Authors: Sarah Pruzansky & Phoebe Cooper
Chicken feet consist of tendons, skin, and cartilage. If prepared properly, these highly nutritious chews can make an excellent treat for many dogs of different shapes, sizes, and ages!
Continue reading to learn all you need to know about chicken feet and whether they’re a good fit for your dog.
Consider This
While chicken is often a favorite protein among dogs, not all treats labeled “chicken” are created equally: the way the meat is handled and processed, the animals they’re derived from, and their overall quality can vary drastically between brands.
Natural Farm, for example, offers all-natural, human-grade chicken feet that are nail-free to ensure safe, wholesome, and flavorful chewing experiences for dogs. Not only that, but Natural Farm’s Chicken Feet come from free-range, ethically raised chicken sourced from local farms, and they’re completely free of chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics!
When looking for ways to treat your pup, you want to be sure you’re giving them something that is not only delicious, but also safe, nutritious, and suitable for their unique needs and preferences. Nail-free chicken feet offer all of this and more as long as your pup doesn’t have any chicken-related restrictions (see “Cons of Chicken Feet”).
Pros of Chicken Feet
Chicken feet offer dogs a wide range of benefits, including:
Great for All Dogs
The light nature of nail-free chicken feet treats allows them to be chomped down and digested with ease, making them an excellent chew option for dogs with sensitive stomachs, lighter chewers, senior dogs, puppies over three months of age, and dogs with fewer or sensitive teeth. Even moderate-to-heavy chewers can enjoy these treats as they make for a scrumptious quick snack!
Health Benefits
Chicken feet are a naturally rich source of glucosamine and chondroitin, which are nutrients that support hip and joint health in dogs (fun fact: you will find these nutrients in most hip and joint supplements for dogs).
Glucosamine and chondroitin promote better mobility and flexibility in dogs, which helps keep them active, and these nutrients can also help alleviate hip dysplasia as they help boost cartilage production and joint lubrication.
Chicken Feet are also high in collagen, a protein that works to support skin, coat, and joint health in dogs.
While chewing chicken feet, your dog will also be scraping away tartar and plaque, promoting healthier teeth and gums.
Overall, your best friend will love having a tasty chicken treat that helps keep their joints, teeth, and more healthy and their hearts and stomachs happy!
Cons of Chicken Feet
Be certain that the Chicken Feet you feed your dog are nail-free, like Natural Farm’s, to ensure a safe chewing experience for your dog. If your dog consumes a chicken foot with nails, this could possibly lead to issues in their gastrointestinal system, among other things.
If your dog is allergic to chicken or otherwise predisposed to conditions like pancreatitis (because chicken feet have a higher fat content), you should avoid feeding your dog chicken feet.
It's also important to make sure the chicken feet you give your dog are not raw or overcooked.
Alternatives to Chicken Feet
If Chicken Feet don’t seem like a great fit for your dog, you’re still in luck!
Natural Farm offers a wide range of high-quality, all-natural dog chews, treats, and bones sourced from a variety of livestock that are always free of chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics.
As a few examples, our delicious Beef Gullet Sticks and Collagen Sticks are made with grass-fed beef, and our Pig Ears from premium pork provide dogs with a delightfully crunchy and savory chew.
Conclusion
Chicken feet can offer dogs an incredibly flavorful and rewarding treat that’s bursting with health-boosting benefits!
To learn more about Natural Farm Chicken Feet and our complete line of premium, all-natural dog chews treats, and bones, visit our store page today.
Continue reading about Natural Farm Chicken Feet and other delicious and healthy chews your dog will love using the links below:
- Top Chews for Light Chewers & Dogs With Sensitive Teeth
- 7 Best Chews for Dogs & Puppies
- Are Beef Esophagus Treats Good for Dogs?
- Are Pig Ears Good for Dogs?
About Natural Farm
In 2018, after years of searching for high-quality, natural dog treat products, we decided to bring them to the market ourselves. That’s how Natural Farm was born—we wanted to present the industry with what it lacked the most: natural dog chews, treats, and bones, sustainably sourced from local suppliers and produced in our own human-grade, FDA- and USDA-approved facilities, where every product is lab tested for quality and contamination.
Natural Farm is committed to pets, people, and the planet. We give back to communities and pets in need, support reforestation efforts and nonprofits, and our products are packaged using recycled materials.
