Question about feeding chicken to dogs.?

Question

I was watching a show on Animal Planet, I think it was called 'Breed All About It' and it was about Giant Schnauzers. I saw a fancier and breeder on this show and she had a kennel full of show dogs, retired champions, puppies, etc. My point being she was a serious dog fancier and dedicated to her breed of dog. She talked about what she fed her dogs and she said it was raw chicken with bones and that bones are fine for dogs as long as they aren't cooked ( chicken bones are different when raw, cooked they can splinter in the dogs throat because they become dryer) and the cameras were rolling when she was feeding her dogs this.
Now I am reading on here that raw chicken is not okay to feed dogs. I have fed raw chicken to my dogs before, they love it and I never had a problem. I am not currently feeding them anything but commercial dog food. So which is it? This woman seemed to really know what she was talking about and had all those show dogs, it sounds like she could be right.

Answer 1

People are expressing their personal opinions. Some of these opinions are more informed than others. Others use scare tactics that have no or little basis in truth. Still more will use human nutritional guidelines as a basis for feeding their dogs.

I have done a lot of research and firmly believe that dogs are domesticated carnivores and should be fed as such. That is raw meat, bones and offal. I feed my dog and cats a Raw Meaty Bones diet using the prey model as recommended by Dr Tom Lonsdale. (link attached)

On the rare occasion that my husband has succumbed to 'commercial food pressure' when I have been away, my poor 9 month old pup has had HUGE sloppy bowel movements that contain blood, passed such horrendous gas that she could clear a room and been hunting for more food within hours.

Answer 2

She's feeding raw and that's very good for dogs' teeth and also for dogs with allergies or other troubles (My dog does very well on raw and has stomach drama with canned and kibble)
But don't just start randomly throwing chicken wings at your dog. Raw food of any kind and kibble do not mix. They digest at different rates and your poor dog will have a very upset tummy if you are feeding both.
Joining a moderated raw feeding group will help you a lot. Especially in light of the recall, there's a huge increase in interest in feeding raw or at least cooking for your dog. Yahoo Groups has several - look for BARF (Bones And Raw Food) and RawFeeding, etc. Good luck!

Answer 3

A lot of people believe dogs are healthier on a raw diet, which is probably what this lady was doing. It's okay for dogs to have uncooked chicken bones, because they don't splinter like cooked ones. But....uncooked chicken bones can be very small so they can be a choking hazard. Personally, I feed my dog a high quality dry food and only give him beef and pork bones.

Answer 4

I have heard that it happens and I think it has more to do with dogs that haven't experienced eating them but i think it depends on if the dog has become use to eating them and has accustomed themselves to eating them there less likely to run the risk as I have grew up with feeding dogs all bones cooked and raw ( including chicken bones the only one I take out is the splinter bone in the leg) as all my family ( dad feed them that way, his dad feed them that way) have done it. All my dogs have been fine and healthy and none of them required any vet care because they have had cooked bones. And in away (may differ from ours) dogs do kind off cook bones as well when they burry them in the yard and than pull them out all rotten, stinky and partially cooked because of the heat in the ground. And dogs are scavengers and it is believed that that's how dogs where domesticated they relied on or scraps and garbage for food because it was easy.

Answer 5

She's right... as are a lot of people on here who do feed a BARF or prey model diet. My showdogs eat raw chicken on a regular basis.. as well as pork neck bones etc etc.. Cooked bones are hazardous and can splinter. I've been feeding primarily raw for 15 years.

My four dogs polished off 10 lbs of chicken quarters tonight. Tomorrow it'll be chicken backs and raw eggs (shells and all) for breakfast and butcher's blend (ground pork/beef scrap meat plus heart and liver) and ground vegies for dinner.

Answer 6

i have included the site that i got this information . the same question was asked . so i thought it would help you . you can also go there he disusses alot of different feeding topics .

http://www.leerburg.com/feedingarawdiet.htm#chickenbones

RAW chicken bones are wonderful food for dogs. They are soft, easy to chew and digest and readily available. NEVER ever feed cooked chicken bones! (or any other cooked bones, for that matter!)

I suppose your dog could choke on chicken bones, but he can also choke on kibble or one of his toys. If your dog is a gulper (i.e. swallows chicken pieces whole) he may do better with larger portions, either a half or whole carcass as opposed to legs or wings.

There are risks present with every choice we make, so it’s up to you to make the choices you can live with and feel comfortable with. Compare the risk with the benefits and make your own decisions.

Answer 7

I feed my dog raw chicken and turkey with bones intact and a raw beef and organ mix. A raw diet is a great option for people who are committed to their animals and want the best diet available to feed. My meat comes from a USDA certified butcher in my area so it is all human grade. I even pick up meat for myself sometimes when I order.

Please refer to the website I have provided and gather information to make your own mind up about this very controversial issue. They only people that I know who are strongly against raw are people who have never tried it and seen how much healthier their dogs acts within just a few weeks.

Answer 8

Well,...You'd want to feed organic chicken or feed it at a time and of a kind, you're sure there's no salmonella or anything on it. Not all breeds though can tolerate chicken from time to time, though.

Answer 9

If you do a little research you will find that many many people feed their pets raw diets.

It is very healthy, and the key is bones are different when raw. You obviously shouldn't feed your dog rotten meat of course, but fresh human grade meats are great.

Here's a link for more information http://community.livejournal.com/rawdogs/120730.html

Answer 10

I knew about chicken bones being bad but I never thought of giving them raw chicken. I don't know I would think that it would cause them harm just like it would us if it wasn't cooked.