So, I hear so many conflicting things about chicken bones. Raw but not cooked, neither raw nor cooked, and so on...
From my own experience, I’ve always seen my parents give all sorts of bones to their dogs, except for rabbit. The bones were cooked, and they lived long, healthy lives without a single issue caused by bones.
Now, I have a Jack Russell who is smaller than my parents' dogs, so after looking into bones, I decided I wouldn't give her cooked ones... however, the cheeky thing goes and finds the bones Gizmo has hidden when she's at my parents' house to eat them... Anyway, I caught her once eating a cooked bone—well, not the whole thing because I took it away—but I'm not always with her in my parents' garden, and I reckon it'll happen again, or has already happened without me seeing...
As for raw bones, it's obvious when I'm prepping chicken for her bowl that they're much less brittle than cooked ones. After reading quite a few articles, I’ve been giving her a raw chicken leg with the meat on once a week. (I keep the other raw bones for Gizmo, who only used to have cooked ones). I end up with loads of bones since I prepare her meals myself...
But here's the thing... a while back, after I told the vet how I was feeding my dog, they said that even raw chicken bones should be avoided. They mentioned that since people started putting their dogs on BARF diets, they've seen more and more cases of dogs with internal punctures from raw bones, or bones getting stuck in their throats. Basically, the risks are the same as with cooked bones... and that a dog can eat bones (raw or cooked) their whole life without a problem, but then one day, it only takes one bone for everything to go wrong... Now I'm really stuck... what should I do with all these bones? Do you think it's possible to grind them up to keep the calcium and keep giving them to her in a different form??
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Thanks to everyone for all your replies. It definitely confirms that there are plenty of different opinions out there, which I already suspected... anyway, to answer the question about how I feed my dog, she’s on a balanced home-cooked diet of meat and veg/fruit/pulses, along with various supplements. If you’re interested, I could do a more detailed post on the subject sometime.
I poach the meat as I feel better knowing it’s been cooked a little. Besides, I’ve tried raw and my girl—who is usually a real foodie and loves everything I give her—isn’t a fan. She turns her nose up at it.
As for the bones, I think I’m going to grind them up. When I mentioned the vet explaining that since the BARF diet started they’ve been removing a lot of raw bones from dogs' stomachs, and then I compared that to my parents who used to give cooked bones, it just confirms for me that everything usually goes fine until the day it doesn't... even if they aren’t nutrition experts, they certainly know what they’re pulling out of stomachs... I’d rather be safe than sorry—better to prevent it than have her opened up. That’s just my opinion, and thanks again everyone!
"I put up a post with photos about this an hour ago (chicken and rabbit bones). You should have a look and tell me if you’d swallow those bones yourselves. It’s the same for dogs."
"I mean, would you eat dry food?? ^^"
"Dogs are carnivores! Let's respect that!!"
"Actually, you don't really get wild dogs in France (hardly any, anyway). In Sicily, where I lived for six years, there are quite large packs of wild dogs (there are loads of them). Well, I can tell you for a fact that the hunting instinct is very much alive and they happily tuck into rabbits and poultry nicked from the local farmer!!"
Regarding the idea that raw bones aren't dangerous, that's just an urban myth, like the one about meat making dogs aggressive. Anyway, Gavroche, tell me how a dog in the wild feeds? How does a cat eat a mouse?
Hi there, how’s it going? I’ve shared my thoughts on rabbit and chicken bones, whether raw or cooked—I’m personally not a fan, but at the end of the day, it’s up to you. Sometimes people give pork bones to cats and dogs, which is how they catch Aujeszky's disease. Animals in the wild have evolved differently to our domesticated pets. You’ve got your opinion and everyone is entitled to theirs without always being... "Sorry".
Whether you follow the BARF diet or not is also up to the individual; it’s a dietary theory, not the absolute gospel truth, just as some people are against fruit or grains while others aren't.
I put a post up an hour ago with photos about this (chicken and rabbit bones). You should have a look and tell me if you’d swallow those bones yourselves. The same goes for the dogs.
