Feeding raw chicken bones to clean teeth?

I've heard about this a few times before, but have never tried it. I KNOW that cooked bones will splinter, I'm talking about RAW bones. I've heard they work wonders for cleaning teeth. I have two miniature pinschers (7 lbs and 12 lbs) and am not sure how much is safe to give them. Any advice?

Feeding raw chicken bones to clean teeth?
Feeding raw chicken and bones is perfectly safe to feed your two pups. Yes, bones keep dogs teeth clean. What seems more natural, dogs eating bones or brushing a dogs teeth?? Come on guys!!


I fed my girl kibble for a little over a year and she had an awful lot of calcium buildup. Simple brushing would NOT remove it. It would have to be removed by putting her under at a Vet and have him do it. But, I started feeding raw and within a few months, VIOLA!, pearly whites.


Chicken wings seem like a good size for your little ones, but sometimes it takes different bones that they really have to manipulate to get into the back deep crevices of their teeth. Hide (as in rabbit with the hair/hide) is great for teeth cleaning also.


And as for beef bones, you have to be careful with what you feed, especially with aggressive chewers (my little Corgi is one) they can cause broken teeth. Never feed a beef leg bone. They are too dense and will crack teeth.
Reply:To tell you the truth, Id stick with compressed rolled rawhide. And cow hooves. Chicken bones are bad news all the way around.
Reply:Don't give your dogs chicken bones! My grandma told me that chicken meat, chicken bones and eggs are bad for dogs.
Reply:There are many other things you can give to your dogs to help clean their teeth. Any pet store will have a huge selection.





This said, people who feed their dogs a raw diet often use raw chicken as the main feed. There is no danger from the raw bones.





Instead of giving them just the bones, you might simply want to replace an occasional meal with raw chicken wings. The wings apparently contain the optimal proportion of meat, bone, and fat for the dog's nutrition.





One word of caution: unless you have access to organic or free-range chickens, there is always a risk of salmonella contamination from raw chicken. Unlike humans, dogs don't get sick from salmonella, but once they are infected they become carriers and can transmit the disease to humans. Good hygiene is usually enough to prevent contamination, but you should NOT feed raw chicken to any dog that comes into contact with young children or with elderly persons.





Hope this helps.
Reply:If you want to use bones, would recommend sticking to raw beef bones. They are large, thicker, and sturdier than chicken bones. The pet store will have cleaned, sterilized beef bones you can buy if you prefer.





(And to set the record straight, chicken and eggs are both good for dogs. If you read the ingredients in many high-quality dog foods, both chicken and/or egg is in the ingredient list.)
Reply:Dont give your dogs animal bones. They could choke on them or get sick. Feed them dry dog food which helps keep the tartar off their teeth.
Reply:Please don't give your dog chicken bones. They splinter easily and can be ingested whole. This will make your dog very sick, if not kill him.





If you need to give your dog something, consider compressed bones (from your pet store). They don't splinter as easily. Rawhide can tear and your dog could swallow it and choke to death. Key to any of these is supervision. If your dog breaks the bone or tears it, the pieces should be picked up immediately. In certain cases the bones should be discarded altogether and a new bone given.





As for keeping your dogs teeth clean, be sure you brush them using a doggie toothbrush and doggie toothpaste. The paste is enzyme-based and can be swallowed. (Human toothpaste cannot.) Also, you can add a product called "Oral Care" to their water. It is also enzyme-based, as well as odorless and tasteless. I've used it before with good results. You can also find biscuits which are mint/parsley near the toothbrush section in your petstore. They're great, too.





But, please, avoid chicken bones completely. They are dangerous for your dogs.





Feel free to email me if you have questions. I'll be happy to help.





Cindi G.


Pet Trainer
Reply:You have got to be kidding!


All bones have an opportunity to split %26amp; leave splinters that get caught in a dogs digestive tract. Chicken bones are said to splinter the most %26amp; are considered the worst to give your pet.


To clean teeth, you have other options.


Go to your local pet store or even just the pet aisle at the store %26amp; you will see a variety of doggie dental products...everything from toothbrushes to dental chewtoys.
Reply:The raw bones will only help if the chew them while eating (mine are gulpers!!) However, they experts say that the enzymes also help with teeth cleaning (and from my own experience, gas and breath)





Before you start - get some good books and research (Kymythy Shultz and Dr. Billinghurst are good ones) There are some things you have to be careful about. for example don't feed kibble and raw in the same meal.





Chicken necks are usually the safest - they are quite soft and fairly small - for your Min Pins





I have fed Raw for about 7 years with great success.
Reply:www.rawmeatybones.com





you can read the whole text of this book. it will tell you exactly what you need to do.





if you are worried about all the lies everyone will tell you about raw food and dogs, go here:





http://www.rawfed.com/myths/
Reply:I've given my 10 lb dog raw chicken wings for years with no problem. I do cut off the excess skin because I don't think he needs all that fat.
Reply:yes you can give them raw chicken bones. it is better for them than some commercial made dog treats that arent even digestible. i would give each dog a drumstick, with the meat on it for an extra treat. raw meat and raw eggs ARE safe for dogs. they are safer for them than nasty man made dog food. dogs bodies are made to digest raw meat and eggs, they dont get salmonella etc. what most people dont know is that dogs actually do not digest veggies, grains etc. very well. there systems are made for meat base diets only. if anyone has any further questions about raw diet just ask me.
Reply:Your dogs are two small for rawhide or bones. Even if the bones are raw, there is a potential that they can break off bits and choke. If your dogs were larger, than it would probably be okay, but 7lb and 12lbs are way two small to be doing that.





Try carrots! Dip them in a bit of peanut butter and it will be a treat for not only your dogs tastebuds, but your dogs health. Carrots clean the teath aswell and get rid of tartar.
Reply:I would avoid any type of bone. They may spliner or get lodged in the throat or intestines causing a blockage. Stick with Greenies or treats made for this purpose
Reply:Yes, but you shouldn't feed bones alone... you should feed whole pieces of chicken that have bones in them.





Here's the thing with raw bone-in chicken... I wouldn't use it as an occasional teeth cleaner. Dogs digestive systems run very differently on raw meat than on kibble. If you give occasional chicken bones to a dog that usually eats kibble, they will not digest those bones up the way a raw-fed dog will. Personally, I wouldn't do it. I don't think it's a good idea to mix raw and kibble in general, and I really wouldn't do it with bone-in snacks. There are lots of other teeth cleaners on the market. Now if you're going to switch to raw, I advise to go for it.



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