Comments on: Help me grind some chicken wings.

Question: Help me grind some chicken wings.

HotToddy — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:22:09 -0800

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?

By: Delfena

Delfena — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:42:36 -0800

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.) :)

By: violetk

violetk — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:58:10 -0800

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.

By: agent99

agent99 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:58:34 -0800

The KitchenAid meatgrinder attachment will do it.

By: charlesv

charlesv — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:41:19 -0800

Why do you want to grind up the bones and necks?

By: HotToddy

HotToddy — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:43:01 -0800

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.

By: violetk

violetk — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:51:20 -0800

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.

By: hecho de la basura

hecho de la basura — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:09:11 -0800

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.

By: HotToddy

HotToddy — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:22:59 -0800

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.

By: violetk

violetk — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:05:00 -0800

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.

By: violetk

violetk — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:19:48 -0800

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

By: freshwater_pr0n

freshwater_pr0n — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:40:20 -0800

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.

By: HotToddy

HotToddy — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:03:38 -0800

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.)

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:47:10 -0800

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

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:49:01 -0800

Video evidence to accompany above comment.

By: boby

boby — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:28:51 -0800

Chicken bones, raw or cooked, are not good for a dog to eat!