Where exactly did I post about phosphorus and calcium? The way you word your posts ^^ "a female user" 😁 there's no mistaking it 😁 the big comeback these last few weeks ^^ after the account was dormant for nearly a year 😁 ^^
I didn't really get your message, sorry. Regarding the phosphorus and calcium, I was just picking up on your "what's the point" and also the fact that raw bones aren't dangerous—it’s an urban myth, just like meat making a dog aggressive. Anyway, @Gavroche, explain to me how a dog feeds in the wild? How does a cat eat a mouse? A ferret a field mouse, and so on? As for Aujeszky’s disease, it’s spread by wild boar and can particularly be caught from pork, which is why we don’t use it (or hardly at all for some) in BARF and raw feeding, precisely because of this disease—just like Pacific fish.
Hi Framboises,
Ground chicken bones aren't a danger, so you can definitely add those. However, cooked bones are very brittle; small shards can easily splinter off and get stuck in a dog’s throat. The main issue with giving bones to dogs is the risk to their digestive system—poultry or rabbit bones are small and sharp, and your dog may have trouble digesting them. These bones can perforate the stomach or intestines, which can lead to peritonitis. If a bone gets stuck in the oesophagus or the windpipe, the vet will have to perform emergency surgery. It’s better to opt for marrow bones which are larger and meatier, such as veal, beef, or lamb, suited to your dog and served with fresh grains.
The BARF diet is just one theory among many.
(Just so you know, some bones can carry diseases such as Aujeszky’s disease or other viruses, all of which are fatal to dogs). Have a good day!
Sorry Mickado, but you’ve got it all wrong. Raw bones are a brilliant source of calcium and phosphorus and aren't dangerous at all—how else would diets like BARF and raw feeding even work?
Whether it’s rabbit, chicken, turkey, fish (except Pacific fish), quail, chicks, rats, cockerels, etc... You just need to avoid the large bones from big herbivores and make sure the size is right for your pet (for example, turkey wouldn't work for a cat). Always give them to your dog raw and "meaty" to keep things safe.
As for cooked bones and the "nothing has ever happened" argument, well, you could swallow coins every day for whatever reason without an issue, until one day—bang—you've got a blockage and you're at the emergency vet.
It’s the same logic: the risk is very real, and if your dog ever ends up with a perforated stomach, their chances of survival are slim. Just because you've been lucky so far doesn't mean the risk isn't there...
So, it’s great that nothing's happened yet, but cooked bones are very brittle. Cooking changes the "texture" of the bone, and when it breaks, it creates these sharp little splinters that are dangerous for your pet. Honestly, I’ll never understand why people say rabbit bones are "brittle and dangerous" when the reality is that all cooked bones are brittle and dangerous.
On another note, are you giving the meat raw or cooked? If you're giving meat without offal and bones, you're guaranteed to have nutritional deficiencies. It’s also not recommended to mix kibble with a natural diet; ideally, if you like the idea of it, why not just switch fully to BARF or Raw?
As for vets, most of them know (pretty much) nothing about nutrition—you can tell by the dry food they sell. When they're recommending stuff like Royal Canin, you can already see the bias and misinformation, so I wouldn't bother asking them for advice...
Anyway, to summarise, there are three main rules for bones:
1. Always raw, and never—ever—cooked.
2. No weight-bearing bones from large herbivores (like beef femurs).
3. Always use meaty bones surrounded by plenty of meat, never bones that have been stripped bare.
And finally, a bare raw beef bone isn't without its risks, especially for gums and teeth. In that case, you're better off with a deer antler, which is actually safe. To say that a dog—a carnivore that hunts and eats its prey in the wild (bones and all)—can't and shouldn't eat bones is just plain nonsense.
Give this a read: "Myth: Bones are dangerous and have no nutritional value" > http://www.tribu-carnivore.com/barfnew/index.php/articles/les-mythes/63-mythe-les-os-sont-dangereux-et-n-ont-pas-de-valeur-nutritionnelle.
I'd definitely recommend having a look at raw feeding community sites if you're interested in BARF or Raw diets 😉.
