Are chicken bones OK for cats?

I just read another poster mention giving her cat a drumstick bone to
chew on. I used to give that to my cats, but a vet told me it wasn't
good for them - he said slivers could become impaled in the mouth,
throat, or even puncture the stomach or intestines. None of my cats
had never had a problem (that I knew of) with it, but I wasn't willing
to take chances, so I stopped.

Trouble is, even though it's been two years, my cats still know the
smell of chicken and beg and plead for some every time I make a
chicken dinner. On top of that, we had to stop seeing that particular
vet because his billing practices were suspect, and it has colored my
whole opinion of him.

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

~Shelly~

in article , ~Shelly~ at wrote on
10/19/03 1:07 AM:

I just read another poster mention giving her cat a drumstick bone to
chew on. I used to give that to my cats, but a vet told me it wasn't
good for them - he said slivers could become impaled in the mouth,
throat, or even puncture the stomach or intestines. None of my cats
had never had a problem (that I knew of) with it, but I wasn't willing
to take chances, so I stopped.

Trouble is, even though it's been two years, my cats still know the
smell of chicken and beg and plead for some every time I make a
chicken dinner. On top of that, we had to stop seeing that particular
vet because his billing practices were suspect, and it has colored my
whole opinion of him.

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

~Shelly~


I believe its *cooked* chicken bones that are bade for both cats and dogs
for this reason. Just a note, out dog once got a steak bone lodged between
the inside of the top of her mouth, wedged between the teeth on either side.
It was a bit of a trauma for all concerned. We stopped giving her any bones
at that time.

karen

in article , ~Shelly~ at wrote on
10/19/03 1:07 AM:

I just read another poster mention giving her cat a drumstick bone to
chew on. I used to give that to my cats, but a vet told me it wasn't
good for them - he said slivers could become impaled in the mouth,
throat, or even puncture the stomach or intestines. None of my cats
had never had a problem (that I knew of) with it, but I wasn't willing
to take chances, so I stopped.

Trouble is, even though it's been two years, my cats still know the
smell of chicken and beg and plead for some every time I make a
chicken dinner. On top of that, we had to stop seeing that particular
vet because his billing practices were suspect, and it has colored my
whole opinion of him.

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

~Shelly~


I believe its *cooked* chicken bones that are bade for both cats and dogs
for this reason. Just a note, out dog once got a steak bone lodged between
the inside of the top of her mouth, wedged between the teeth on either side.
It was a bit of a trauma for all concerned. We stopped giving her any bones
at that time.

karen

If the chicken bone is raw, it´s ok, if it´s cooked, it´s not ok.
Avian bones may break as needles when cooked and cause problems.

If the chicken bone is raw, it´s ok, if it´s cooked, it´s not ok.
Avian bones may break as needles when cooked and cause problems.

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

Cooked chicken bones get brittle and can easily break into sharp bits. Raw ones
are supposed to be okay. Some say raw chicken is good for cats because it has
natural enzymes which are lost in cooking. I personally don't give my cats any
bones, better safe than sorry. I just give them a little bit of chicken cooked.
The raw idea scares even though I know they eat raw food in nature. My last cat
would sometimes go into the trash and eat an entire cooked chicken carcass. He
ate all the bones but the legs and thighs which he'd just break in two and suck
on. He never had a problem but I wouldn't recommend it. He was a stray street
cat, stoumach of steel.

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

Cooked chicken bones get brittle and can easily break into sharp bits. Raw ones
are supposed to be okay. Some say raw chicken is good for cats because it has
natural enzymes which are lost in cooking. I personally don't give my cats any
bones, better safe than sorry. I just give them a little bit of chicken cooked.
The raw idea scares even though I know they eat raw food in nature. My last cat
would sometimes go into the trash and eat an entire cooked chicken carcass. He
ate all the bones but the legs and thighs which he'd just break in two and suck
on. He never had a problem but I wouldn't recommend it. He was a stray street
cat, stoumach of steel.

In article , "~Shelly~"
wrote:

I just read another poster mention giving her cat a drumstick bone to
chew on. I used to give that to my cats, but a vet told me it wasn't
good for them - he said slivers could become impaled in the mouth,
throat, or even puncture the stomach or intestines. None of my cats
had never had a problem (that I knew of) with it, but I wasn't willing
to take chances, so I stopped.

Trouble is, even though it's been two years, my cats still know the
smell of chicken and beg and plead for some every time I make a
chicken dinner. On top of that, we had to stop seeing that particular
vet because his billing practices were suspect, and it has colored my
whole opinion of him.

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

~Shelly~

Oops, that was probably me and it was irresponsible for me to be so
vague about it. RAW chicken bones, wrapped in plenty of RAW meat, are
minimally risky for a cat to eat. The long bones like drumsticks are
riskier than non-weightbearing bones like backs, necks, and ribs. For ME
and MY animals, the benefits of feeding meat on the bone (especially the
benefits for oral health) far outweigh any risks. When in doubt, take
your vet's advice. And, of course, there's nothing to stop you from
pampering your kitties by offering a little of the cooked meat from your
chicken dinner.

I would never feed cooked bones of any kind, poultry or other, to my
cats or dog because of the risk of splintering and the risk of blockage
(cooked bones don't digest as easily as raw).

-Alison in OH

In article , "~Shelly~"
wrote:

I just read another poster mention giving her cat a drumstick bone to
chew on. I used to give that to my cats, but a vet told me it wasn't
good for them - he said slivers could become impaled in the mouth,
throat, or even puncture the stomach or intestines. None of my cats
had never had a problem (that I knew of) with it, but I wasn't willing
to take chances, so I stopped.

Trouble is, even though it's been two years, my cats still know the
smell of chicken and beg and plead for some every time I make a
chicken dinner. On top of that, we had to stop seeing that particular
vet because his billing practices were suspect, and it has colored my
whole opinion of him.

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

~Shelly~

Oops, that was probably me and it was irresponsible for me to be so
vague about it. RAW chicken bones, wrapped in plenty of RAW meat, are
minimally risky for a cat to eat. The long bones like drumsticks are
riskier than non-weightbearing bones like backs, necks, and ribs. For ME
and MY animals, the benefits of feeding meat on the bone (especially the
benefits for oral health) far outweigh any risks. When in doubt, take
your vet's advice. And, of course, there's nothing to stop you from
pampering your kitties by offering a little of the cooked meat from your
chicken dinner.

I would never feed cooked bones of any kind, poultry or other, to my
cats or dog because of the risk of splintering and the risk of blockage
(cooked bones don't digest as easily as raw).

-Alison in OH

From: "~Shelly~"

I just read another poster mention giving her cat a drumstick bone to
chew on. I used to give that to my cats, but a vet told me it wasn't
good for them - he said slivers could become impaled in the mouth,
throat, or even puncture the stomach or intestines. None of my cats
had never had a problem (that I knew of) with it, but I wasn't willing
to take chances, so I stopped.


Cats should never be given COOKED bones. RAW bones are fine. My cats are on a
raw diet and do great with bones. But make sure you're giving bones that are
manageable such as chicken wings, cornish hen or quail. I wouldn't recommend
beef bones.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm