly say I really enjoyed this book, it offers fact based research and insight and best of all helped solidify how we’ve been feeding our feline and canine babies too.
As always thank you to ZooLoo’s Book Tours, publishers and author for the copy to review. My reviews are always given freely and my honest opinion of the book is given.

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Work Wonders: Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale is a gem of a book about Dogs and how the author writes this book from a dog's perspective. I mean the author does talk as a human being and a veterinary doctor however he gives the readers a different pov from dogs about their diet and how a raw diet is better for your dog overall. I liked the writing of the author, you can tell after all of his years of research that he has done a great job on finding out more about dogs and their wants and needs. I also loved the little cartoon drawings as I read the book, that made the book for me! The author goes into the reasons why feeding a raw diet to canines is a wise idea, which has to do with species and other canine sub species in particular. I found this book to be filled with resources on where to find these raw bones and such for dogs and also why we need to feed canines these instead of processed store bought food. If you have a dog that you care about this is the book for you to feed your dog and have them be healthy and happy!

[Lisa reads alot Hamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, we all hear now about the benefits of a raw food diet for our pets rather than off the shelf dog and cat food, well this book gives all the science behind it.
To be quite honest it makes a lot of sense especially the link between processed food and oral health.
Pet food companies are clearly a for profit industry but seeing the consequences for these diets is outrageous.
A really interesting read with lots of factual information.

[Richard]

DNF. It seems this book is aimed more at veterinary professionals. It is readable. I enjoyed the first few chapters on the battles with the Australian veterinary association. I’m told “Work Wonders” by the same author is the pet owner version.

[Mmandlivelazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to it via audio book, got really technical at times but fun to read and great enough for me to want to buy so I can have it to look back and reference some key points.

[Claire Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

🦴 A bone to pick with the industry, and plenty to chew on 🦴

⭐⭐⭐⭐️

“We’ve normalised illness in our pets—and called it care.”

This is not a gentle read—it’s a call to arms. Raw, Meaty Bones by Dr. Tom Lonsdale is sharp, unapologetic, and utterly convinced of its truth. And honestly? That conviction is both its greatest strength and its most divisive flaw.

Lonsdale builds a compelling, often unsettling case against commercial pet food, painting a picture of systemic failure and avoidable suffering. His argument—that our pets are biologically wired for raw, meaty bones—makes a certain primal sense, and the links he draws between diet and long-term health are difficult to ignore.

But this is also where the tension lies. No matter how much science or evidence is presented, feeding choices will always be debated among private owners. I’ve fed my own dogs everything over the past thirty years—‘junk’ food, raw, home-cooked, dehydrated, straight meat—and still haven’t taken the leap into this specific approach. And I suspect I’m not alone in that hesitation.

It’s thought-provoking, provocative, and at times uncomfortably persuasive—but it doesn’t leave much room for nuance or alternative perspectives.

Verdict: A bold, controversial manifesto that will either ignite your curiosity or your scepticism—but either way, it won’t leave you unchanged.

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw Meaty Bones is a must read for pet owners and parents. This highlights and reminds us that dogs and cats are carnivores or at least in dogs cases omnivores and require the right nutrition. I have to say as a pet parent it’s certainly alarming if you look at the ingredients of pet food there is often little meat or fish content and rather we find crude ash and numerous other fillers that make up the composition. Dr Lonsdale highlights this and how by switching to ‘Raw Meaty Bones’ not only benefits your pet physically but allows them to indulge in their natural instincts. I can honestly say I really enjoyed this book, it offers fact based research and insight and best of all helped solidify how we’ve been feeding our feline and canine babies too. 

As always thank you to ZooLoo’s Book Tours, publishers and author for the copy to review. My reviews are always given freely and my honest opinion of the book is given.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a dog owner and lover I was truly curious to read this because I would do anything for my dogs. It certainly opened my eyes up wide. Dr Lonsdale is talking from experience, knowledge and research. I have always been concerned about my dogs health especially his yellow teeth and smelly breath. I am one of those people who was reluctant to give my dog bones because I had been warned of the dangers. But after reading this book it has made me seriously think if just maybe I was wrong. Everything that is said in the book made sense to me because at the end of the day I love my dog more than I love humans but that doesn't change the fact that he is not human but still a dog. In the wild dogs didn't seem to have so many health issues with their mouths because they were eating their natural diet of meat and bones with no additives found in most dog food today.I found this to be a very insightful and informative book that has left me with a lot to think about and consider.

[Shawndra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly good book. I like that it has so much actual scientific research and explanation in it. I also like how it details his journey to figuring all this out and his tenacity at keeping after his cause even in the face of the powerhouse that is the international corporation, i.e. various corporate conglomerates that own pretty much all pet food (and human....) companies. It just makes so much common sense to feed your pet carnivore real, biologically appropriate food and its scary how commonplace and accepted the brainwashing that they need "complete & balanced" commercial pet food is.

[Jodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you own a pet or are planning to own a pet then you need to read this book! Exposes the processed pet food industry as the purveyors of complete and utter junk food, and the corruption of the veterinary system as it is largely funded by them - including vets nutritional "training".This has had truly alarming consequences for the health of our dogs and cats, but the fight is on to enlighten people and get our animals back to their natural diet!

Tom Lonsdale is a vet himself and is visiting NZ in April! I'm going to get in touch and see if he will come to Nelson...

[Jennifer Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just getting into this book. The writer is kinda wordy but needed to get a deep understanding of what has happened to the quality of our pets food and how it is affecting their health and quality of life. So far I decided to go buy raw beef bones from a local meat market and my dogs have enjoyed them obsessively. I can see how real raw meaty bones can help to the progressive health of your dogs oral hygiene and mental wellbeing.

[Dr. Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Lonsdales takes it up several notches from his other book Work Wonders. Open your minds and be prepared to think as you read this one.