Can you give chicken bones to a dog? Do you know why dogs shouldn't eat chicken bones? What harm can bones do

The basis of a dog's diet is meat. However, buying beef for a pet, especially when it comes to a large dog, can be expensive. Often, owners try to save on food by partially replacing meat with chicken offal.

Let's make a reservation right away: offal will not completely replace meat. Most dogs are recommended to give them 1-2 times a week.

Chicken as dog food

Feeding chicken to a dog is acceptable if the breed is not prone to allergies and if the pet does not have an individual reaction to chicken.

It must be understood that the nutritional value of boiled meat compared to raw meat for a dog is low. Any boiled meat has to be given more than raw meat, and there is less benefit from this. Therefore, chicken in no case can replace beef or lamb in a complete diet. But it can be supplemented with a dog menu.

Chicken offal is less likely to cause an allergic reaction than chicken meat. Nevertheless, they should be introduced into the diet with caution, carefully observing the reaction.

Is it possible to give chicken offal

Feeding chicken offal to a dog is a double-edged sword, and even veterinarians have no consensus on this matter. On the one hand, when raw, they can contain harmful bacteria, antibiotics, and other harmful additives. On the other hand, when boiled, nutritional value is lost.

Particularly controversial is the issue with chicken heads, paws and other parts containing bones. Boiled bones are not recommended.

chicken heads

Disputes about whether it is possible to give chicken heads to dogs do not subside on the forums of dog breeders. Many pet owners talk about giving their dogs chicken heads as their main source of protein on a daily basis, and the four-legged dogs do just fine. Proponents of such nutrition remind that in nature a predator eats prey along with its head, and this does not cause any harm to it.

And although there are no tubular bones in the head, veterinarians do not recommend doing this. If you decide to give the animal chicken heads, do not do this daily. There is little protein in the head and a lot of bones; it cannot replace meat. The beak must be removed. It does not contain anything useful and is dangerous for the esophagus.

Dog owners who live in rural areas should also remember that a dog used to chicken heads may one day break loose and run out into the street. Such a beast is almost guaranteed to crush all oncoming chickens and other poultry.

Neck

Necks can be fed even to a puppy older than 3-4 months. They do not contain tubular bones.

Paws

Paws are another very controversial offal. They contain a lot of collagen, they have a rich amino acid composition. Collagen is good for joints, skin and coat.

At the same time, the paws contain the same tubular bones that cannot be given to a dog categorically: their fragments can pierce the esophagus.

If you are going to give your pet chicken paws, remove the bones from them and cut off the claws, pour boiling water over the paws. It is possible, having removed the bones, to cook jelly from the paws. Aspic is useful for growing puppies.

wings

The wings contain most of the bones and skin. Giving leather to dogs is undesirable. Thus, the use of wings as food is not recommended.

Bones

Tubular chicken bones should not be given to dogs. They can form sharp chips, damage the intestines. For puppies and small breeds, this is especially dangerous.

It is undesirable to give the dog bones in a boiled form. Raw bone in the dog's stomach is successfully digested. But boiled is not processed and leads to constipation. All valuable substances in the bones are destroyed during heat treatment. A boiled bone is, in fact, dust that does not contain anything useful, while it settles in the stomach and intestines and can accumulate there.

Stomachs, hearts

Chicken stomach and heart contain many useful vitamins and protein. From such food, the pet's coat improves: it acquires a healthy look. Use stomachs and hearts as the basis for broth, porridge, add them to vegetables.

Liver

The liver contains many vitamins B12 and A. Boiled liver is very useful, but give it little by little to avoid hypervitaminosis and bone deformity.

Which dogs the product is contraindicated

Chicken contains allergens, so it is contraindicated for such sensitive breeds as Russian Toy or Chinese Crested. For these dogs, it is better to choose food without chicken.

