# Chicken Bones?



## irisfreamon

One of my rats got into the garbage and pulled out a chicken bone and started gnawing on it. I quickly snatched it away because I know that chicken bones are bad for dogs and other large mammals. But are they bad for rats? They can't possibly splinter because the rat has to chew it into such tiny pieces. So, is it safe for a rat to chew on chicken bones?


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## Kimmiekins

Chicken bones are fine for rats.  They'll eat the marrow out of the bone.


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## reachthestars

Kimmiekins is quite right . 

My rats get chicken bones on a regular basis, the bones from ribs, turkey legs and have even had the bones from lamb chops! It's a great way to encourage them to wear their teeth down.


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## Sami

I've been wondering something.. Petco and Petsmart sell Ham bones and ribs for dogs...

http://www.petco.com/product/8810/Redbarn-Ham-Bones.aspx

Are these bones safe for rats too, or are they too greasy?


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## ratastic

That's one of the many things I love about rats. They can chew thru anything, bone, concrete, and even steel. I saw a show about how scientist and engineers are creating chippers and drills that work the way a rat's teeth do. The blades on these machine sharpen themself as they are used like a rats teeth.


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## irisfreamon

Thanks guys. My babies will be overjoyed to hear that.


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## kkdepp

yeah...when i first got my boys I wasn't sure if they could have chicken bones...my mom was sitting on the couch eating spicy buffalo wings and bones of some she had eaten were on a plate next to her....Raz(one of my boys) ran/hopped over to her plate, grabbed a bone with some hot sauce on it , hopped back over to me and ate it as fast as he could....I thought for sure he would hate hot sauce but he LOVED IT! It was really, really cute!!


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## irisfreamon

kkdepp said:


> yeah...when i first got my boys I wasn't sure if they could have chicken bones...my mom was sitting on the couch eating spicy buffalo wings and bones of some she had eaten were on a plate next to her....Raz(one of my boys) ran/hopped over to her plate, grabbed a bone with some hot sauce on it , hopped back over to me and ate it as fast as he could....I thought for sure he would hate hot sauce but he LOVED IT! It was really, really cute!!


Rats these days. :mrgreen:


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## Neuroticax

My boys LOVE chicken bones! I -have- to give them both their own.  They walk around all proud n stuff. lol


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## foxthegoldfish

i gave my boys some last night, they loved them! first time they have ever had them, it was so cute!


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## lovinmyworm

I must have strange rats because mine hate chicken and chicken bones. They will eat turkey, but only the white meat of it, but no way will they touch chicken! The only bones they will eat is dog bones, which are really just not good for them at all!


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## naturegirl

i think you can feed them like those milkbone dog treats. they're supposed to be good for them because it provides them with like meat protiens, so i guess chicken bones and other bones like that do the same thing.


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## lovinmyworm

Mine try to go after the dogs rawhide bones.. Ummm scary buisness! Those things can kill them. Then I have to wrestle it out of their little mouths and they give me mean looks.


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