Raw chicken wings look like a luxurious treat for a dog. But, as a conscious pet parent, one always wonders whether it is safe to give raw chicken wings to dogs or not. Are you too in the same dilemma? Do you often think Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Wings? Let’s find out.
In this article, we will cover:
- Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Wings?
- Benefits Of Feeding Raw Chicken Wings?
- How To Feed Raw Chicken Wings Safely To Your Dog?
- And more..
Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Wings?
You can feed raw chicken wings to your dogs only if they are prepared properly to reduce bacteria infection. Raw chicken wings contain essential nutrients like calcium, protein, and Vitamin-B for a balanced diet and they also improve dental hygiene and keep the skin and hair of your dog healthy.
Over the last few years, the BARF (Bones And Raw Food) diet has gained tremendous popularity among pet parents. It is said that a dog’s genetic makeup supports it to eat uncooked and wild meat and greens. This raw food relieves bad odor, improves the quality of fur, provides clean teeth, and fresh breath to the dogs.
The chicken wings are divided into three parts- the wingtip, the wingette, and the drumette. Each of these parts contains bones.
Drumettes generally have one main piece of bone in the middle and some joints and cartilages in the end. In addition to it, the wingette has two thin bones and meat whereas the wing tip has no meat. It is essentially bones, cartilages, and skin.
Your dogs can eat all three parts of the chicken wing safely. Thus, it is good to get a chicken wing that has the wingtip, wingette, and drumette so that the dogs get all the beneficial nutrients at one go!
3 Benefits Of Feeding Raw Chicken Wings To Dogs
The nutritious raw chicken wings are known to provide multiple health benefits to dogs. So let us have a look at a few of them:
1. Joint Health
A lot of dogs suffer from osteoarthritis. The American Kennel Club states that osteoarthritis is the inflammation of joints due to worsening of cartilages in a dog’s joint. While there is no cure for the disease, you can definitely ease your dog’s pain.
The research conducted by the University of Georgia on a systematic review of clinical trials of treatment for osteoarthritis in dogs showed that glucosamine and chondroitin provide a moderate level of comfort to dogs suffering from osteoarthritis.
Raw chicken wings have a lot of cartilages and joints that contain both glucosamine and chondroitin. Feeding your dog chicken wings can reduce their pain and increase mobility especially if they suffer from osteoarthritis.
In addition, raw chicken wings are beneficial for dogs who actively engage in sports.
However, keep one thing in mind that chicken wings alone cannot make up for the deficiency, you might need to use supplements as per your vet’s advice.
2. Dental Hygiene
Keeping your dog’s teeth healthy is very important. Most people use dental chews to treat the problem of plaque and tartar in dogs, however, you must know that they are high in calories.
A good substitute for dental chews is a raw chicken wing. Biting the bone of a chicken wing cleans the teeth by removing leftover food stuck there. And the best part is dogs would like the raw bones better as they are natural and crispy!
3. Nutritional Benefits
Does your dog suffer from calcium deficiency? Well, such dogs often witness poor overall growth, fatigue, and muscle tremors. They are also more prone to joint ailments and fractures.
Thus, adding raw chicken wings to your dog’s meal is valuable. Raw chicken wings provide a good amount of calcium and protein to your dog.
The vitamin-B in chicken wings keeps the dog’s metabolism strong. To top that, chicken has Omega 6 fatty acid that keeps their coat shiny and healthy and provides energy.
All in all, raw chicken wings are a good choice for your dogs!
How To Feed Raw Chicken Wings Safely To Your Dog?
Although your dog can eat chicken wings, there are certain things you should keep in mind that will make your dog’s overall experience of eating raw chicken wings amazing.
1. Choose A Good-Quality Chicken
As a dog owner, we are sure you want to provide the healthiest food possible to your dog. Thus, choosing the right chicken for your dog is a very crucial step.
So, when selecting a chicken, go for naturally-raised chickens over chickens that are caged. Purchasing chicken from the supermarket or grocery is often a safe choice for fresh chicken.
2. Use Fresh Chicken Wings
Always feed fresh chicken wings to your dog. If the raw chicken wings were left at room temperature for long, bacterial growth will take place.
