Cat Ate Chicken Bone (What You Should Know)

Nothing is as heartbreaking as watching your cat struggle with a chicken bone. There is no doubt that chicken bone contains a good amount of nutrients and cats simply just love them. However, this doesn’t mean that chicken bone is ideal or safe for cats to eat.

No matter how nutritious and enticing this treat can be to our feline friends, it can cause a series of damage to their digestive systems. Every pet owner always wants to ensure that their pet has the best of everything, and this shouldn’t include chicken bone because of the possible damage it can cause.

Although it is cool to share some meals with your cat there are a lot of human foods that can be jeopardizing cats’ health.

So in a scary scenario where your cat ate chicken bone and is showing signs of distress what do you do? This and a lot more are the answers you are about to find out in this article. Hang on as we quickly dive into it.

Can Cats Eat Chicken Bones?

We are all fully aware of the nutritional benefits of chicken bones to cats as it contains a very substantial amount of calcium, as well as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and lots of vitamins.

This nutritional fact about chicken bone and a cat’s inability to resist it can cause cat parents to consider serving this treat regularly. Whether cats can eat chicken bones depends on if they are raw chicken bones or cooked.

Cats can eat raw chicken bones but never cooked ones. As gross as it may sound to you, raw chicken bones are the safest way to feed your cat chicken bones. The cooked version is easy to splinter and causes digestive issues for cats.

Your cat shouldn’t have to miss out on all the healthy goodness of chicken bones, so it is better to feed them chicken bones in the best possible way with their safety in mind.

What Happens If Cats Eat Chicken Bones?

There are a lot of risks involved when cats eat cooked chicken bones, which is why it is recommended to feed them raw bones rather than cooked ones. However, as a cat parent, you should know by now that cats are very mischievous and you really do not know what mischief they are up to.

You can not always be around to observe what they eat especially when they are out of the house. It is good to know what to expect when your cat munches on cooked chicken bones, so below are the signs to look out for when your cat eats chicken bones;

Choking

Bones have a way of getting stuck in the throat and this can lead to choking, thereby causing your cats to be unable to close their mouths properly or move their necks sideways as they used to. Cats are at high risk of suffocating when a chicken bone gets firmly fixed in their throats as it blocks their airways.

Take your cat immediately to the vet when you notice it has difficulties breathing or gasping for air after eating chicken bones.

Laceration And Internal Blockage

Chicken bones are in a friable state when they are cooked and when they get swallowed without being properly crushed they can cause injuries or blockages to a cat’s digestive organ. This is a major risk involved when cats eat chicken bones and this always requires emergency surgery for the problem to be fixed.

My Cat Ate Chicken Bones: What To Do

Chicken bones can cause some distress and issues for cats, and this is why it is best to stay away from feeding them to your cat. It is saddening and scary to watch when your cat experience mishaps with chicken bones. The following are what you can do;

1. Examine how your cat is breathing to be able to tell if there is a bone stuck in its throat. If it is breathing properly, it is either the bone causing some other internal issues or the bone is stuck in your cat’s mouth.
2. Replace their dry food with wet food, this can help push the chicken bone out without causing serious damage.
3. Make sure you provide your cat with lots and lots of water to prevent dehydration.
4. Get to the vet immediately if your cat has difficulties breathing, vomiting excessively, excreting bloody stools, is disinterested in foods, is bloated, and showing signs of lethargy.
5. Always make sure your cat doesn’t eat chicken bones. You can do this by restricting your cat’s access to places where chicken bones are within reach. Remember prevention is always better than cure.

Feeding Your Cat Raw Bones (Pros And Cons)

The best way to feed your cat bones is by offering them raw and not cooked. This is because raw bones are not brittle and the chances of them causing issues are relatively lower than with cooked bones.

Many cat owners frown at feeding raw bones to their feline friends but we should also understand that it is very dangerous to them if offered appropriately.

Also, cats are not to be fed all kinds of bones as they would find it hard to chew on some of them, we recommend that they be fed bones of poultry birds such as chicken, and turkey.

Pros Of Feeding Cats Raw Bones

• Raw bones can improve your cat’s oral health.
• They are very rich in minerals and vitamins
• It helps strengthen their bones and muscles.
• Raw bones pose fewer dangers when compared to cooked bones.
• The nutrients from raw bones can help develop your cat’s brain.

Cons Of Feeding Cats Raw Bones

• It is very common for bacteria such as salmonella, or campylobacter to be present in raw bones.
• It is very possible for cats to get sick after eating raw bones due to food poisoning.
• Raw bones can cause some injuries around the cat’s mouth ( this is why it is recommended to give them smaller bones).
• The risk of choking and laceration to the digestive system is less but it is still possible.

Best Alternative For Chicken Bones

Chicken bones have a lot of nutritional benefits to cats but it is too bad that it can also be very harmful, dangerous, and seemingly deadly. And although we endorse that it is better to give raw bones to cats than cooked bones, both also come with different risks just that one is less risky than the other.

If you are skeptical about feeding your cat chicken bones whether cooked or raw, the best option is to offer chicken bone broth instead. Chicken bone broth also contains the nutrients in chicken bones and it can safely be enjoyed by cats.

Make sure not to include harmful ingredients like onions and garlic in the broth. High amounts of sodium can also be threatening to a cat’s health so ensure that salt is added minimally or not at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Under no circumstance should you give your cat a piece of cooked chicken bones, no matter how he or she meows or begs for it. Chicken bones can be very dangerous and deadly for cats so make sure to tick it off their menu. However, raw chicken bones are a better option for cats, we also recommend chicken bone broth.

If you suspect your cat has eaten chicken bones, the best thing to do is to put a call through to a vet or take your cat to the vet for immediate medical attention.