Are chicken feet good for dogs’ health? Can dogs eat chicken feet? Questions like these are doing rounds of the internet as a lot of dog lovers want to know the answer to such queries existing in their minds. A set of people support offering chicken feet for dogs whereas the other category of people have a different opinion on this subject. Offering chicken feet as food to dogs might sound a bit surprising and probably a lot of people will not support it. But it has been proved in many science-backed studies that they offer valuable benefits for canines.
Chicken feet are a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin, which play a significant role in supporting the joint health and mobility of dogs as well as cats. Not only this, but chicken feet can also act as solutions to plenty of gum as well as dental health problems. Since chicken feet are edible and fully digestible, they contribute to improving the dental health of a chicken.
Are Chicken Feet Good for Dogs’ Health?
Many dog specialists suggest that offering chicken bones to a dog is not good for its health and it can lead to several serious injuries to it. One should avoid offering cooked, boiled or fried chicken to a dog. It is because of the fact that the high cooking temperatures turn chicken bones into hard, glass-like structures, which breaks into sharp and pointy splinters once dogs chew on them. These splinters can lead to many serious injuries.
However, the raw or dehydrated chicken bones are considered safe for dogs and their texture is soft and brittle. On chewing them, they get crushed completely but don’t break into pointy objects. On the other hand, chicken feet mostly consist of skin, connective tissue, and cartilage which makes them suitable for easy digestion. Due to this, it becomes possible for dogs to intake all the essential components supplied by them.
Advantages of Offering Chicken Feet for Dogs
Chicken feet contain a rich supply of protein, glucosamine, and chondroitin that is imperative for maintaining the optimal health of dogs. Protein supplies the required energy to the body and it should account for 10% of the diet by weight of an adult dog. And the other important nutrients namely, glucosamine and chondroitin are natural compounds responsible for the build-up of cartilage and connective tissue. Offering chicken feet to a dog treats osteoarthritis and dental problems in dogs. Below we have mentioned the points to explain why offering raw chicken feet for dogs is a good choice.
Treats Osteoarthritis and Helps in Mobility of Dogs
Numerous studies have supported the importance and benefits of offering the oral supplementation of glucosamine and chondroitin to dogs. It has been proved that a sufficient supply of glucosamine and chondroitin is effective for joint health, arthritis, and it also helps in the mobility of dogs as well as cats. Many people don’t find it economical to give glucosamine and chondroitin in pill form. It has been found that about 20% of adult dogs suffer from osteoarthritis, hence, it becomes all the more important to provide the required nutrients to them to treat this disease.
But one should note that chicken feet act as natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin to keep their bones as well as joint health. Based on data available from various studies, it has been found that each chicken foot offers about 450 mg of glucosamine and it is one of the cheapest sources of arthritis treatment for dogs. Moreover, chicken feet are easy to digest for dogs and they don’t lead to any problem related to digestion.
Improves Dental Health of Dogs
Offering chicken’s feet for dogs helps to treat dental health problems of dogs by cleansing the teeth of dogs completely. It has been found through many studies that over 75% of dogs in the US suffer from dental health issues. And there has been an increment of 23.3% in dental diseases in dogs every year. If dental health problems in dogs left untreated then it can lead to many infections for illness to affect the heart, liver, and kidney.
Regular brushing using a special toothpaste for dogs helps to cure many dental issues related to canines. However, many people don’t find it easy to brush their dog’s teeth as it requires a lot of effort. For such people, it is important to feed their dogs with chicken feet in order to cleanse their teeth well. When dogs chew on chicken feet, the process helps to remove plaque and tartar build-up on their teeth.
Quality of Chicken Feet for Dogs
How much chicken feet is sufficient for dogs? Well, the answer to this question depends on factors namely the diet and the size of a dog. For a particular dog, the right amount of chicken feet diet can only be decided by a veterinarian. Only after the advice of a veterinarian, one should choose the best supplement for a dog’s diet with essential ingredients. However, if we talk about this thing in general, then one to three feet per day will be suitable depending on the diet and the size of a dog.
A person must feed his dog with the high-quality chicken feed and it is important to ensure that a dog drinks plenty of fresh water to digest chicken feet diet properly. If you are starting the chicken diet for your dog for the first time then it is highly recommended to ensure variation, moderation, and balance of food for your dog.
One must buy raw chicken feet from reputed online sources and one can also try it on local farmers’ markets, butcher shops, or at the meat department of grocery stores. It is better to feed your dog with dehydrated chicken feet because the dried chicken feet are easier to handle and store. And dehydrated chicken feet also help in the powerful cleansing of teeth due to their crunchy texture.