# Are dehydrated/air dried bones safe?



## coco_little_bear

Such as chicken feet and necks. I bought some air dried chicken and turkey necks (cut in smaller pieces, not whole) recently and the dogs LOVE them and take the time to chew them properly, but... Some say that the dehydration process partly cooks them and therefore makes them dangerous like cooked bones, others say they are safe. 

What's your opinion on this? 

(I would rather give raw bones as treats, but Lilo refuses to eat them now. It's like she's lost interest. :foxes15: I can't feed homemade raw anymore because of this and issues with feeding raw liver.)


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## Wicked Pixie

I do give dried chicken feet, but they are more cartilage than bone. I have asked lots of peoples opinions on whether dried bones are safe and have never got a definitive answer.
I know a lady who sells dehydrated treats (as part of a raw feeding company) and she is adamant that anything with bone is not safe once dehydrated. I trust her judgement as she could easily sell dried treats with bones in, so she must have a valid reason not to.
I don't know what drying/dehydrating does to bone to alter its chemical composition. In my head it just takes the water out so shouldn't be an issue, but if it makes the bone more brittle I suppose that could be the problem. Raw bones are pretty flexible.

I'm sorry Lilo is being fussy with her bones. Have you tried a complete raw? I recommend Nutriment, it is an excellent product at a great price. They also sell frozen trachea (cows and sheeps, known as Moo tubes and Baa tubes respectively lol) which are pure cartilage so a good chew that isn't bone.


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## coco_little_bear

Thanks! That's what I thought. In my head I also picture the dehydration process as just taking the moisture out, but I've always suspected it might not be that simple. I guess I will stick to things like rabbit ears and chicken feet when I'm done with the chicken neck bag.

Yes at the moment I feed a complete raw (Natural Instinct) along with Ziwipeak and occasionally home cooked meals. She's ok with raw when it's minced, but hates it when she has to chew. She must dislike the texture of raw because she likes to chew just about anything else that exists. lol I heard of Nutriment (and that it's meant to be much better than NI?), but I haven't tried it yet as no pet shop near me sell it. I'll look into buying it on their website as those frozen tracheas sound good!


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## Wicked Pixie

I like the composition of Nutrimemt better, it conforms more to the 80:10:10 ratio, NI doesn't contain enough organ meat IMO and has more veg than Nutriment. Also Nutriment has tripe, salmon and coconut oil and lots of 'superfoods' such as spirulina, wheat grass and ground seeds. It is also better value than NI. Also I won't deal with NI since the takeover, I don't think they are an ethical company. It used to be owned by dog lovers with a passion for nutrition, now it is run purely as a money making operation.


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