# Is it okay to feed raw chicken bones?



## MKSWEET

I am kind of new to feeding raw meat to my dog and know little about it. I know that feeding any kind of cooked bone is potentially hazardous, but i was not sure about raw chicken bones. I bought chicken thighs to give my boy, but I didn't realize they are bone in. 

I just want to add that I have him on Orijen LBP and he gets that 3 times a day!  I just wanted to give him extra little treats to maybe put some weight on him, he is looking a little thin.


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## AbbyK9

Yes, raw chicken bones are fine. 

Raw bones are soft and can easily be crunched up and eaten - which means your dog will not just get the meat, but also all of the yummy bone marrow inside. 

The kind of chicken thighs you bought, are they drumsticks or chicken leg quarters? The chicken leg quarters are a staple food for many raw feeders because they are affordable and have a good amount of meat but not too much bone inside them. They're also a very good "starter" raw food when you get your dog used to it. (It's what I started with when I had Abby.)

You might find that the raw chicken can give your pup diarrhea when you first introduce it. That's not entirely abnormal, their systems take some time to get used to it. So just be aware that you may see some of that.

Also, is your dog the puppy in the photo? If so, I wouldn't be worried about putting weight on him at this age. Pups grow at different rates and some look lanky and thin when they have a grow spurt, which isn't anything to worry about.


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## MKSWEET

I figured it was okay, just wanted to make sure! I also give him beef marrow bones but he never can actually break the bone and eat it, he just gets all the marrow out 

The chicken thighs I bought were the leg quarters. There is a good amount of meat on the bone and the first one I gave him he ate so fast I'm worried the bone might come out whole!  Needless to say I will be freezing the rest so that it takes him longer to eat them next time.


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## MKSWEET

Also, I have just finished his transition onto Orijen LBP (his first grain free food) not too long ago and he has already been getting occasional diarrhea even though I did the transition over weeks! He just has a really sensitive stomach still. I'm sure it will become stronger over time when he gets older. Anyways, I have been feeding him pumpkin too and it REALLY helps. Thanks for your help! & to answer your question, yes that is my pup in the picture. That was around when I first got him, he is muchhhh bigger now!


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## sable123

MKSWEET said:


> I am kind of new to feeding raw meat to my dog and know little about it. I know that feeding any kind of cooked bone is potentially hazardous, but i was not sure about raw chicken bones. I bought chicken thighs to give my boy, but I didn't realize they are bone in.
> 
> I just want to add that I have him on Orijen LBP and he gets that 3 times a day!  I just wanted to give him extra little treats to maybe put some weight on him, he is looking a little thin.


You will just imbalance his diet and it is not worth the risk with a dog that young. If you want to give raw food buy green tripe and give a few tablespoons per day. Green tripe will add protein and fat without any risk to protein/fat imbalances or mineral imbalances.

However, if you go this route at this age you will likely have a hard time feeding just kibble.

This is a good time for the puppy to learn good eating habits, not to play you like a violin.


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## Mac's Mom

Does he snub his kibble now? After we added raw into Mac's diet he looked at his kibble like "what the heck is this junk?" haha


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## MKSWEET

Mac's Mom said:


> Does he snub his kibble now? After we added raw into Mac's diet he looked at his kibble like "what the heck is this junk?" haha


Haha funny that you say that....he has always been a VERY good eater, but I have noticed that ever since I started feeding him raw meat he eats his kibble a lot slower. Maybe he'll give it the snub after another week or so...lol


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## sable123

Mac's Mom said:


> Does he snub his kibble now? After we added raw into Mac's diet he looked at his kibble like "what the heck is this junk?" haha


This is how picky dogs are made, whether it raw, canned, homemade, etc. It will snowball to the point where you are lying on the floor begging the dog to eat. This is exactly how it starts. 

If your not happy with an $80 bag of food I would switch. You can spend $50 for a 40lb bag rather than 28lb and get a better food.


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## Mac's Mom

I know a lot of people disagree with this ... but I added yogurt or eggs to his kibble so it didn't suck as much compared to the raw .


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## Mac's Mom

sable123 said:


> This is how picky dogs are made, whether it raw, canned, homemade, etc. It will snowball to the point where you are lying on the floor begging the dog to eat. This is exactly how it starts.
> 
> If your not happy with an $80 bag of food I would switch. You can spend $50 for a 40lb bag rather than 28lb and get a better food.


I knew this was coming. I know a lot of people agree with you. I'm just not one of them. I could never go back to feeding plain kibble after seeing how must he loves raw and how much healthier he is.


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## MKSWEET

sable123 said:


> This is how picky dogs are made, whether it raw, canned, homemade, etc. It will snowball to the point where you are lying on the floor begging the dog to eat. This is exactly how it starts.
> 
> If your not happy with an $80 bag of food I would switch. You can spend $50 for a 40lb bag rather than 28lb and get a better food.


I get my dog food at $60 for a 30 lb bag and he LOVES it. I have no desire switching his food. I have never had a problem with him eating and he loves his kibble just as much as his raw treats, he just loves food. 

I appreciate the concern, but I will continue feeding him raw treats.


