I just got my first case of split chickem backs. When I was seperating them into managable packages I noticed that most of them have a rather large glop of pure fat attached. do you feed this ball of fat with the back, or should I pull it off?

Thanks!

Hi Shody,

I asked almost the exact same question a while back, with mixed answers, depending on the condition of the dog in question. For MY dog, I trim those big nasty chunks off (I was stunned to see how fatty those commercial birds are - doesn't look like the parts you buy for human consumption at all!!). I leave any skin that's attached to the back, and usually leave the "Pope's nose" (as the English call the fatty little tail), but those huge lumps of skin that dangle get chopped off. I figure, Oscar gets plenty of good fats from the salmon oil and any natural marbling of muscle meat/bone marrow, etc. - he doesn't need MORE fat just for fat's sake!

Dog's do need ample fat in their diet (I think Connie said once that dog's burn fat the way people burn carbs), but as long as you're providing it in other ways, this excessive stuff might be too much (again, depends on the dog). Some people have dog's that they can't keep weight ON, in which case, any extra calories are a help - Oscar is not like this, and while he's easy to keep trim, I've never seen him get too thin by not eating pure chicken fat. You can always experiment and just watch his weight while you add or subtract this stuff... that's always an easy answer as to whether the dog is eating more/less calories than he needs...

Hope that helps!

~Natalya

Thanks! I did try to search for this, but wasn't successful. I don't seem to have much luck, so I decided to just ask knowing it would probably be a repeat. I don't really think he needs the extra on a regular basis, he isn't one of those thin dogs either, and I could see him getting fat if I didn't watch him closely. But maybe if we are lure coursing or something and he needs extra energy?

 Quote: shody lytle

But maybe if we are lure coursing or something and he needs extra energy?

Of course! If he's burning it, it won't due any harm (it's not like the excessive fat is "inedible", it's just... excessive!) Watching his weight daily and just staying in touch with his general condition should be enough to key you in to his general caloric needs.

I watched a show on Iditerod dogs once and the kennel keepers/mushers did a rib check on each and every one of their dogs (sometimes dozens) at EVERY feeding and would adjust meals accordingly. After years of doing this, they were quite adept at distinguishing whether a dog was getting a little too much, or not quite enough, to keep them in peak racing condition. Granted, those dogs are athletes, so to speak, and a hair too chubby might effect their performance enough to mean something... our dog's have a bit more wiggle room, but keeping them lean (and knowing what that feels like) is still crucial to good health.

~Natalya

 Quote: shody lytle

I just got my first case of split chickem backs. When I was seperating them into managable packages I noticed that most of them have a rather large glop of pure fat attached. do you feed this ball of fat with the back, or should I pull it off?

Thanks!

Hi Shody ~

I am new to feeding raw and just recently purchased my first case of chicken backs. Like you, I was amazed at the amount of fat that was on them.

I usually just cut off the big hunk of fat that is dangling from the chicken back and let eat what ever fat is left on it..

My dog is a wee bit overweight so he is watching his "boyish" figure....


Shannon

In all things give Thanks