# Raw chicken drumstick - reassure me this is OK



## DirtyGertie (Mar 12, 2011)

Sorry guys, I'm worrying again .

Poppy's second day and I gave her a chicken drumstick again this morning. Yesterday's (first one ever) took her half an hour to eat and she took it nice and steady. She has never gulped food, always taken her time.

Today she took 10 minutes. I heard her to start crunching the bone and by the time I looked round to check that she wasn't trying to swallow big pieces it had gone . I didn't see what size it was or how much she'd already broken up and eaten. I was surprised that she had managed to eat the skin and meat in such a short time after yesterday - I'm presuming she'd eaten most of that before tackling the bone.

She did have her head down and gave a bit of a cough/choke and I was honestly waiting for her to bring it back up but nothing, it stayed down.

It's took a while to convince OH about raw feeding and bones were his concern, now of course he's getting towards the "I told you" stage. And if we did need the vet in an emergency it's an hour's drive away.

Should I be worrying? If she's swallowed a big piece of bone it's obviously not going to get broken down by stomach acid so will it get stuck coming out?

Sorry, sorry, sorry - I know I'm a nuisance but I can't help worrying. I am ploughing through the raw feeding sticky but there's so many pages it's taking time.

Oh, and there were a couple of little puddles of yellow bile waiting for us this morning, I know there can be a little bit of sickness when first changing over so I wasn't worried about that.


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## Emmastace (Feb 11, 2011)

I can only say from experience with my much bigger dog but didn't want to leave you hanging until someone else comes along.
The first time I gave Mia anything raw it was a chicken wing (approx 8 weeks ago) I had to hold it and pull tiny bits of meat off until she got the hang of it. Biting the bone into bits was a mystery to her too. Even on a GSP it took her about 10 mins to finish it. The second one I gave her went in about 30 seconds and she has never looked back.
She seems to crunch at the bone a couple of times without going all the way through, a bit like a meat mallet effect, then swallows great big lumps of the crushed flesh and bone. Everything coming out the other end is totally normal with no evidence of lumps of bone at all.
I am pretty sure the stomach of any size dog would deal with bone completely.
Anyway....someone more experienced will be along soon.


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## Souris (May 24, 2010)

She'll be fine. If the bone was too big to pass the stomach, then she would have been sick. 

However, what I'd advise you do from now on is hold onto the chicken whilst she eats: that way you can get her to chew a weenie bit more slowly and you can also supervise feeding so that you don't worry. Ten minutes is still a decent amount of time to get through a drumstick: if she'd gulped it down in thirty seconds then I'd possibly be worried.

As for the bile- what time did you feed her last night? I know Pixel is sometimes sick with yellow bile overnight if he's gone to bed on an empty tum, which is why he always has something (even if it's just say a biscuit) before bed. 

But, I'd also advise you to keep an eye on her today just incase (I'm neigh on 99.9% sure she will be fine however), I don't think there's going to be any problems at all but I'm a member of a forum online, I didn't see how much she gulped etc, etc. Keep an eye on her, you know your pup, if there's anything dodgy take her to the vets. 

Also, don't be sorry. We were all new to raw at one stage or another, and we all had worries similar to yours.


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

As said by the others, I'm sure she'll be fine, but it really is so, so important to watch them like a hawk when eating bones, especially when they are new to them. It can get boring I know, but you shouldn't take your eyes off them- in a few weeks when she's more of a bone eating pro, you can relax a little (and be in the same room, but not constantly watching) but please, for now, always watch her the _entire_ time she eats.

The bile is nothing to worry about, it just means she had an empty tummy. Raw is digested so much quicker than kibble, so whereas kibble would stay with her all night after her dinner, the raw would be long digested. A small bite to eat before bed should solve this, mine always get put to bed with a biscuit- on raw, and kibble days. It's a traditional and they look for it before settling, but is also helps with the bile problem- it's something in their tummies.

Never be sorry for asking questions, we were all beginners once, and asking is the only way we learn.


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## Freyja (Jun 28, 2008)

She will be fine my italian greyhounds often have chicken drumsticks for their meals. Buck is tiny only 14" tall but he can eat a drumstick in a couple of minutes. Even my 6 week old whippet pups love a chicken wing or drumstick they haven't figured out about chewing the bones yet they usually leave them but the love a raw lamb bone.

If you are worried about her chewing the bones properly hold the end so she has to chew properly just untill she gets the hang of eating them. When we first started feeding my whippets wings I used to hit them with a hammer to smash the bones just in case they swallowed them but now even my setter can eat them and chew them properly.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

I don't feed chicken drumsticks, as posted in the other thread, but don't like them as a first meal for dogs swapping over, for the very reason that it's easy for a dog that isn't used to breaking a bone up with their teeth, to swallow quite a large sharp chunk if they're not careful. I'd be tempted to wrap it up in a tea towel and bash the heck out of it, so that she still has to chew, but there are no large pieces to swallow. I've helped quite a few people swap onto raw, and always say wings/carcasses/necks are the best to use, dogs seem to cope with these much easier than having a big whole drumstick plonked in front of them ime. 

I'm sure she'll be fine, definitely supervise her, particularly while you're unsure if she's managing to break the bones down into small enough pieces. If you want my barf guide just pm me your email address and I'll send it over for you, mine get a mixture of green tripe, chicken and lamb bones, tinned fish, eggs, blended veggies with added supplements, and any left overs.


