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So I decided to give my 3 yo and 1 yo labs raw chicken wings, for raw benefit and teeth cleaning. I cut 1 in 1/2, and gave each dog the 1/2 wing. Rudy chewed and chewed till it was small pieces. Annie (1 yo) chewed about 20 seconds and then swallowed it!!:amazed: What do I have to worry about, if anything?
I wouldn't be concerned. My dogs have only ever chewed enough to make things small/pliable enough to be swallowed. For something like a lamb neck, that's lots of chewing. Chicken necks, on the other hand, sometimes go down without a single crunch. They all digest though.
If you are looking for something that will help with teeth, maybe try raw turkey necks. I actually ask the butcher for his largest ones so my dog will have to chew more. I also buy slabs of St. Louis ribs and cut off hunks of 3 or 4 ribs. That way I feel better that he is getting some of the benefit of cleaning his teeth and gums.
Probably too small to get hung up on the way down and most likely you won't see them reappearing at either end.
Wings are too small, unless maybe turkey wings. I started my boy on legs, wore my cotton gardening gloves for grip and held on so he had to chew. Or at least he had to crunch to break pieces off. We are off raw right now but I did feed several different meats with bone and supervised the whole time.
Some folks find they just can't control how the dog will eat meaty bones so use ground and give large bones for dental workouts. Still, have to supervise.
Ok good advice, especially about holding it while she is chewing. I gave turkey necks at one point, but stopped as it gave Rudy really stinky gas:distress::distress: Might have to try those again. Thank you!
It is extremely alarming when they swallow a chicken wing whole! I actually went flying to the vet when Maxx did it and my vet laughed at me. That was the last time either got a chicken wing. I stick with turkey necks or ribs, as mentioned above. I did hold on to the smaller turkey necks I started with until both dogs got the hang of eating them properly but it sure is gross!
Just curious, and it's probably a dumb question, but I've never worked with raw before so I'll ask it. Even if we feed Sophie TLC for her meals, would it be good or bad to give her, say, a raw turkey neck once in awhile?
I do also brush her teeth a couple times a week. They're still new so they're nice and white still.
Feeding her a turkey neck will be fine. Mine were actually kind of funny the first time, they were not sure how to eat it or what to do with it. Holding on to the end of it made it easier for them to gnaw on it and figure it out.
My first dog, the dog I had when I was a child, always ate whatever was available from our own food and then any lack of amount was made up with kibble. On Sundays he'd get the raw chicken neck and giblets with kibble. On Monday he'd get leftovers, cooked vegetables (lots of those, I hated them) cooked bits of meat, skin AND bones with kibble. I guess we were lucky, no trouble with those cooked bones but we did stop when we learned cooked bones weren't good, so he didn't have them all of his + 16 years. Since then I have always thrown anything edible but not appealing to us, to the dog. Raw meat and bones with kibble. So I am sure Sophie will be not only fine, she'll think a turkey neck is the best part of the meal. :)
Thank you, Snowshoe. I will try it this week since I'm off work and can sit in the yard with her. :)