German Shepherds are wild breeds, they actually hunt their food, but now the German Shepherds are more adapted into the manmade world that their origin is starting to get instinct. So can German Shepherds eat chicken bones.
Their body is capable of eating raw meat. It is important for them to eat meat to maintain their health, development and growth.
Raw meat can be added to their diet and it will not have many side effects but let’s see how safe it is to feed bones along with meat.
Can German Shepherds eat chicken bones?
German Shepherds cannot eat chicken bones, either raw or cooked, at any stage. Chicken bones may cause obstructions, perforations, lacerations, and are a choking hazard. Raw bones also contain bacteria such as Salmonella and can make both you and your pet ill.
German Shepherds are able to eat and digest raw meat, though having too much is not good for their health but it does not harm their health as well. They mainly eat raw meat in two ways – Biologically Appropriate Raw Food Diet and The Prey Model Raw Diet.
In the BARF Diet, they are given the raw meat along with some other raw vegetables and seeds which comes out to be the best balanced diet for German Shepherds. They get all the nutrition they need from this diet.
The PMR Diet is specially customized for wild dogs like German Shepherds where they are given the whole raw meat along with the bones and intestine, as the wild breeds actually hunt their food so it is ideal for them to have this diet but since they are not trained to eat like this anymore, the PMR Diet can be a little risky for them.
How can chicken bones be harmful for German Shepherds?
- Chicken bones can choke German Shepherds.
- It can puncture the gastrointestinal system of your dog.
- It can break the teeth of your dog.
- Cooked bones are not suitable for German Shepherds.
- It causes obstructions, perforations and lacerations.
- Stomach issues like vomiting and diarrhea can also happen if it does not get digested properly.
- Sometimes the bones can contain bacterial infections ending up infecting our dog as well.
- Sometimes it can cause death in German Shepherds.
Are bones good for German Shepherds?
Vet do not recommend feeding German Shepherds any kind of bones, be it cooked or raw, beef, pork or chicken. According to the Federal Drug Administration, German Shepherds tend to get bone-related ingestion injuries due to bone consumption.
Bones are mostly used as treats for many decades but we never questioned the fact that if it is really good or not. Bones were never a healthy option to begin with. Dogs have a tendency to chew bones given to them so that they can satisfy their urge to chew and not destroy the household, but it is not good.
Many accidents can happen while they are consuming bones. There are high chances of bones getting stuck in their mouth and throat.
They do not hold any nutritional value and is unnecessary in your dog’s diet. There are no vitamins or proteins or any other minerals. Having no health benefits, it is unreasonable that we still use bones when we can easily switch it for something healthier.
Read: The Best Dog Food For Your German Shepherd
Why are bones important?
Where we talked about the disadvantages of bones, we should not forget that the ancestors of German Shepherds used to consume their food in this way and their genetic makeup is such that they are able to consume bones very easily.
Bones are equally needed to maintain their calcium level. If you want to feed your dog bones without having any causalities, then the best way to feed them is to grind the bones to make sure that your dog does not choke while eating. It comes handy when we want to satisfy our dogs urge of chewing.
Read: Best dry food for German Shepherds
Conclusion
Bones does not contain any beneficial properties. It is just a choice we make when we have to treat our dogs to keep them stimulated or happy. It also helps to satisfy their chewing urge whenever they have the urge to chew.
There are many better options we can look for such as fresh fruits as treats, a ball or something to satisfy their urge to chew. Not only these, there are many more, so find the suitable one for your dog which will contribute to their well-being.