It is necessary to observe the reaction of the dog. If you are transferring an animal from industrial feed to natural feed, vomiting and diarrhea are normal at first, but should soon pass.

industrial treats

Industrial dog treats are usually dry bites (snacks) with enhanced flavor. There are also sausages, biscuits, etc. It is important to read the composition of such products. There should be nothing superfluous in a quality treat (preservatives, flavor enhancers, dyes). From low-quality snacks, the animal may have constipation, deterioration of well-being.

Treats are food that is given one-time, for example, as a reward for training. It is not recommended to give them all the time. This can negatively affect appetite and digestion.

Treats for animals of the domestic brand TiTBiT are widely represented in Russian pet stores. Among other things, for example, chicken scallops and chicken feet. These are dried crispy paws. According to the manufacturer, it is suitable for dogs of all breeds, including puppies older than three months. Helps clean teeth.

Unfortunately, in reality, not everything is so rosy. On the packaging of the feet, it is indicated in small print that the product contains bone. Recall that the same tubular bone that is contraindicated for dogs.

Most people think stereotypes: they say that all cats drink milk and eat fish, and dogs should mostly be offered bones. Although many bones are dangerous - their fragments can accumulate in the intestines and stomach for more than one year, harm the pet's health and even cause death. From the article you will find out whether it is possible to give bones to a dog, and if so, which ones.

It is impossible not to say about the benefits of eating bone products in domestic dogs. Allowed bones should be given to puppies from 6 months of age, as they have a need to chew on something. When choosing a beef hip bone, the baby will be able to get carried away with the process and enjoy it. Meat and cartilage are sources of protein and amino acids that are responsible for regulating the growth of muscle mass and bones. Protein is not only a building material for the human body, but also for dogs. If you feed your pet with sometimes acceptable raw bones, the body will receive enough phosphorus, as well as calcium.

Video "What bones can and cannot be given to a dog"

In this video, a specialist will talk about the types of bones that are allowed and prohibited for dogs.

Possible danger of use

Many, based on the "grandmother's" experience, when the dog regularly ate a chicken bone product and lived to a respectable age, do the same with their pet.

However, it is worth talking about the consequences of feeding dogs with bones belonging to different animals and birds.

These are injuries of the pharynx, when the bones damage the numerous vessels of the vocal cords. Another dangerous damage to the trachea, which is fraught with blood loss and even death. Asphyxia is still possible, especially if the bones get stuck in the gaps between the chewing teeth, and the unfortunate animal chokes on saliva. Vomiting and further dehydration if the pet swallows a large bone stuck in the stomach. Usually in such cases, the only way to help is with the help of a surgical operation.

Also, the accumulation of bones in the stomach is not excluded, from which many stray dogs die. If the fragment passes through the pharynx and stomach, they speak of perforation of the small intestine. This is a dangerous injury, fraught with severe blood loss and necrosis. You should also be wary of blockage of the large intestine, as a result of which the process of defecation is accompanied by pain, bleeding is possible.

What bones should not be given

Tubular chicken

If we talk about a tubular product obtained from chickens, then it will be harmful if the animal, through the fault of the owner, decides to eat the bones of both domestic and factory poultry. Bones of this type are found in the thighs and wings. When biting tubular bones for dogs, they are dangerous because sharp fragments are formed that can pierce the intestines and cause perforation and even peritonitis. Sometimes in such cases, dogs are saved by performing an operation on time.

Turkeys

The turkey is a large poultry that is slaughtered at the age of 2 to 3 years. This explains why dogs should not be offered her bones - they are already well established. The tubular bones of this bird are located in the paws, wings and thighs. If a pet decides to eat turkey bones, he is guaranteed to damage his teeth, get a perforation, that is, damage to the intestinal walls.

Goose

Just as dangerous if a dog ate a chicken bone at home, eating goose can also harm its health. Since goose bones are comparable in danger to duck bones - they are well-formed, large, when chewed, fragments with sharp edges appear that injure the intestines of the animal. Even birds are characterized by diseases that infect the limbs.