If these bad bacteria outweigh the good bacteria in your dog’s gut, they can suffer from various infections like Salmonella and Listeria.
To avoid such situations from arising, you must feed raw chicken wings immediately to your dog or keep them refrigerated. In case of refrigeration, feed the chicken wings at most in 3 days.
3. Follow Food Safety Procedures
To avoid any kind of infection to you or your dog, it is best to follow some safety procedures while feeding chicken wings.
First, wear gloves all the time while handling raw chicken wings. In addition, wash your hands and clean all the kitchen surfaces after feeding your dog. Do not wash raw chicken wings. This will help the bacteria to grow.
If possible, feed the raw chicken outside your home to avoid any bacteria from entering your house especially if you have children or ill people at your home.
4. Make An Informed Decision
Before feeding raw chicken wings to your dog, take a look at your pet’s medical history. If your dog has a weak immune system or suffers from gastrointestinal diseases, it is best to talk to your vet and follow his advice.
Also, even after feeding raw chicken wings to your dogs, look closely for symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and pain. If your dog has any discomfort, take it to the vet.
Can Dogs Digest Chicken Wings Bones?
According to Dr. Sandra C. Mitchell, DVM at PetMD, dogs are mostly able to digest chicken bones. Once the bones enter the stomach, it dissolves before it becomes harmful. Thus, dogs are able to pass the bones easily.
However, there are times when bones can cause potential risks to a dog. Cooked bones can splinter and get stuck in the dog’s throat. This can result in choking or tearing of the intestinal tract. To avoid this, avoid cooked bones!
Also Read: Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Bones?
Can You Feed Raw Chicken Wings To Puppies?
Raw chicken wings should not be fed to puppies even if you want to start a raw diet for puppies. Once they have fully grown, you can consider feeding raw chicken wings to your dogs.
As mentioned, chicken wings have a lot of calcium. Since puppies can barely absorb large amounts of calcium through their gut, it can lead to excess calcium in their bodies. Excess calcium can cause malformations in puppies.
How Many Raw Chicken Wings Can You Feed A Dog?
Giving too many bones to your dog can lead to constipation. Thus, you must give only 2 chicken wings per week to your dog as treats. In case your dog is still young, this number should be lower. Also, keep a gap of 2-3 days before feeding chicken wings again.
Subsequently, make sure to add other dog food to the meals of your dog. Chicken wings are a very good source of various nutrients, but they do not fulfill the requirements of a balanced diet. It is vital that you get your dog’s diet right!
Can You Feed Dehydrated Chicken Wings To Dogs?
Yes, dehydrated chicken wingtips are available as treats for the dogs in the market. They have a tiny bone as well. If you want to feed dehydrated chicken wings, it is best to purchase a commercially available brand. These brands dehydrate the chicken wings in commercial dehydrators which is safer for your pet.
You can dehydrate the chicken at home also, however, we would not recommend it. The dehydrators at home are not good enough for a chicken wing bone as they make it brittle.
Can Dogs Have An Allergy For Chicken Wings?
Chicken allergy is basically an allergy to the protein present in chicken. Since fresh raw chicken wings contain 26% protein, your dog might have an allergic reaction to chicken wings if it has a chicken allergy.
Therefore, you must find out if your dog has a chicken allergy before feeding him chicken wings. In some breeds, this allergy can also prove fatal.
In order to know if your dog is allergic, look for signs in the skin. Skin infections, rashes, itchiness, loss of fur, and excessive licking are very common. Along with this, vomiting is also seen if the dog has digestive problems.
Also Read: Can A Dog Get Sick From Eating Raw Meat?
Can Dogs Eat Cooked Chicken Wings?
No, dogs cannot eat cooked chicken wings. Cooked bones become brittle. Thus, they splinter and might choke your dog. If somehow your dog swallows it, it can shatter in the stomach and cause damage to the intestines.
Are There Any Alternatives To Raw Chicken Wings?
If you do not want to feed raw chicken wings to your dog, you can go for other meat-based alternatives for your dog. Chicken feet are a good source of the same nutrients. If you are looking for other meat, ostrich leg tendons and turkey meat are a good options.
Also Read: Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Liver, Gizzards, And Hearts?
