Feeding raw bones for dental health

[MadauntofA]

Our vet recommended a weekly raw chicken wing to help clean our 6yr olds teeth as he has some tartar on his back teeth. I looked on the rspca website, and that also mentions feeding occasional wings or drumsticks for dental health.
Dcat has had his 1st drumstick today - after some quizzical looks, has chewed his way down to the bone, so all good. Do they actually eat the bones too as I'm not sure whether to leave it out for a few hrs?

[nicky7654]

Yes as bone not cooked its fine to eat. Some dogs and cats eat entirely raw food and are very healthy. It's a natural diet

[nettie434]

Don't read if squeamish My friends' cat is a real hunter. It is not unknown to find nothing but a mouse's tail and a few feathers after one of his forays. As Nicky7654 says, cats do eat bones naturally.

[WinterAndRoughWeather]

My cat was raised on raw food and would happily scoff an entire chicken wing, bones and all, when he was younger. He can be a bit lazy about it now (he’s 14), but he’ll get down to it eventually. He also still catches and eats rats, and I give him a whole sardine once a week too.

Yours might just need to get used to eating bones.

[IAmFleshIAmBone]

I think the tearing of the flesh off the bone is good for their teeth and Jaws. Eating the bone itself is good too, but mine doesn't always eat hers.

[MadauntofA]

Thanks! He left the bone, but I might give him a wing next time, and good idea about the sardine - I'm sure he will love that! We do find the odd mouse/ baby rat tail so I presume he eats the rest 🤮

[chocolatespiders]

Wow I have never tried this and have never bought chicken wings but looked at them yesterday after reading this.
Is it mainly the wings I should buy rather than say drumsticks?

[MadauntofA]

I'm going to try the wings as they look a bit more manageable- just make sure they are raw, and our vet said 1/ week

[Oldraver]

What age would you start this. I know some cats have a raw food diet but that's usually crushed up

[WinterAndRoughWeather]

Wings are better than drumsticks for cats (my dog gets drumsticks), they can usually manage all the bones.

I’m trying to remember what age I gave my cat whole wings (he was on raw mince from pretty much day 1 as a kitten, so from ten weeks). Maybe six months?

[MadauntofA]

I'm not sure. DCat is 6, and only just started getting tartar on his teeth. I presume once fully grown

[Oldraver]

We tried raw mince this morning, he loved it but went wild

[chocolatespiders]

I have bought some wings - can't believe they are so cheap. Going to try 9 month old kitten and his mum on one later.

What type of mince would you give?