Real chicken

sohni

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I am curious about giving my cats chicken as a treat. I have read that I can give them whole chicken wings, uncooked, to help them clean their teeth. I give my dogs uncooked chicken backs once in a while and they never have a problem.

I saw a canned food that had whole chiken wings in it, processed to be completely soft of course. Would there be any benefit in slow cooking or pressure cooking chicken on the bone for my cats?
 

sadieandziggy

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I am not an expert, but I think they should be okay with normal fresh ones. Get organic though because they won't have parsites, and it's best to get them from a butcher as they are newer/fresher.
 

goldenkitty45

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I think anytime you cook chicken bones they will splinter - so if you are gonna use bones, give them to the cats raw - not cooked.
 

eggytoast

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No cooking!

I typically only give very small treats of raw chicken to my cats because I don't want them to think it's their actual meal, getting full on things that don't have all the nutrients they need. I mean, you'd have to mix in some hearts and livers and brain and other good bits for it to be balanced.

That and if you give them chicken on the bone, they will inevitably pull it out of their food dish and all over the floor
 
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sohni

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I understand the issues of splintered bones. I believe it was Merricks canned food that offered whole bone-in chicken wings, softened through processing. I figured with a pressure cooker I could do the same at home.

The reason for providing the uncooked bones of chicken wings to cats, I thought, was to help them condition their gums while cleaning their teeth. Not every day, just as a treat once in a while, anyway.

Thanks for the replies. I'll do some more research.
 

eggytoast

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The processing is unlikely any sort of cooking, but rather more like a rubberizing process of some sort, similar to vinegar & eggshells. They probably soak the bones in a sterile acid to soften them up, but cooking would, as you've noted, make them more brittle, defeating the purpose.

Bones are good for a lot of things; strong gums, clean teeth, and calcium. Purchased raw food contains ground up bone for this reason, and yeah, some of the more dental-oriented treats do as well. I've heard some people have good luck with small dog-treats, as well.
 

sharky

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I have wondered about the Merick claim ... but I will note they say you can take it off the bone if desired... I personally when using Merrick NEVER gave the bone cause upon consulting my very nutrition minded vets THEY both WENT NO... RAW is the only way to give a bone

chicken and turkey necks raw make great dental treats...
 

kittytales

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If you have ever fed Merricks Wingaling or Smothered Comfort for dogs (their only products containing bone) you would not be the least bit concerned about their safety. The conisistency is very much like the bone in canned mackerel. The vet I work for was horrified to hear about whole bones in a pet food, but only because he had no personal experience with the product. These bones are about as likely to pierce an intestine as a ramen noodle.

But, the same process that makes THESE cooked bones safe renders them useless as a dental aid. Raw chicken necks work great.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by kittyTales

If you have ever fed Merricks Wingaling or Smothered Comfort for dogs (their only products containing bone) you would not be the least bit concerned about their safety. The conisistency is very much like the bone in canned mackerel. The vet I work for was horrified to hear about whole bones in a pet food, but only because he had no personal experience with the product. These bones are about as likely to pierce an intestine as a ramen noodle.

But, the same process that makes THESE cooked bones safe renders them useless as a dental aid. Raw chicken necks work great.
I used to but for health reason the dog no longer gets them and I always removed the bone since the vet was unsure ... mackeral is not bone but cartilage and thus far less likely to be a issue .. But then again I was HORRIFIED to find a bone in it .... I used it prior to the cute sticker stating there was a wing or theigh in it ...
 
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