Posted by Cate (Australia ) on 04/22/2024
There is some grain of truth to what the vet claims, but perhaps it would relate to the amount of bones given, whether they were baked or boiled (& the amount of time they boiled for), the type of animal bones as well as the body part.
Bones are rich in minerals such as calcium, which is constipating. If bones (with the meat taken off), are given as food alone or with the littlest of food, it will most certainly cause an intestinal blockage.
Baked or boiled are toughest to digest. But if they have been boiled for many hours, they become crumbly. Raw bones are digested best and are more nutritious.
Of all the bones available, pork, beef, lamb, chicken- have the thinnest bone wall. They are the easiest for a dog to digest.
Bones are apart of their natural diet, in the wild they would consume them.
I have 2 dogs, one small & medium, 12 & 13 yrs old. They have been eating whole chicken legs (drumsticks) everyday all of their life! When they were puppies I would cut them into small bite size chunks to fit into their mouth. I would also give them chicken wings as they were smaller & easier to cut. Now I only have to cut the meat of the chicken leg into small chunks for my small dog, but when I get to the bone part, he is able to eat the rest himself. I only prefer to give my dogs the legs rather than the wings because they contain more meat but they are equally as good, if not better.
The bones from the chicken leg are properly digested because the bone portions present, in my dogs faeces, when pressed, appear as crumbed white powder.
My dogs are in the greatest of health. They have beautiful bright eyes, great teeth, they have good faecal form, & carry themselves with the same vitality as when they were 2 yrs old- & have yet to slow down! I attribute they're state of health to their diet.
You could give your dog chicken wings instead as the bones are thinner and smaller.
Rest assured that it is completely safe & beneficial for your dog to be eating chicken legs!
Give a dog a bone!