Chicken feet for dogs: what's in them and how to feed them

A chicken foot is a quick, noisy chew, which is why small and medium dogs get on with them and big gulpers don't. Ours is the foot of an Australian chicken: skin, tendon, cartilage and small bones, naturally dried at low heat until it's light and crunchy. Being bone-in, it comes with rules.

What's in a naturally dried chicken foot?

One foot, one bird, nothing added. Skin, tendon and cartilage are largely collagen, so a chicken foot is a natural source of it, and the cartilage in all those little joints is where glucosamine and chondroitin naturally occur. We don't put a number on either, because we'd be guessing. It's a chew, not a meal, and it counts towards the 10% of daily food that treats should stay under.

Which dogs suit chicken feet?

Small and medium dogs that chew. A foot is a fair size for a terrier or a spaniel. A large dog that gulps can swallow one whole, which is the one thing we don't want; those dogs are better on a tendon or a backstrap, something too long to inhale.

Puppies wait until adult teeth are in, roughly six to seven months. Skip feet for dogs with dental disease. And chicken is one of the most commonly reported food allergens in dogs (Mueller, Olivry and Prélaud, 2016); if your dog is known to react to it, a duck foot is the same idea on a different bird.

How many, and what to watch for

One a day is plenty for most dogs; on a day that already had jerky or liver in it, skip the foot. Dried bone can break into sharp pieces, which is why feet are for chewers, sized to the dog, with you watching. A dried foot is brittle, not rock-hard: it passes the veterinary dentists' thumbnail test (AVDC).

Our chicken feet are naturally dried, not raw. A University of Melbourne study found an association between feeding raw chicken and a rare nerve condition in dogs (Martinez-Anton et al., 2018). If that worries you, ask your vet. The rest of the chicken range is the same bird, different cuts, nothing added.

Chew safely. Size it so it can't be swallowed whole, supervise, and take it away once it's small. Very hard chews can crack teeth — not for puppies, seniors or dogs with dental issues. Fresh water always. A treat, not a meal.

Keep reading: Collagen-rich chews: tendons, tails and feet explained · Kangaroo tendon for dogs: what's in it and how to feed it

Sources

• Martinez-Anton L et al. (2018). Investigation of the role of Campylobacter infection in suspected acute polyradiculoneuritis in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 32(1):352–360. doi.org
• Mueller RS, Olivry T, Prélaud P (2016). Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research 12:9. doi.org
• American Veterinary Dental College. Chew toys and dental fractures / Position statements. avdc.org

Pudel · Reviewed September 2026 · Single-protein, naturally dried dog treats, made in Australia. General information, not veterinary advice.