In this article we will unpack all the pros and cons of wimp feet, arsenic well as answer some park questions about them. so, keep read to find out more about this treat your frump is surely to love !
Key facts
Chicken feet can provide your pawl with some excellent health benefits for their joints and teeth.
They are a fantastic natural treat, and are available in respective different forms to suit person dogs and owners. They should be avoided if you have a young puppy, or a dog allergic to chicken. But if not, then your dog is sure to love giving them a try .
What are Chicken Feet?
There are no prizes for those who can guess what animal and anatomic part chicken feet come from ! The feet of chickens are often a waste part of the body of massacre chickens, indeed repurposing them into dog treats surely ensures nothing goes to waste .
Chicken feet for dogs can be bought in several different forms .
Raw Chicken Feet
These can be bought straight from the butcher as off-cuts or at your local farmer ’ south market. They might be fresh or frozen, but careless which they are, they have had no process at all. This means they need a exhaustive clean before giving to your frump. While you can dehydrate raw chicken feet at family for your andiron, you can besides give them fresh or freeze besides .
Dehydrated Chicken Feet
These are cleaned, dehydrated in a dehydrator and packaged before you buy them. They have a long shelf-life of over six months ( not that your cad will allow them to stopping point that hanker ). They are normally yellow in color, and slenderly shrivelled-looking in comparison to the sensitive form of the feet .
Puffed Chicken Feet
These are like to dehydrated chicken feet ; however, they are air-dried which means they retain more vitamins and nutrients in the dry summons. They are normally whiter in color than dehydrate feet, and retain their determine better, or evening look a little puff up .
Benefits of Chicken Feet for Dogs
Chicken feet are highly alimentary for dogs. They have two main health draws to them ; they help manage joint conditions, and they help maintain dental hygiene .
Key benefits
Dental Health
The crunching military action of chewing through a chicken foundation helps clean your andiron ’ s tooth. Joint Health
Chicken feet contain glucosamine and chondroitin which are both associated with commodity joints .
Joint Health
Chicken feet contain high concentrations of glucosamine and chondroitin, which are normally found in canine joint supplements. These provide the construction blocks for joint cartilage, and therefore avail improve overall joint health for arthritic dogs, or dogs with joint conditions such as hip dysplasia. so, if you are looking for a natural option to joint supplements, it ’ second worth giving chicken feet a belong ! It ’ s been suggested that each foot is packed with approximately 450mg of glucosamine. In comparison to an average joint addendum, that ’ s a daily dose for a medium-sized cad !
Dental Health
Another major health benefit is the wonders they do for your dog ’ south teeth. While wimp feet might leave your andiron ’ s breath smelling a little amusing for a abruptly fourth dimension after eating, the crunching action through the feet helps to clean the tooth. This is due to the balmy abrasion it creates on the forbidden enamel that scrapes away built-up left-over food and plaque. It ’ second important to note that no treat outweighs the benefit of actually brushing your dog ’ randomness tooth daily, but if you struggle for meter, or are not great at remembering to brush, giving your dog a chicken animal foot will help you feel a little less guilty about it .
Nutrition & Compounds
nutrition protein 45-50 % fat 20-25 % Compounds glucosamine Chondroitin
Feeding Guide
A small frank can have one a day, and a larger dog can have two. Don ’ metric ton expect them to hang around hanker ! While it might take a smaller cad up to 15 minutes to crunch their way through it, a larger pawl is likely to finish it quite quickly .
Approx 75 Calories per Foot
Chicken feet are chiefly composed of skin, tendons, cartilage and bantam bones, which means they contain very few calories compared to processed commercial or meaty treats. Remember, though, that even healthy treats count as food going into your andiron. sol if you give them a treat, remove a fiddling food from their daily meals to account for it .
Are Chicken Feet Safe for Dogs?
Read more: Tips, Tricks & Recipes for Quail Eggs
A Very Safe Treat
so farseeing as they aren ’ triiodothyronine cooked, chicken feet deliver very few risks. The nails can be sharp, therefore if they haven ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate been trimmed you may want to do that. But if your pawl is burst and goodly, these treats should not cause any problems .
Beware Cooked Chicken Feet
Most chase owners have heard the advice ‘ NEVER give a dog cooked chicken bones ’, and so intelligibly, chicken feet might make you feel skittish. Cooked chicken bones are prone to splintering and causing blockages, which can lead to dangerous gastrointestinal complications .
however, chicken feet are not cooked. They are either raw, dehydrated or puff. This means the bones are crunchy and crumbly, and as a leave, as your chase munches through the process, the bones crush rather than break or splinter .
Watch Out for the Nails
The only separate of the chicken feet which might cause a problem is the nails. They can be sharp and hard to digest than the early parts of the infantry .
sometimes, andiron treat manufacturers trim off the nails in the preparation action, but if not, you might want to consider doing that yourself. A quick snip with some kitchen scissors well removes them. many frank owners do not worry about them if they are short though. With that being said, all dogs should be supervised when eating a treat for the first time to ensure there are no issues .
Unsuitable for Some Dogs
naturally, corpulent dogs on a diet should not be fed treats, as even though chicken feet are healthy, a dieting frank should stick to their kibble alone .
In summation to this, dogs who are prone to pancreatitis may want to avoid chicken feet, as fat can cause a outburst of the condition, which is highly unpleasant for your dog .
last, some dogs are allergic to chicken. For these dogs, chicken feet will not be desirable. exchangeable alternatives are available though, and so fear not, there is a solution. We will talk about these later on .