A rabbit

If you really want to treat your pet with rabbit meat, it is recommended to use meat with cartilage elements. Rabbit bones are not given to dogs, they are small and have dangerous sharp edges, especially obtained from the hind legs, as well as the ribs and spine.

Also, dogs do not need to be fed a boiled beef or pork bone product. Such bones tend to make a dense lump and clog the intestines. It is not necessary to introduce softened bones from aspic into the diet, otherwise the pet will have to be saved on the operating table.

What to eat in moderation

Separately, we will tell you what bones can be given to dogs.

Boiled ones are rarely used and only soft and ground to a state of minced meat. In order for the pet's body to receive useful elements, it is recommended to add vegetables and vitamins to the dish.

Just do not offer the dog a whole cooked neck, or the backbone of a poultry.

Also suitable beef heads of the hip joints. When the dog gnaws the meat, the maslak is taken away so that when trying to gnaw it, the dog does not dislocate its jaw. You can allow the dog to gnaw meat from the ribs, but not to gnaw the bones or swallow them. Allowed and healthy are such types of food as dried tripe, dried deer legs, trachea and purchased bones, that is, sticks. Tendon treats may be present in the diet, as well as pig ears and heels.

A dog sitting in a booth with a bone in its teeth is a stereotypical illustration familiar to many from childhood. As a result, for many owners, the question of whether dogs can have bones does not even arise. Specialists and veterinarians have long debunked the erroneous idea that feeding a dog with bones is necessary to maintain teeth. In fact, eating bones can cause enormous harm to a pet's health, even death. It is important for the dog owner to understand what bones can and cannot be given.

Why dogs shouldn't be given bones.

Despite the fact that many dogs eat bones without apparent harm to health, and their stomach has the ability to digest them, they are harmful for the following reasons:

Chewing bones by a dog provokes: grinding and breaking of teeth, destruction of enamel, development of caries. Such damage reduces life expectancy, which is noticeable in dogs living in nature.
Large bone fragments get stuck in the throat, blocking the airways, which can lead to an attack of suffocation. In case of an unfavorable outcome, bone extraction is performed only by a veterinarian, surgically, using anesthesia.
Injury to the stomach and intestines by bone fragments occurs in case of improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Undigested bone fragments scratch the mucous membranes. Eating bones often results in diarrhea or constipation for the dog.
If the bone gets stuck in the stomach, and the inability to pass into the intestines, causes bouts of persistent vomiting. Surgery is a common outcome.
Bone obstruction of the intestine and general obstruction. The most unfavorable result of eating bones. X-ray with a contrast agent determines the area of obstruction, after which a surgical operation is prescribed. Postoperative rehabilitation is long and difficult for the dog.
Blockage by bone fragments of the large intestine, preventing the dog from emptying the intestines. Symptoms that indicate this problem are: the adoption of a pose for emptying by the dog, squealing, drops of blood. In this case, a cleansing enema with oil is used, and a subsequent therapeutic diet.
Any boiled bones for dogs are prohibited. Boiled bones (or bones from jelly) form a dense mass in the intestines, clogging it. At best, they get off with an enema and vaseline oil inside. At worst, surgical intervention and a long postoperative period.

Why you shouldn't give chicken bones to dogs.

Bird bones are completely unacceptable for dogs for a number of reasons:

Tubular bird bones are very sharp, getting into the stomach and intestines, easily injuring it.
They easily crumble and get stuck in the teeth, causing pain to the dog while eating.
Infection and toxins contained in the bones are dangerous for the dog. The bird's body temperature exceeds the dog's body temperature, which allows it to resist infection. The dog may develop a toxic infection, characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, and weakness. In this case, medications are immediately prescribed.

Is it ok to give bones to a dog as a puppy?

Do not give bones to puppies, because of the damage to the growing teeth. At the age of 3.5 to 6.5 months, milk teeth are replaced by molars. Molar teeth do not grow during life, and are not replaced. Dental health is affected by heredity and proper nutrition. If, during the period of growth and formation of teeth, the puppy eats bones, then instead of teeth, he may have only "stumps" that have been ground off prematurely. Also, pinching of soft tissues (pulpitis) is likely, and the likelihood of tooth loss, without proper treatment.