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## DirtyGertie (Mar 12, 2011)

Thank you everyone. I feel a bit stupid/dreadful/a numpty now .

I did hold the drumstick yesterday but let her take it after a while (pics on my other thread) and she was fine, took her time over the bone. I was sat right next to her this morning and watching her but I didn't hold it. Just turned away then crunch - crunch - crunch - looked back and it had gone!

She's back on commercial for a couple of days from tomorrow, I shall alternate like this until we've used it all up.

Chicken drumsticks, thighs and breast fillet is all I have in the freezer at the moment. I will give the boney ones a bash then before I give them to her in future and I will also make sure I hold on to them for the time being.

When you say chicken wings, what exactly is that? Not those titchy bits that are mainly bone? Do you mean like a chicken quarter with the wing on like if you get chicken and chips from the chippy? If so that would probably be a whole day's food. Being 5kg (adult weight expected to be 6kg) she only needs about 150gms - 180gms for the day and I feed two meals. Anyone got a picture so I know for sure?

Thanks for the tip about a little something before bedtime, I shall do that.

She has been fine so far, we've been on a lead walk (spayed 5 days ago so not too much yet), been alert with visitors, slept on and off. Hasn't had a poo since last night so don't know how that will go, that's what was probably worrying me, if the bone pieces were too big and got stuck .

Thanks again, I do appreciate everyone's help.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

If you read the bit I've posted on your other thread, that tells you exactly the sort of chicken I feed. Chicken wings are fine, mine used to get two as a meal, if you get quite large ones there is more than enough meat on them I've found.


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## Souris (May 24, 2010)

This is a chicken wing.










This is a chicken quarter (usually the drumstick plus thigh). A quarter usually weighs in at around 200-250g a piece.










Hope that helps!


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## DirtyGertie (Mar 12, 2011)

Souris said:


> This is a chicken wing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Right, OK I had the wrong picture in my head about chicken wings, I was probably picturing just the wing tips.

Thanks so much Souris. Pictures filed away in my head for future reference :smile:.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Another pic for you, this is Indie, as a pup with her chicken wing


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## Souris (May 24, 2010)

There's a really good set of pictures of Katie sectioning up a chicken on the raw feeding sticky if you need any more references.  

You can also get quarters with the wing plus some breast, which is more than likely what you found at the chippy.


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

I give T-Bo wings as they're in three sections and there's no way he can gulp them - he usually only eats half anyway as they're too much for his lil tum. The whole leg is good, again too big to gulp. I do give Britches and Bruce drumsticks but not T-Bo yet as I feel once the chicken is off he may try to swallow the bone too big because he is a pup.

Poppy obviously liked her drumstick yesterday and thinks she's a pro already, lol. She'll be fine but I can imagine your worry, especially as you have an "I told you so" to deal with.  Just tell him T-Bo is only 2kgs, eleven weeks old and copes perfectly with raw chicken bones, as do Britches and Bruce and they've been having them for seven years. 

Like souris said, just hold on to it if you're concerned she's eating it too quickly, she'll soon learn.

PS -Think i'm in love with Indie!


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## LexiLou2 (Mar 15, 2011)

I know how you feel and firstly don't panic, we had biley sick the first time we fed her bone....again it was overnight and was the first time we fed her.....but it has never happened again, see how she goes tonight you might find that shes fine, alternatively if she'll eat it give her something like a raaw carrot Lexi adores them.

With regards to the bone i worried about the size of bone chunk Lexi was eating, she seems to swallow what i would class as big bits but they have never got stuck ot had issues the stomach seems to do a very good job of breaking the bone down.

We've just had our 4th drumstick today and i am still holding them (Lexi is a gulper) but she is getting better, starting to pull bits off.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Malmum said:


> I give T-Bo wings as they're in three sections and there's no way he can gulp them - he usually only eats half anyway as they're too much for his lil tum. The whole leg is good, again too big to gulp. I do give Britches and Bruce drumsticks but not T-Bo yet as I feel once the chicken is off he may try to swallow the bone too big because he is a pup.
> 
> Poppy obviously liked her drumstick yesterday and thinks she's a pro already, lol. She'll be fine but I can imagine your worry, especially as you have an "I told you so" to deal with.  Just tell him T-Bo is only 2kgs, eleven weeks old and copes perfectly with raw chicken bones, as do Britches and Bruce and they've been having them for seven years.
> 
> ...


She got big....










And rather bootiful, although I'm biased 










The raw diet has certainly suited her!


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

Ah Sleeping Lion she is beautiful, just the kind of Lab i'd want. She must be a show dog isn't she? A great advocate for the BARF diet if ever there were one.
Everything about her is just perfect IMO - you must be sooo proud! 

Love her even more now!


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Malmum said:


> Ah Sleeping Lion she is beautiful, just the kind of Lab i'd want. She must be a show dog isn't she? A great advocate for the BARF diet if ever there were one.
> Everything about her is just perfect IMO - you must be sooo proud!
> 
> Love her even more now!


hehe, her sire is fully show bred, however he didn't enjoy showing as I understand it, so wasn't campaigned for very long. Her dam is a mixture, and I just loved her character, I think I got a very good combination of the both of them with Indie, she is rather fabulous.


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

That's it then - if I ever want to get the Lab i've always promised myself i'll be pm-ing you for info, lol!


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Awww, thanks so much, I love my girls and that's such a fabulous endorsement of my big bear Indie, she's a lovely, lovely girl, beautiful in appearance and character


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