# Raw Chicken Necks = Sharp Shards in Poo??



## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Anyone?

I was hopeful that someone who feeds raw would have some ideas.


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I don't feed raw but have tried it quite a number of years ago and my Chihuahua gaged on a chicken wing bone pretty badly. I have heard though, that they need to learn how to chew better...they're so used to eating food that's easy. (kibble, canned etc) I don't know what you do other than holding the end for as long as possible. I'm not sure I'd cut it up into small pieces because then the dog might not recognize it as something very different and may not get onto the idea that he has to chew and chew and crunch, scrape etc. Hopefully some of the more experienced raw feeders will pipe up. Have you found anything on any raw feeding forums? Good luck. I'll be interested in seeing how things go.


----------



## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Thanks, Poodlebeguiled!

I did post the same question to a raw feeding group, without any reply.

I gave Fletcher another neck yesterday and he is getting better at really crunching them up. I do hold the neck for him (gross!) and this time I held it until there were just a couple of vertebrae left, then I gave it to him and watched carefully, ready to jump in if he swallowed it whole.

I haven't found any bony shards in his poo this time, so hopefully as he gets more used to them he will chew, and digest, them better!?

I'm still very interested if anyone has more ideas!


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Oh dear...sorry I didn't get back to this thread. Well, I don't know why no one answers you. If you see someone who seems really super knowledgeable from looking at other threads, you might pm him/her. It does sound like Fletcher may be getting the hang of it.


----------



## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Oh dear...sorry I didn't get back to this thread. Well, I don't know why no one answers you. If you see someone who seems really super knowledgeable from looking at other threads, you might pm him/her. It does sound like Fletcher may be getting the hang of it.


I know!! Honestly? I sometimes feel like the death of any threads I answer, and I've learned not to hope for many comments on threads I start. Sigh. 

I still have the necks, but haven't fed any in about a week. I was at the small, local pet store the other day, one that's associated with our vet's office and only stocks high quality foods. The lady there was telling me about a local breeder who would ONLY feed raw. That is, until the day that one of their dogs choked on a neck and was dead by the time they rushed it to the vet. That breeder has apparently stopped all raw feeding and even got out of breeding.

I have been giving thought to home cooking, but I'm not sure where to start.

It's all so confusing at times.

I really appreciate your input!


----------



## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Aside from this, you know there have been some reports of dogs who eat too many necks getting diet related hyperthyroidism.


----------



## Desiree (Feb 14, 2010)

I'm surprised you didn't get an answer on the raw forum! I guess they didn't want to say that some dogs may choke on and be unable to digest bone well. I wouldn't feed anything that comes out sharp in poop. That's one headache I don't need!


----------



## Tabatha (Apr 21, 2015)

When feeding raw meaty bones like chicken necks, you also need to feed raw offal to balance the phosphorus and calcium. This is where so many people go wrong, they think they can simply feed chicken carcases and nothing else. A diet without variety is a dangerous thing.

I've been feeding my pets raw for 12 years and have never found a shard in their poop however, I have never fed raw and kibble at the same time.

"Because kibble requires a different pH in the gut to digest, it will make your puppy more susceptible to the bacteria in the raw meats. He is capable of handling this bacteria just fine, but once you add in artificial foods, the meat will sit in his digestive tract twice as long, meaning there is a much greater chance of harmful bacteria building up." 

I recommend reading this article: Starting Your Puppy On A Raw Diet


----------



## Spoos+Ponies (Mar 26, 2014)

I've also been feeding raw for a long time. Last year Finn had thrown up a piece of bone and scratched his throat. I took him to my holistic vet. She said it really wasn't anything to worry about, a rare occurrence, and that their stomach acid is so strong it generally digests most bone without difficulty.