What to do if a dog swallowed a bone.

Symptoms of bone swallowing can vary from dog to dog. Common signs include: cough, belching, excessive salivation, loss of appetite, vomiting, shortness of breath.
The first thing to mention is what not to do:

You can't induce vomiting. A sharp contraction of the walls can cause perforation of the stomach and intestines.
Laxatives should not be used.
You can not wait for emptying, at this stage time may be lost.

If the dog's condition is satisfactory, you can try to help her yourself.
When swallowing a chicken bone or other dangerous object, you need to take a candle made of pure wax (not paraffin). Wax has a melting point equal to the temperature of the body, and, when dissolved, covers the sharp corners of bones and objects. The candle is cut into round pieces and fed to the dog (the wick is removed). For a small dog (up to 2 kg), a few centimeters are enough. A large dog can be given half of the smallest candle. A candle is given 3 times a day, not excluding ordinary food.
Any foreign body is dangerous for the dog's body, due to blockage of the intestines. Compression of the vessels around itself leads to peritonitis, infections, inflammation. At best, modern endoscopic devices will make it possible to remove small foreign bodies from the stomach. In any case, delay in contacting a specialist is not acceptable.

Feeding bones: pros and cons.

There is still no absolute consensus on whether to give a dog bones. There are both benefits and dangers of this practice. For the dog itself, the process of chewing a bone is relaxing, relieving stress, captivating it completely for a while. When a dog chews on a bone, endorphins, happy hormones, enter the brain, which is a fight against stress. The chewing muscles, the general muscles of the head are trained. Today, a dog can chew with taste not only bones that are dangerous for her.

The most common recommendation for the question of whether to give bones to a dog are specialized chews. Such as gelatin bone, dentifrice bone, or dried, cured chews, and variations thereof. You can learn more about feeding dog bones in the following video:

There is an undeniable rule, written at the cost of hundreds of lives, that you should not give chicken bones to dogs! However, the bitter experience of owners who have lost their pets does not affect very many four-legged lovers. A loving owner "spoils" the dog, harming the health of the ward and refuses to admit it. The situation is egregious, but as practice shows, harm to a beloved pet is done out of ignorance, which, however, does not beg responsibility for what has been done.

Never, under any circumstances, give your dog the tubular bones of a chicken or any other bird! If you want to see for yourself the danger of such a delicacy, hit the chicken leg bone with a chop hammer, and then try with your finger how sharp the fragments are. Chicken bones are dangerous for dogs, if your pet is lucky, he will only suffer from intestinal obstruction, but the result can be fatal! Of the possible consequences of eating bird bones, we can distinguish:

Oral injuries, chipped teeth, pulpitis These are the minimal negative effects. The oral mucosa usually recovers in 12-24 hours. Pulpitis leads to a severe pain syndrome and can result in the loss of both the patient and the teeth growing nearby.

Injuries of the pharynx and trachea- leads to acute pain, and with tissue perforation, to severe bleeding. If the dog is not taken to the veterinarian on time, injury can result in death due to suffocation or blood loss.

Perforation of the stomach or intestines- leads to bleeding, with severe perforation - to the outflow of gastric or fecal masses into the abdominal cavity. An extremely dangerous condition leading to sepsis and death of the animal. The only chance for salvation is an emergency operation.

Perforation or blockage of the colon- consequences from obstruction of the digestive tract and swelling of the peritoneum, to death from intoxication or profuse bleeding. With the formation of a cork in the large intestine, treatment begins with oil enemas. If the condition does not improve, the dog is operated on. When the intestine is perforated, an urgent operation is performed, dead tissues are excised, and healthy ones are sutured.

Important! If you know that the dog has eaten chicken bones, be sure to monitor its condition, or better yet, take your pet to the veterinary clinic! The consequences of perforation of the intestine or stomach may not appear immediately.

