Can dogs eat chicken bones or are they too dangerous? For many years, the opinion has been that chicken bones pose a risk to dogs because they splinter easily and have particularly sharp edges. And in fact, leading institutions such as the Federal Association of Practicing Veterinarians advise against feeding chicken bones as a snack. Below you will find out why this is the case, what alternatives you have and how you can still safely prepare chicken bones and cartilage for dogs.
In which cases can dogs eat chicken bones?
As already mentioned, it is not advisable to give out a chicken bone as a snack. Although your four-legged friends would be happy at first because chewing has a relaxing effect, the risk of chicken bones splintering for dogs is particularly high. This is why beef and veal breast bones, lamb ribs and similar alternatives are usually offered. These are a little softer and splinter much less often. Softer types of prey are recommended, especially when starting out with BARF feeding, when you are offering bones as a snack for the first time. This includes turkey necks, which are rich in calcium , minerals and trace elements and are also very elastic.
Dogs can still eat chicken bones under certain circumstances. If they are ground into a pulp, chicken bones are relatively common in BARF dog food . This can be a complete mixture in which various parts of the chicken are used, including the innards and cartilage, or a chicken carcass with a relatively high meat content is ground.
Only feed raw bones!
When fed raw, dogs can eat chicken bones if they are specially prepared for this purpose. At the same time, the way in which other types of bones are fed is also important, as these should never be boiled or braised. This makes even the best lamb ribs porous in their structure, which increases the risk of splinters. This can lead to injuries to your loyal companion both in the mouth and in the intestinal tract. If these pierce the intestinal walls, food particles risk getting into the abdominal cavity, which can lead to inflammation. This also means that pork bones are taboo, as they are the main host for the Aujeszky virus and thus trigger what is known as pseudorabies .
If you are looking for bones and cartilage for your dog , you are welcome to take a look around our online shop. Of course, we make sure that only high-quality food is delivered to you that is safe for your four-legged friends.