I too wonder if the problem might improve over time. I know with people who eat a lot of processed food, their digestive enzymes and stomach acid isn't really up to par and switching to more whole foods can be an adjustment at first.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

When I first started feeding my dogs raw, I did on occasion find some hard bone in the stool. Not sure whether it was a case of too much bone or not enough fiber, so I was extra-careful to keep the bone ratio at about 10% of the diet, and I added a couple of tablespoons of chopped vegetables to each meal (not for the nutritional content but to replace the fiber/skin, feathers, fur, etc. they'd have gotten in a prey model diet) , and the problem cleared up. I do think some of it has to do with the dog's digestive tract adapting to a different kind of food. 

Neither of my dogs is a gulper. They've always chewed and crunched bones slowly, but I use turkey necks or chicken leg quarters rather than chicken necks, which seem too small and more of a choking hazard for big dogs.


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I have been feeding Buck raw chicken necks for a year and have never had a problem. The stool is firmer and not as smelly. Have never seen a shard. I would not have gone down this road of raw, if it was not what my breeder recommended. As a puppy, he hardly ever finished his kibble no matter what I mixed it with, but he always finished the necks. Now I know all the butchers at HEB and order necks by the case. His teeth sparkle. It's a never fail meal for an indifferent eater.


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I too have never had a problem with shards of bone and Molly eats legs or wings, not necks! Of course she doesn't get them everyday because her diet is varied with dehydrated raw (HK or Sojos), ground beef, canned 95% meat dog foods, and a bit of kibble(1/4cup) in her bowl everyday to 'graze' on. She gets the chicken about 3x a week and is very thorough in chewing it up (crunch chrunch!!!)!!! Molly is small too!


----------



## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Thanks so much for all of the input!

I don't think I'm currently interested in only feeding raw. Personally, I like the idea of doing a home cooked food that I can give him once a day, but use a high quality kibble once a day too (plus as training treats).

I'd like to continue to give the necks, but I'm starting to wonder if he has a problem with chicken. Maybe that could contribute to his not completely digesting the chicken necks?

This past week I have been using a human grade, home cooked food that we get at the local farmer's market as training treats. (Goldenlifedogfood.com)

Unfortunately I was feeding the chicken variety all week and yesterday when I was fluffing his ears he yipped. I cleaned his ears out and will continue to check them; vet visit if necessary. They were gunky, and had a slight odor, but didn't seem red or inflamed.

It's always something!


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

> He is capable of handling this bacteria just fine, but once you add in artificial foods, the meat will sit in his digestive tract twice as long, meaning there is a much greater chance of harmful bacteria building up."


I don't think that a good, high quality, premium commercial food is_ "artificial food."_ It is _real_ food and is balanced with all the essential vitamins and minerals. When I see terminology like that, it reminds me of those fundamentalist religious zealots who think you're going to go to hell if you don't practice religion just as they do. My dogs are well fed and it shows. Their skin and coats are beautiful, eyes are bright, they have oodles of energy and strength, are physically fit. Their teeth are just fine. I do brush them every night. And I'd like to floss them but have yet to convince them of that operation. I don't think Old Roy is a good food and wouldn't feed it. I feed 95% meats too, vary them and use both a high quality kibble and canned. I have off and on fed a pre-made and dehydrated raw. I do like to mix things up so it's not the same all the time by putting 1/2 an egg in their food a few times a week or a tsp of cottage cheese. Sometimes something from my dinner...some kind of vegetable or meat...very small amount so as not to disrupt the balance of their well designed food. 

I do believe that raw feeding is good in that it's fresh and quite possibly could be considered natural, even though dogs have been evolving to be suited to their niche with humans all along. But the good commercial foods are cooked at low temperatures and gently so as not to destroy too many of the vitamins and then they're supplemented. Our bodies can't tell the difference between vitamin supplements and vitamins in food. (a pharmacist told me that, lol) And after all, only a few vitamins are destroyed by excessive heat, not all of them. 

Like I've said before, most of my dogs have had very good longevity, some nearly to 20 years old and have led very healthy lives.

eta: I don't know how that smiley wound up on top of the post. I didn't put it there...at least not on purpose. lol.


----------