Bird Bones Acceptable for Inclusion in a Dog's Diet

If you get acquainted with the cynological manuals of the times of the USSR, you can find a recommendation about feeding whole carcasses of a bird to a dog. We will not dispute the experience of experts, but today such recommendations are not relevant for a number of reasons. However, this does not mean that chicken should not be present in the dog's diet. Acceptable uses for chicken meat include:

Cooking broth on chicken carcasses, if the bones are removed before adding the porridge and vegetables. By the way, chicken skin is considered a more negative ingredient for broth, especially if you buy a factory-made bird.

Chicken cartilage added to porridge during cooking.

Raw chicken necks, slaughtered to the state of minced meat.

All poultry offal except heads and paws.

Important! Even permitted poultry products should not be fed naturally to pointing dogs. The working dog must not associate the bird with food or it will spoil the carcasses during service.

Consequences of eating chicken bones by a dog and first aid

So we found out that You can't feed a dog chicken bones for its own good. But what if the pet did not ask permission? For example, a dog swallowed a chicken bone found on the street or in a trash can. Naturally, this is a matter of upbringing and self-control of the pet, but its consequences can be very unpleasant.

Important! Boiled tubular and vertebral bones of a bird are of particular danger. When cracked, heat-treated bones break up into small and sharp fragments that can be compared to crushed glass.

Read also: Hygiene belt for male dogs - salvation from tag problems

The first thing to be accepted as an axiom is the relevance of sanity. Even if a dog ate a chicken bone, it is far from certain that the pet will have to be saved. If the ward is young and healthy, gastric juice is likely to change the structure of the bone, after which it will come out naturally. Further, for unknown reasons, many owners in a panic give the dogs a bowel lavage. In fact, when eating bones, the procedure is not only useless, but also dangerous. So, the dog was already worried and ate a ribbed chicken bone and you know about it. Your actions should be as follows:

Watch your dog's behavior- lethargy and whining, these are bad signs.

Drink the ward 1-4 tablespoons (depending on size) of vegetable or linseed oil. The oil envelops the walls of the stomach and intestines, which contributes to the rapid removal of feces and simplifies the transportation of bones through the digestive tract.

Important! The only case in which conservative assistance is relevant is a blockage of the large intestine with a plug of compressed bones. Most often, this problem can be solved by introducing oil into the intestine. However, do not be presumptuous, this diagnosis is not made “by eye”.

Examine the mucous membranes of the mouth- normally, they should be pink or dark, but not gray or bluish. Pallor of the mucous membranes may indicate poisoning (if the dog picked up a bone on the street) or blood loss.

Examine the mucous membranes of the eyes and pupils- with pain syndrome, the dog's pupils become narrower and react poorly to blackouts in the room (slowly or not completely expanding).

A well-designed diet for a dog is the key to its health and beauty. The owner immediately wonders what exactly to feed his pet. Offal has always been in question: is it possible to give a dog chicken necks, paws, heads? In this article, we will try to find answers to these questions.

Which of the chicken offal can be given, and which not?

First, let's figure out what by-products are. By-products are by-products of the body that remain when cutting the carcass: head, neck, bones, skin, etc. They are stored for no more than four months, even at low temperatures. After the expiration date has expired, they cannot be given to the pet. But if the dog has eaten, immediately show it to the veterinarian.

There is a BARF feeding system that provides for the use of chicken offal, but only in raw form.

However, most veterinarians believe that chicken bones should not be given. For nibbling, there are beef (mosl) or cartilage. Boiled bones in any case, because just during cooking they become dense and sharp, and are not digested in the stomach, besides, they can damage the stomach and intestines. In addition, they are by no means a source of calcium, as many people think, since they contain it in a modified form.

When feeding puppies, you should not forget about dry food, because in its pure form offal for crumbs can be harmful. You also need to carefully monitor the behavior of the pet. If diarrhea or vomiting begins, immediately remove the product that the dog ate from the diet.

