Sharp chicken bones....?

The thing is, it's a crap shoot no matter what you feed. I've known way more dogs that had problems with kibble - formula changes, contaminated batches, bloat, choking, allergies. That's certainly because I know way more kibble fed dogs than I do raw or home prepared fed dogs, but it seems to equal out in the end. I've heard of dogs having problems with bones (only cooked ones) and I've had one friend whose dog MAY have had contaminated raw meat.

I don't think there's any way you can surround your dog with bubble wrap and prevent every single bad thing from happening. You make the best choices that fit your lifestyle, your dog's needs, and your ethical framework, and then go from there. I really don't think one can do any better than that, and I don't think anyone needs to be defensive or confrontational about well-thought-out choices. "I won't feed X . . ." should in no way imply ". . . and I think you are stupid/wrongheaded/cheap/irresponsible for doing so yourself." []

I watch my dog eat his chicken wings and he is clearly chewing them slowly, crunching the bones into bits - this is what dogs back teeth are for. The pieces may be sharp, I don't know, but they're small enough to go down and I think that's the most important thing. This is pure conjecture, but I think dogs are more likely to get intestinal blockages (from things they eat that don't break down in the stomach) than esophageal punctures.

I had and experience many years back with my husbands dog.  Bogie relished his bones and he always had a supply.  He developed a lump under his jaw. We took him to the vet. The dx was an abscess in a salivary gland.  The vet found a splinter of bone lodged in the gland.  He was treated and after a few weeks was back to normal.  We continue to give our dogs bones, no problems since.  We are cautious to what type of bones we give and monitor their knawing.

ORIGINAL: brookcove

The thing is, it's a crap shoot no matter what you feed. I've known way more dogs that had problems with kibble - formula changes, contaminated batches, bloat, choking, allergies. That's certainly because I know way more kibble fed dogs than I do raw or home prepared fed dogs, but it seems to equal out in the end. I've heard of dogs having problems with bones (only cooked ones) and I've had one friend whose dog MAY have had contaminated raw meat.

I don't think there's any way you can surround your dog with bubble wrap and prevent every single bad thing from happening. You make the best choices that fit your lifestyle, your dog's needs, and your ethical framework, and then go from there. I really don't think one can do any better than that, and I don't think anyone needs to be defensive or confrontational about well-thought-out choices. "I won't feed X . . ." should in no way imply ". . . and I think you are stupid/wrongheaded/cheap/irresponsible for doing so yourself." []

 
I know that I can't surround my dog in bubble wrap, but there are certain risks that I'd rather avoid. I don't give him rawhide, greenies, or raw chicken wings. I have no problem giving him bones that are basically indestructible, so he can gnaw on them. I know choking on kibble is a possibility so I feed him twice a day when I'm there, so that if he did choke I could do the heimlich..... Basically, I know there are lots of things out of my control, but that doesn't mean I should just throw caution to the wind; I minimize the risks that I can.
 
I hope you don't think that I was implying ANYONE is stupid/irresponsible, etc. for feeding raw bones. It's just not I something that I'm okay with doing myself- I'm a worry wart by nature! And I was just expressing my opinion on the subject, which is what discussion forums are for.[]

Because I have a breed quite prone to bloat, I worry more when I give her kibble than when I give her raw. Although I know raw is not the cure-all to bloat, the risks seemingly go down with it. Ever since I started feeding raw, she seems to enjoy her kibble MORE (weird, huh?) which is just an added benefit [].
 
Hell, I'd be a worry wart if I had to send her to the vet once a year to be knocked out and have her teeth cleaned.

ORIGINAL: pumaward

Hell, I'd be a worry wart if I had to send her to the vet once a year to be knocked out and have her teeth cleaned.

 
They can do tooth scaling without putting the dog under anesthesia.

They can do tooth scaling without putting the dog under anesthesia.

 
Well, my dog really dislikes people touching her. I'm working on it, but I have doubt's she'd ever allow them to stick their fingers in her mouth.
 
Besides, I'm not bothered by the bones.

Then, you have *special* dogs, like Teenie.

She still has to have a dental, next year. She got one after she slimmed down, some. She already has nasty teeth. I suspect it'd be far worse, were she kibble fed. She's eating some grain free homecooked, and some raw (she's just been eating raw, this week, but it varies, like the wind on the hills, LOL), and her teeth are pretty awful.

Of course, a new vet looked at her, and decided that she was around 5 years old, and might need a dental sometime soon. She didn't realize that Teenie had just been through a dental, and was probably significantly older. Teenie doesn't have much enamel on her teeth, though. It seems she's done quite a bit of inappropriate chewing, in her life.

Errrr...ok I was expecting a little more explanation here....so why does everyone say chicken bones are soft, great for teeth, bendable, etc etc......

people worry about the wrong things. Dogs are designed to eat raw dead animals, bacteria, bones, and all. Statistically, your dog is much more likely to die from the side effects of dirty teeth than from eating raw chicken bones.

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

people worry about the wrong things. Dogs are designed to eat raw dead animals, bacteria, bones, and all. Statistically, your dog is much more likely to die from the side effects of dirty teeth than from eating raw chicken bones.

 
I have to respectfully disagree- manmade breeds like the Shih Tzu have been drastically altered from the generic wild type "dog". And statistics don't matter when your dog is one of the few that dies from a raw bone splintering their esophagus. Everyone has to made their own decisions and I don't think it's anyone's place to tell someone that they're worrying about the "wrong" things...

Errrr...ok I was expecting a little more explanation here....so why does everyone say chicken bones are soft, great for teeth, bendable, etc etc......

They ARE, comparitively speaking. Go try to crack open a marrow bone. My 17 pound dog can. I certainly can't! The reason  they're great for teeth is the good scrub they give, while chewing and breaking through the meat and bone.

I have to respectfully disagree- manmade breeds like the Shih Tzu have been drastically altered from the generic wild type "dog". And statistics don't matter when your dog is one of the few that dies from a raw bone splintering their esophagus. Everyone has to made their own decisions and I don't think it's anyone's place to tell someone that they're worrying about the "wrong" things...

 
I agree with you 100%.  It took me 8 months to get over the guilt of having allowed my Hunter to get ProHeart6.  I lost 40 pounds during that 8 months.   Even tho I didn't even know how to use a computre much less own one before his death, I just kept thinking' If only I had researched it I would hav know thousands of dogs had had a reaction to it, hundreds had died. I would have seen the stats and known the Interceptor he was on was so much safer and never have used the PH6."  It is true thousands and thousands had no reaction, but it killed my Hunter  and it didn't matter that thousands and thousands had no reaction when my Hunter suffered and died of AIHA because of it.
 
I was told it was perfectly safe and that is what the sales reps were telling vets.  I believed it.  SO I learned my lesson the hard way.  And after seeing that lab pup that died of pertonitis caused by splintered pork chop bone (probably cooked, I don't know) I have doubts about raw bones (didn't use cooked bones anyway) and if I was to lose a dog to one, well.  It took long enough to recover from something I didn't have a doubt about, how long would it take, if ever, if I lost one to something I had doubts about to begin with.

Statistically, your dog is much more likely to die from the side effects of dirty teeth than from eating raw chicken bones.

 
Where do those statistics come from and how were they collected?

At the last vet visit - my vet commented on how white my dogs' teeth were.  []  Mine get recreational bones.
 
I've only fed chicken wings a couple times.  The last time Tux got an extra couple that were actually Westley's and was sick for several days.  (Too much food!) 
 
I would feel more comfortable feeding something bigger - like turkey wings.  Mine are gulpers and those tiny wings just are too easy to swallow whole. [&:]