Help me grind some chicken wings.

July 10, 2008 12:22 PM

Will a Cuisinart food processor be able to grind up chicken wings (including the bone)? Chicken necks? Or do I have to buy a meat grinder? And if so, will the KitchenAid meat grinder attachment be able to handle it?
posted by HotToddy to pets & animals (15 comments total)

I used to use a food processor when I fed my dogs raw food, but I only used it for the veggies. I am just curious, is there a reason why you want to grind up the meat? I fed my dogs the whole wings and necks.. It helps clean their teeth to chew the bones. The bones aren't dangerous when they're raw (since they're pliable), but I'm sure you knew that. I'd recommend trying them whole. (Even my little Papillon could handle the wings.) :)
posted by Delfena at 12:42 PM on July 10

what delfina said in terms of feeding your dogs, if this is a question about that.

otherwise from what i have heard from other raw feeders, you will need to get a meat grinder to do the bones.
posted by violetk at 12:58 PM on July 10

The KitchenAid meatgrinder attachment will do it.
posted by agent99 at 12:58 PM on July 10

Why do you want to grind up the bones and necks?
posted by charlesv at 1:41 PM on July 10

I'm just nervous. I know everyone says they're safe, but then I read a post from someone on one of the raw feeding forums whose dog had an intestinal perforation from a chicken wing. Plus, my dog is a Sheltie with a TON of fur and it's a nightmare to clean chicken slime out of her bib every night. I was planning to give her chicken necks (which make me less nervous than wings) on weekends for her teeth, ground bone in her food on the other days, plus keep brushing her teeth every night.
posted by HotToddy at 1:43 PM on July 10

raw bones are perfectly safe for dogs. i've never had any qualms about giving mine raw bones. just never cooked bones. your plan for necks and teeth sound fine. raw bones are a great addition to their diet.

if you want a way to keep her teeth clean naturally, i'd suggest getting her a big bone to chew on. raw, of course. i buy mine buffalo knuckles but you can get any big raw beef or similar bone from your butcher. i've given my dog these bones to chew on since he was a baby and he's never had to have his teeth cleaned and they are spotless! he pretty much gnaws them down to nothing.
posted by violetk at 1:51 PM on July 10

Dogs have a top-of-the-line food processor/grinder on their faces! Works great, too. We fed pork necks a couple days ago, with bones that would destroy my knives/food processor and the dogs decimated the large meaty/bony chunks in about 3 minutes. Yum.

I generally don't feed my dogs wings or necks alone. I feed by the motto "feed as big as possible" to deter wolfing/choking. The wings are attached to the body of the chicken if they are fed. My dogs are in the 45 pounds - 75 pound range and I don't like taking the choking risk with unattached single wings, drumsticks or thighs. I have fed them in the past, though (as a dumb beginner), unground and with zero issues.

I do understand your nervousness. I can remember hovering over them nervously at every meal. That stopped a couple years ago. It gets easier once you see what their teeth are really capable of. It's also a little disconcerting to watch them eat a chunk of flesh with a bone in it that is not so different from the bony chunk of flesh you inhabit.

Oh and please, please, please do not give your dog a bone to chew on for her teeth as recommended above, especially from a large ungulate's legs or feet!! These bones are very very dense from supporting the massive bulk of the creature. They are much, much too dense for the dog's teeth to break, and hence they chew and gnaw at the bone. This is a lovely recipe for broken teeth and a trip to the vet for an extraction. Since feeding raw my dogs stopped all desire to "chew" anything. They get their chewing fix from their food.
posted by hecho de la basura at 2:09 PM on July 10

Additional information, in case anyone wants to make related raw-feeding suggestions: My dog is 8-1/2 pounds, with a bird-like jaw. And a LOT of long fur. And I like to kiss her neck, preferably without getting salmonella poisoning.
posted by HotToddy at 2:22 PM on July 10

Oh and please, please, please do not give your dog a bone to chew on for her teeth as recommended above, especially from a large ungulate's legs or feet!! These bones are very very dense from supporting the massive bulk of the creature. They are much, much too dense for the dog's teeth to break, and hence they chew and gnaw at the bone. This is a lovely recipe for broken teeth and a trip to the vet for an extraction.

i know many many owners who do as i do and have had no problems with this. my dog loves to chew, regardless of how much raw bone he gets in his diet. i'd rather have him chew on a bone and keep his teeth clean than destroy toys, balls, and shoes.
posted by violetk at 3:05 PM on July 10

there are many links you can google that will recommend chewing on raw bones to keep teeth clean:

here's one

and another

and another
posted by violetk at 3:19 PM on July 10

If you decide to go with grinding your dog's food, I'd start reading websites made for and by people who feed their cats raw. Those are the folks who know how to make raw food for smaller mammals.
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 6:40 PM on July 10

Update: The KitchenAid meat grinder attachment does not work. It grinds the meat and leaves most of the bone behind, which clogs up the plate after doing 1.5 wings. (Don't feel bad, freshwater_pr0n, it seemed like it would work to me, too.)
posted by HotToddy at 8:03 PM on July 10

This can turn whole chickens into soup, no problem. You could probably put a frozen chicken in there and make a chicken-smoothie if you were so inclined. They're not cheap, but they are absolutely fantastic. /satisfied owner
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:47 PM on July 10

Video evidence to accompany above comment.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:49 PM on July 10

Chicken bones, raw or cooked, are not good for a dog to eat!
posted by boby at 8:28 AM on July 27