Chicken Feet for Puppies
Since chicken feet require some ability to crunch through them, it is advised that young puppies are not given chicken feet. This will help prevent damage to their developing teeth and the risk of unchewed food being swallowed. Some people suggest that puppies can start having chicken feet from four months honest-to-god when they begin losing their baby teeth and their pornographic teeth make an appearance. While chomping on a chicken foot will help with the discomfort of teething, it is better to wait until their adult teeth have in full come through, which is around the age of seven months. This prevents accidental, permanent wrong to the tooth .
Alternatives to Chicken Feet
Do you like the estimate of chicken feet, but not quite sold ? There are several early treats which may do the job which you might want to consider .
- Dental chews: If you’re interested in chicken feet to help improve your dog’s dental hygiene, but can’t stomach something so real-looking, dental chews might be a viable option. They are specially shaped to clean your dog’s teeth and achieve fresh breath. The downside is that they are not natural products and often are high in calories.
- Duck feet: Duck feet are a wonderful alternative to chicken feet if your dog is allergic to chicken, yet you still want the benefits of the high glucosamine and chondroitin for joints. Duck is a novel protein and it’s often the case that dogs with food allergies can manage it very well with no reactions. However, unfortunately they can me much harder to source, and are also higher in fat, which means dogs who are overweight or struggle with bouts of pancreatitis should avoid them.
- Pig ears: These are another winner when it comes to a natural product which is excellent for teeth. Much like chicken feet, pig ears help to keep the teeth healthy due to your dog’s chewing action on the product. They are also predominantly full of cartilage and skin, much like the make-up of chicken feet. However, they are high in fat, and therefore should never be given to dogs who are overweight, or who suffer from pancreatitis. They are also smellier and greasier than chicken feet.
- Chicken necks: Much like chicken feet, chicken necks can be bought raw or dehydrated, and are made up of a similar nutritional composition too. This includes the high levels of glucosamine and chondroitin. So, they are an excellent alternative. The only downside is that the bones are a little more prominent in chicken necks, so if you worry about your dog forgetting to chew and running into complications, these might not be for him.
- Rabbit ears: If natural is what you’re after, rabbit ears are a great alternative. They are excellent for your dog’s teeth, and don’t smell or leave greasy stains. They can be found dehydrated or air-dried to preserve the nutrients. They are also a little lower in fat than chicken feet, and supposedly take longer for a dog to finish too. They often come with hair on though, which some people praise as a natural dewormer, but for many people, it can be a little creepy.
FAQs
Are Chicken Feet Good for Dogs ? Chicken feet are highly alimentary for dogs. They have two main health draws to them ; they help manage joint conditions, and they help maintain dental hygiene. Are Chicken Feet Safe for Dogs ? The only share of the chicken feet which might cause a trouble is the nails. They can be sharp and heavily to digest than the other parts of the metrical foot. Dogs who are prone to pancreatitis or that are allergic to chicken should credibly avoid chicken feet. Are Chicken Feet Unpleasant to Have in the House ? Whether or not you get an unpleasant batch of wimp feet can be a hit or neglect. It very much depends on how they are prepare angstrom good as a bit of luck. Puffed chicken feet are normally non-greasy and not particularly fetid either. Fresh wimp and dehydrated chicken feet can be anywhere from greasy and fetid, to the other end of the spectrum angstrom well. It is always worth reading the reviews and details for any chicken feet you buy, as then you know what you ’ re likely to be getting. however, the most unpleasant thing about them is their general appearance. They are completely natural ( which is a good thing ), but for some people, it might be just a little besides close to a real live wimp for their comfort. Can Puppies Have Chicken Feet ? Although some people give chicken feet to teething puppies, it is better to wait until their adult teeth have amply come through ( around the old age of seven months ). This prevents accidental, permanent damage to the tooth. Can chicken feet cause diarrhea in dogs ? Chicken feet are by and large not associated with diarrhea in dogs who have goodly guts, as they are not excessively full-bodied or meaty. however, any new treat should be introduced gradually, particularly for dogs with sensitive guts. It is worth noting that salmonella can be an issue when animals have been reared or processed in unsanitary conditions. If you constantly wash fresh chicken feet before feeding them and informant them from places you trust, diarrhea is highly unlikely to be an issue. Can chicken feet cause a blockage ? Chicken feet tend to crumble and crush when they are chewed, so they are no more likely to cause a blockage than convention dog kibble. The fact they contain bones may be off-putting, however the bones are bantam, and since they are never subjected to a cook process, they do not become hard or brittle. How are wimp feet harvested ? Chicken feet are not directly harvested for the function of treats. They are plainly an off-cut from the chicken kernel industry. They are normally destined for andiron food, or disposable lay waste to. You can even buy a ‘ bin bag ’ from your butcher, which much contains chicken feet that would have otherwise been thrown away. It is authoritative to do your research when buying chicken feet though, as not all chicken feet will have come from free-range or ethically farmed chickens. How do you store chicken feet ? once opened, dehydrated and puffed chicken feet can be stored in an airtight container in a cool cupboard. They will then final approximately six months. Fresh chicken feet need to remain in the electric refrigerator or deep-freeze, and used within the clock human body you would cook fresh or frigid wimp for yourself. how many chicken feet can my andiron have ?
sol long as you decrease the amount you feed your dog, you can give chicken feet to them every day if you want. Don ’ t feed a modest frank more than one a day though ( two per day for a larger frank ). How long do chicken feet for dogs last Chicken feet are not a long lasting treat for dogs. They ’ rhenium more like a nosh. Don ’ metric ton expect them to survive more than a few minutes ( probably 15 at the most ) .
