Is at safe to feed your dog chicken wing?  I read that they are a good source of calcium but I have also been told that chicken bones are dangerous for dogs.  Can anyone shed some light on this?  Thanks

It is perfectly safe (as much as anything can be perfectly safe) to feed your dog raw chicken wings or indeed raw anything else.  I have been doing so for over 3 years!

regards

Cooked bones of  any type should not be fed...raw bones...chicken,beef,lamb etc form a large part of the natural diet many people now choose to feed their dogs. Mine get all the afore mentioned bones as well as pigs trotters.
As with any food the dogs should be supervised while eating...there is always a slight risk...unless you choose to feed just soft food and then their teeth get dirty.
Archer

Hi,

I have been feeding my dogs BARF for a while and have noticed a general improvement in health/condition etc.

But my question is, although I ALWAYS supervise my dogs with chicken wings, beef, lamb, pigs trotters etc, what the heck do I do if one of them gets into difficulty with eating these things?

I have often pondered this question and have thought that I would try to remove the offending item from their throat, but would I be doing more harm than good by the method that I would use (probably without thinking, just in panick) What would be the best/sensible way of saving a life whilst getting vet advice/treatment?

Archer,

Could you shed some light on something for me please? I have read (and I cant for the life of me remember where now) that you shouldnt feed raw beef bones, and they're too hard and will chip teeth, or rather can do. Do you know if this is true?

Ta :D

My old labrador broke her molars on the large marrowbones which were recommended at the time for recreation and for keeping their teeth clean, but all my other dogs have been fine with them. I prefer to give beef rib bones rather than marrowbones now.

Like you JG I prefer to give Lana Beef Rib Bones - For recreation (supervised) she loves 'em - I do get marrowbones from my butcher but find they are quite messy in the house or if put outside end up covered in fly eggs before long :rolleyes:  I tend to scoop out the marrow and feed this - YUM!!!
Sarah

Gonzo
as the others have said large marrow bones have been known to cause chipped teeth.However I feed all other types of bones fron chicken wing,ribs,chicken carcasses,pigs trotters and anything alse I can get hold of.I also feed marrow bones but remove them as soon as all the meat and grissle is gone.I then scoop out the marrow and feed them that.
These bones are fed as an important part of a raw diet and being raw they are are digested.Cooked bones are brittle and splinter causing problems.
Archer

Thankyou. Ive never bought him beef because ive read that they can chip teeth. Ill get some of them now though, and do as you have done with yours. He was getting chicken wings, but now he will not touch them, even with the skin taken off, and the meat cut off and given seperatley with the bone.

Thanks :)

Take care not to use any bones which have been frozen as they are apparently more brittle/splintery ...always feed fresh.  I give my 2 young JR pups (4 & 8 months) a raw chicken wing each now and again and they just love them.  I also give fresh marrow bones from the butcher. Keeps them quiet for ages!
Velma

I get the bones (including chicken wings and carcasses) on a Saturday and freeze them, defrosting them daily. Have had no problems with them splintering

If you are feeding raw meat to your dogs it should be frozen first(& then defrosted) as this will kill the lethal parasite Neosporosis Caninum, if the meat is not cooked or has not been frozen you could be putting your dogs lives at risk

I guess you have been lucky, I wouldn't risk it after what I've read up on....

Have frozen mine too..never a problem
Archer

Velma i have heard all sorts of untruths about raw,but this is the first time i've heard not to freeze??? Myself and i'm sure ALOT of others couldnt feed raw if we didnt freeze as alot of people buy in bulk,i have been freezing bones for  my dogs for 20 years and my mum who has been raw feeding for 60 years has frozen bones ever since the advent of freezers,us and no-one we know has ever had a problem with it.
Gosh i would be travelling to the butcher 7 days per week if i couldnt freeze,my supplier wouldnt sell me 2 chicken wings and 4 necks etc.(i have small dogs)Freezing also kills some parasites.
Do you have any references/proof?

christine :)

Me neither I couldn't shop every day for wings so have to freeze them. I would think that the majority of people who feed wings freeze them
                                                         Anne

I sometimes buy 50 necks and wings at a time ,which would probaly last 3-4 days in the fridge.

If you read Ian Billinghurst, it is apparantly healthier to freeze then defrost as it kills any nasties.

I have fed BARF for two years now and have never had a problem with bones splintering.

And I would find it difficult not to freeze as I visit my chicken supplier monthly, and wouldnt be able to store six boxes of carcasses in any other way :)

My dogs would never be fed raw if I had to buy fresh every day!  1) because I work full time 2) because there are no butchers near me and c) it would be too expensive. 

I buy about 90lbs of meat etc at a time and freeze it and thaw it daily............  never found any problem!

I am sure if you have teeny tiny dogs and/or you only feed the odd chicken wing and you can shop on a daily basis buying fresh is "doable" not for me I am afraid! :D

6 years feeding 8 - 9 dogs frozen raw and not a chipped tooth between them!

We have even fed ours with bones straight from the freezer when we have forgotten to remove a bag the previous day, it doesn't seem to matter.

Wolves living on the tundra exist on the frozen remains of prey or carrion, as do sled dogs in Alaska. Canine jaws are designed to cope with bones fresh or frozen.

snomaes

thanks for all that folks...quess I have been misinformed, and yes, it would be much handier to buy in bulk. You never know when something is just someone's opinion and they pass it on as fact... and here I was doing the same thing!  But definitely not cooked bones... OK?

Absolutely..... NEVER COOKED!
Archer