Bones

Whether to give a dog chicken bones is a very delicate question, because it can be answered with both yes and no. In no case should you give your pet boiled chicken bones. If you ask why, the answer is simple: when cooked, the bones become so soft that they almost turn into a homogeneous mass. All this is very, very harmful to the pet.

Boiled bones clog the stomach, where only in some, very rare cases, everything will do without problems. More often, surgery may be needed to remove the bones from the stomach.

After this, the owner will have to face a difficult struggle with peritonitis and other horrors. You will have to do an operation, where, at best, the dog can be saved after hellish torment, at worst, no. Therefore, it is always worth thinking carefully about what kindness can bring you to.

If your dog has already eaten the bones, you need to carefully monitor his feces. And do not wonder why the bloody footprints appeared, but immediately take the pet to the veterinary clinic.

Of course, you should not give up chicken bones, as mentioned at the beginning of the article. Chicken bones still help form and strengthen joint cartilage. Bones will be a nutritional supplement to the main feed.

heads

You can feed your dog with chicken heads. This should be done with care and not overdo it. Before you add chicken heads, previously cut into pieces, in porridge or vegetables, you should get rid of the beak. There are no useful substances in the beaks, and they are not digested.

When decoction, the head loses half of its energy value, so the portion should be doubled. And make sure that there are no fragments of bones, for example, from the neck.

Neck

With necks, everything is exactly the same as with bones. It is undesirable to cook necks, because this will threaten intestinal obstruction and loss of nutrients. You can give it whole, because there are no tubular bones in the necks. Thanks to this, even two-month-old puppies can eat necks.

The necks can also be scalded with boiling water and the main diet can be added in the form of minced meat, as a top dressing. Your pet will be happy to gnaw on chicken necks.

Paws

Paws, like other offal, are in question. If you ask dog lovers, opinions are as different as heaven and earth. Some are for, others are strongly against. Let's dig deeper.

So, if you decide to feed your dog with paws, you need to know a few rules:

remove bones;
remove claws;
soak the paws in boiling water.

Why do you have to do all this? Claws can hurt the stomach, however, as well as the bones that make up the paws. The bones in the paws are tubular and, if the dog gnaws them, a fragment can rip open the esophagus. That is why you need to remove all chicken bones. Of course, you can soften them if you cook them for a long time, but then they will clog the intestines, and this is useless for your pet.

A good option to avoid problems with the intestinal tract is to cook jelly from the paws, removing all bones and splinters. Jellied meat, in fact, is not difficult to cook, any owner can handle it. But not everyone knows that it is in the bones that toxins and other harmful substances accumulate.

Paw jelly is good to use in limited quantities during the growth period of the animal, it contains natural gelatin, which helps to strengthen and support the joints.

Therefore, you can not constantly give the dog paws. It's better to do this less often than more often. Paws should be a bonus to the main more nutritious and healthy diet. If the dog ate paws and began to show poor health, it should immediately be taken to the veterinarian.

Regarding chicken bones, necks, heads, paws and other offal, the opinion of veterinarians differs. Some allow the possibility of feeding them, others do not.

By-products should be given to the pet in its raw form, because this way more nutrients remain. If there is no confidence that they are of high quality and do not carry infection, it is better, of course, to boil them. And clear the bones.
Always monitor the reaction of the intestines and skin of the pet to avoid problems. It is undesirable to give chicken skin.
To help your dog eat more nutrients, you can increase the amount of cooked offal. Why? Because when cooking, all the energy value is lost.
It is recommended to feed a pet with offal no more than 1 - 2 times a week, while together with the main food.
If you decide to switch to natural food, you need to give your pet time to get used to it. Side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea are possible.
You can not give offal of different types at the same time: sour-milk and meat.

By-products should be bought only from trusted people and in places that are trustworthy. Do not buy pet food in suspicious places where bacteria can spread.

Video "How to feed a dog"

In this video you can learn about the foods that you can feed your pet.