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## MKSWEET

sable123 said:


> This is how picky dogs are made, whether it raw, canned, homemade, etc. It will snowball to the point where you are lying on the floor begging the dog to eat. This is exactly how it starts.
> 
> If your not happy with an $80 bag of food I would switch. You can spend $50 for a 40lb bag rather than 28lb and get a better food.


And by the way, I don't know what you are trying to get at as far as saying that I could put him on a "better food" for cheaper, but I put a lot of time and thought into what kibble I chose to feed my dog and I think it is a very healthy food and am very happy with it.


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## Mac's Mom

I feed Wellness kibble and raw. I'm not a nutritionist ... its just what works for me. 

What kind of kibble do you feed? Just curious because I've been thinking of trying something different....


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## suzzyq01

sable123 said:


> This is how picky dogs are made, whether it raw, canned, homemade, etc. It will snowball to the point where you are lying on the floor begging the dog to eat. This is exactly how it starts.
> 
> If your not happy with an $80 bag of food I would switch. You can spend $50 for a 40lb bag rather than 28lb and get a better food.


I am also going to disagree, simply because I did/do all of the above and can also put down a completely dry bowl of dog food and they will both eat it. 

I'd also like to know what $50 bag of food is 40lbs? 

I would also like to note that I only feed my dogs once a day, because I noticed that when I was feeding them twice a day they would take a couple bites of whatever I put down and walk away. They get 20 minutes to eat, I was throwing a lot of food away. So, I feed them once a day now, no problems and Sonar seems to be gaining more weight now which is what I want. 

Every dog is different, just like humans. What may work for one dog will not work for another. It's best to stick with what works.


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## sable123

Mac's Mom said:


> I knew this was coming. I know a lot of people agree with you. I'm just not one of them. I could never go back to feeding plain kibble after seeing how must he loves raw and how much healthier he is.


You misunderstand. If you know what you are doing and have the time and resources, raw is great. However, most don't and learning at the expense of a young puppy is foolish and potentially expensive.

I was just commenting that if you are going to feed kibble, you run the risk of a picky and sickly dog if you are not strict.

What rational person would spend that much on dry food only to add things to it?

And I doubt your dogs are healthier than any others. That is an emotional statement to support your choice.


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## sable123

suzzyq01 said:


> I am also going to disagree, simply because I did/do all of the above and can also put down a completely dry bowl of dog food and they will both eat it.
> 
> I'd also like to know what $50 bag of food is 40lbs?
> 
> I would also like to note that I only feed my dogs once a day, because I noticed that when I was feeding them twice a day they would take a couple bites of whatever I put down and walk away. They get 20 minutes to eat, I was throwing a lot of food away. So, I feed them once a day now, no problems and Sonar seems to be gaining more weight now which is what I want.
> 
> Every dog is different, just like humans. What may work for one dog will not work for another. It's best to stick with what works.


There are many diets as good or better than Orijen costing half as much. I use Annamaet Ultra & Dr. Tim's Pursuit. The most physically stressed dogs in the world eat these foods and have for years. 

40lbs of both are about $45 -$50. Both are well known and in WDJ if that is important to you. The difference is that real experts make these foods, compared to Orijen. 40lbs of Original HHH is $45, another good brand.

Eartborn Primitive is just as good as Orijen if you have to have a GF and can be half the price of Orijen.


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## MKSWEET

sable123 said:


> You misunderstand. If you know what you are doing and have the time and resources, raw is great. However, most don't and learning at the expense of a young puppy is foolish and potentially expensive.
> 
> I was just commenting that if you are going to feed kibble, you run the risk of a picky and sickly dog if you are not strict.
> 
> What rational person would spend that much on dry food only to add things to it?
> 
> And I doubt your dogs are healthier than any others. That is an emotional statement to support your choice.


I dont know what to say...I guess I am not rational then


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## MKSWEET

Mac's Mom said:


> I feed Wellness kibble and raw. I'm not a nutritionist ... its just what works for me.
> 
> What kind of kibble do you feed? Just curious because I've been thinking of trying something different....


I actually used to feed my pup Wellness LBP but just recently switched him to Orijen LBP. Both are great foods, I just wanted my dog on a grain free food. Orijen can get pricey but I get it for a pretty good cost where I live.


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## Lilie

Mac's Mom said:


> Does he snub his kibble now? After we added raw into Mac's diet he looked at his kibble like "what the heck is this junk?" haha


Hondo was an on again and off again eater. If he had a hard day, he wouldn't eat. If he got into trouble, he wouldn't eat. If I didn't follow his exact schedule and fed late, he wouldn't eat. 

I started feeding RAW in the mornings and kibble at night. He now eats like a horse. Never misses a meal. At night before we go to bed, I'll feed raw treats. He loves chicken feet. Gags me to feed them, but he loves them. 

The other dogs love chicken feet too. It grosses me out when I give one to my mini doxie cause she carries it around for a while first. All you see are toes hanging out of her mouth. ARGH!


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## Mac's Mom

sable123 said:


> And I doubt your dogs are healthier than any others. That is an emotional statement to support your choice.


I never get emotional when discussing dog food. :wild:


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## Mac's Mom

Lilie said:


> The other dogs love chicken feet too. It grosses me out when I give one to my mini doxie cause she carries it around for a while first. All you see are toes hanging out of her mouth. ARGH!


Oh geez, I thought the beef livers were gross! Its amazing what we'll stomach for our babies LOL


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