Never feed chicken bones to pets. Cooked bones splinter and may cause choking, intestinal obstruction, or perforation. Raw bones can crack teeth and carry bacterial contamination. Seek veterinary advice immediately if ingestion is suspected.
Chicken bones include wing tips, drumstick bones, backs, rib pieces, necks, and carcass fragments. Cooked bones are brittle and dry; raw bones are firmer but still physically risky.
Bones are common leftovers from roast chicken, fried chicken, wings, and stock-making. Disposal bags, compost bins, and accessible trash are frequent exposure points.
Smoked and pressure-cooked bones can also fragment. Leftover carcasses from holiday roasts are particularly dangerous. The smell of sauce-coated or breaded bones makes them especially tempting.
