What is more classic than the image of a boned dog? Given this idea, it is understandable to assume that taking bones into a dog is a completely safe and natural practice. However, this is not necessarily the case. In fact, giving bones to a dog is extremely dangerous.
So, what about chicken bones? Chicken is a bit more difficult when it comes to feeding dogs, as it is safer than raw chickens. Raw chicken bones are safer than cooked chicken bones.
It’s a dog but can Eating raw chicken bones has some important safety concerns that dogs must consider before helping themselves into a pile of raw drumsticks.
Chicken bone problems
The most common ingredient in dogs and cat food is that few pets have not eaten chicken in their lifetime. As long as your dog is not allergic to chickens, it is a safe and healthy protein, as it often comes in commercial pet foods!
However, cooked chicken bones can split, break, and fragment into sharp areas that can stay in the mouth, esophagus, stomach, or intestines, putting the dog at risk of suffocation, perforation and obstruction.
Raw chickens often contain pathogenic bacteria Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacterthe most common perpetrator behind food poisoning in humans and pets. Eating and handling contaminated raw meat puts both us and our dogs at risk.1 Freezing inhibits the growth of bacteria in raw meat, but it does not kill it. Therefore, once the meat is thawed, the risk of contamination is still high. This is especially true for meat that has been specifically assigned to the pet food industry, as this meat is considered unsuitable for human consumption and the risk of pathogens is much higher.2
Raw chicken bones are generally very small and flexible, with little risk of damaging the lining of the digestive tract. However, there is still a small risk of choking. The neck and wings of chicken are the most commonly served bites, mainly cartilage and soft bone, making it the safest part. Of course, these bones are covered in chicken, so the risk of bacterial contamination is equally high.
Given the potential risk of supplying raw chicken bones to our dogs, why are people still doing it?
Benefits of raw chicken bones
Raw meat diets are becoming more popular and, if used correctly, can be a good option for some dogs. Many dog owners pledge to supply raw chicken bones to their dogs, and there are several potential benefits to doing so.
1. Lean protein
The reason why chicken is a very popular pet food ingredient is that it offers high protein levels that are very low in fat, but it depends on which part of the chicken. Chicken breasts offer the best in terms of nutritional value, but the neck and wings aren’t too bad either.
| Nutritional value of raw chicken (per 100 grams) | ||||
| chest | Thigh | neck | Wings | |
| water | 74.8 g | 72.9 g | 71.2 g | 75 g |
| Energy | 106 kcal | 144 kcal | 154 kcal | 126 kcal |
| protein | 22.5 g | 18.6 g | 17.6 g | 22 g |
| fat | 1.93 g | 7.92 g | 8.78 g | 3.54 g |
| carbohydrates | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| calcium | 4 mg | 6 mg | 27 mg | 13 g |
| Lin | 215 mg | 178 mg | 113 mg | 155 mg |
Chicken only, especially chicken bones, do not provide all the nutrients your dog needs, so it should only be used as a regular meal or snack.
2. Cleaning teeth
Our spoiled dog diet and lifestyle are generally removed from that of carnivorous ancestors, but these primarily omnivorous dogs often provide natural skin, cartilage, and signs of animals. You will miss the benefits of cleaning your teeth. Raw chicken wings and necks are a way to get your dog to clean their teeth while enjoying the process.
3. Concentration with food
Wild canids need to hunt or clean their diet, which is definitely a stressful lifestyle, but it means that boredom is rarely a problem. On the other hand, our pets usually don’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from. This is good for stress levels, but leaves a fairly empty calendar.
By providing dogs with challenging foods that can mimic some of their natural feeding habits, even without hunting, you can provide your dog with some concentration while eating.
4. Lower risk than some other bones
All kinds of cooked bones are not a big no for dogs as they can be fragments and debris. However, depending on the dog and bone in question, raw bones from other animals can pose different types of danger.
- Dogs can split the bones into small pieces, which can cause the same type of damage as cooked pieces.
- The bone marrow is very fatty and in the short term it can cause gastrointestinal problems and pancreatitis, and frequent consumption can lead to obesity.
- Regular consumption of many bone substances can lead to constipation.
How to make a profit without risk
Fortunately, there are ways to get the same kind of benefits while providing raw chicken bones with dogs while reducing the risk of exposure to pathogens.
Here are some suggestions:
- If you are feeding raw bones, use human-grade chicken to make sure your dog has the highest quality meat.
- When feeding other types of bones, the bones that are longer than the head are larger than the nose, minimizing the risk of swallowing or choking. Also, do not cut long bones in half. The bone marrow is too fat, and the cut edges become fragments
- Frozen raw meat for at least 3 weeks before supplying it to the dog. This does not necessarily kill all pathogens, but it helps reduce the risk.
- Thaw only those fed in the next 24 hours, and discard the minor portion within 12 hours.
- They will always supervise the dog whenever they eat bones.
- Keep your teeth clean and healthy using teeth chewing, treatment and brushing.
- Invest in some puzzle toys or make some toys to challenge your dog and activate their minds.
Conclusion
Despite the potential risks posed by raw chicken bones, there are also many potential benefits, and it is up to the owner to decide which is most important. As raw and natural diets become more popular, so are the opportunities for errors, problems and shortcuts that can put your dog at risk. There are many ways to provide your dog with all the benefits of feeding raw chicken bones without any associated risks, but if raw chicken bones are on your list of essentials, they are high quality Make sure it is stored properly, and it will be processed correctly.
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Featured Image Credit: David Tadevosian, Shutterstock
