>Most vets I've known would advise never, ever giving chicken bones raw or
>cooked to any animal.  Period.  They are notorius for "splintering", and
>cooked bones do this more easily than raw.  Also, there are no stats on
>how many wild animals die from the effects of a punctured bowel each year
 
From the FML archives and Bob C
BONE: This is an important part of my ferret's diet, and is usually
chickenor turkey bone.  Cow bones are licked and polished, but the bone
is tootough for the ferrets to get to the marrow.  Usually, I give the
back andneck because these bones don't splinter and because their fat and
marrowcontebt are so high.  I do give chicken thigh-bones (femurs) as well
as wingbones.  The ferrets live for the cartilage ends of these bones.
Normally Igive them raw, but they also get many of the chicken bones when
I am donewith dinner.
 
BONE: A near perfect food; many carnivores can live off bone alone.  If
thebone is cooked in dry heat, it tends to splinter more; if cooked in
water,it tends to get soft and mushy.  The best parts are the soft ends
and thebone marrow from the middle of the long bones.  Some people fear
splinters,but that is a rare problem (if at all in ferrets) and easily
solved bycrushing the bone beforehand.  Keeps teeth very clean.
 
Thank you Bob Church
Sandy
[Posted in FML issue 3692]