Whether or not it is safe to feed chicken bones to your dog has always been a disputable issue. Some feel that it’s okay to do so, while their counterparts say that this act will require the dog to visit the vet’s clinic immediately. To sort this out, DogAppy sheds light on pros and cons of feeding chicken bones to your pet dog.
Miscellaneous Tip
Raw meaty bones like chicken wings and raw lamb flaps and ribs can be fed to your pet as they come with several health benefits along with ensuring the health of the teeth and gums. Do a quick check with your vet before you do so.
There might have been times when you were away for a bath, or busy watching a nerve-wracking match and later realized that your dog ate up the chicken carcass lying around in the kitchen. When your dog accidentally gulps down chicken bones, you get panicky because you remember that your vet told you to keep your buddy away from that.
So, what could be the reason behind it? Are chicken bones really not safe, or it’s just another myth? We’ll clear the air for you.
The truth is chicken bones can be fed to your dog only when the bones are raw. This is because raw bones bend easily and are flexible. When these bones are cooked, they become dry and hard and when chewed by the dog, he might gag on the bone pieces. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that raw bones can be fed to dogs without any fear. It has its own share of pros and cons. Let’s have a look.
Advantages and Disadvantages
- The advantages of adding a huge volume of raw bones to the dog’s diet is that the necessary nutrition is successfully served.
But the number of disadvantages outnumber the positive aspect of raw bones in the diet.
- The piercing edges of the bones can wound the canine’s jaws. Also, there are chances of the pieces of bone getting stuck in the throat of the dog.
- Rectal and intestinal bleeding are other major issues that can follow suit as a result of this raw bone diet. All these repercussions along with deadly bacterial infection due to the punctures, leading to peritonitis, can cost your dog his life.
- Most importantly, the thigh bone of the chicken has to be totally avoided because this needle-like thin bone has high chances of getting lodged in the throat. Broken teeth accompanied by oral injuries are a few other accidents that can happen to the dog.
- Bleeding stools, swollen stomach, coughing up blood and constipation by the dog, after eating chicken bones are a few signs that the dog has to be rushed to the vet.
What to Do If Your Dog has Eaten a Bone?
- Observe if the dog is choking. Throwing up, licking his lips excessively, drinking more than usual, coughing, difficulty in sitting, and getting anxious are some of the signs you should look for after the dog feeds on the bones.
- For the next couple of days, see if there is an unexplained swelling in the dog’s stomach, nervous behavior, or constipation.
- During this time, give your dog some soft bread, which can be a protection between the stomach lining and the prickly edges of the bone.
- If you still can’t find the bone in his stools, or if the dog starts showing the above symptoms, then immediately head to a veterinarian.
What Dog Owner’s Should Know
- Keep chicken bones away from the dogs, and make sure that they don’t develop a taste for it.
- Examine the behavior and mood of the dog for the next 72 hours at least, when it gulps down a bone.
- Unusual behavior, vomiting, discomfort in sitting, bloody stools, swollen stomach, and constipation are a few important signs that have to be watched for.
- Rush to vet when the above signals start showing up and learn from your mistakes. Keep dog-safe trash cans at home.
You can buy hollow rubber balls and make a small slit in it. Fill some finely chopped chicken meat with peanut butter and string cheese. We are sure that this will not only be safe to chew, but also a tasty and healthy chewy treat for your dog.
For being a responsible owner, it’s your duty to be aware about the risks and benefits, and accordingly feed your pet with what you think is beneficial. And if that includes chicken bones, you can do so, but with care.
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and should not be substituted for the advice of a professional veterinarian.
