Chicken legs?

[Sylvia and Malley]

What is the opinion on Raw Chicken Legs?  As a people RN, I am having trouble with this - yet the trainer at class raves about it and keeps reminding me that Malley is a dog.   Thoughts and experiences?

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I'd have a problem with that big a bone too. How big is Malley? Maybe a 90 lb dog can chew it sufficiently but I would think they would splinter. I have fed raw turkey necks, but those bones are very easy to chew. I am sure I read somewhere that legs are just too think and splinter, but I'm not an authority. Search the raw food group

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Some people feed their dogs a raw diet, and clearly your trainer is one of these. Some raw feeders have very strong opinions about their feeding philosophy. While everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions about the benefits of a raw diet, IMO, the trainer has no business trying to promote a particular feeding method to clients who signed up for training classes, not nutrition classes. I would feel the same way if the trainer was recommending a particular brand of kibble.

If you are interested in feeding a raw diet, there are many sources for information, including a raw feeding group right here on DK. You need to do some research on raw diets beyond "give the dog a raw chicken leg". Otherwise, ignore the trainer's advice on diet.

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

When Frankie girl was first with us, we had so many feeding problems, that my vet suggested trying a raw diet for her. He actually promoted an entire raw chicken cut up. I've had dogs my entire life and always thought that any form of poultry bones splintered too easily and could cause damage to their intestines...Anyway, his reply was that any bones that have been "cooked" can do this. Therefore, giving them raw bones is the way to go. So I went out and bought a large pack of chicken thighs....All excited I gave her one...to which she looked at me like I had lost my mind - sniffed the thigh - and promptly walked away. I put it out in the garden thinking that maybe she would get into it later...Well..that did not happen, but the ants had a feast. Therefore, I barbecued them for my family and she went back to her regular diet. Good luck though as I know people who do this raw diet with their dogs love it.

[Sylvia and Malley]

Family decision - no raw meat for our dog.  Dog or not - I am too bacteria phobic.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Being a dog really isn't relevant, anyway, IMO. We don't eat the way our prehistoric hunter/gatherer forebearers did, either. There were never any labradoodles or goldendoodles living in "the wild"...or any poodles, Golden Retrievers, or Labrador Retrievers, either. So that argument doesn't really make sense to me.

There are many feeding methods that work well for today's domestic dogs, and which one you choose for your dog should be based on your own lifestyle choices and personal philosophies.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

This is just my opinion about meat in general.  I don't like raw or canned meat. I don't like the smell, the mess etc.  This is a silly viewpoint perhaps, but my dogs seem healthy on high quality kibble.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

The one and only time one of my dogs got hold of a chicken leg we ended up in the emergency Vet Clinic because it splintered in her throat.  We were lucky to save her life.  I think before you go down this route do a lot of research.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I have fed raw diet before for a brief period of time. Jack was not a fan of it, NEVER though did I give him raw that was not ground up already as he is just 11 pounds, I was told specifically that chicken bones have a lot of "air pockets" in them and that they splinter easy,

 

To me, IMO, Risk Vs Benefit is the risk is way to high for any benefit, If you are interested in feeding raw, they have great information on the raw food website, also Instinct Raw comes fully ground medallions and is nutritionally complete.

[Sylvia and Malley]

thank you all for your great input!  Gosh, this is the greatest site ever!  We have no desire to pursue a raw diet - the trainer just pushed the raw chicken legs so much - I thought maybe I was missing something.  Malley is healthy and happy on Newmans!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I fed my cats raw for 6 years. Just ground up meat, bone and organs with fresh veg. Cooper came from the breeder on raw and we continued to feed her raw which she loved, til DH and I both got work at a pet food store and got free kibble. We now feed Orijen to Cooper and the cats get Go/Now. I do try to give Cooper raw tripe once every week or so, and either a chicken neck or beef or buffalo bone every few weeks. I have never given chicken legs and have never seen them at any store I have worked at or on any order form