By Carol Kendig

I am a lucky woman to have three lovely Australian Labradoodles sharing my life, causing chaos, and bringing me joy. Since I work for a pet food company, frequent local pet supply stores on a weekly basis, and attend pet trade shows, I see all the new and innovative pet products. Because I am given samples of the best of the best and newest of the new in dog treats, my dogs have become treat snobs. Seriously! My 4-footed kids have such highbrow tastes that finding them something they consistently enjoy and is healthy for them and doesn’t set my wallet on fire is a priority for me.

Benefits of Raw Freeze-Dried Poultry Necks

Easy, Clean, & Tasty

Northwest Natural’s freeze-dried chicken, duck, and turkey necks are one snack my dogs never turn down. The freeze-dried poultry neck bones are softer and cleaner to eat than raw frozen beef bones or frozen raw poultry necks. For that reason, the freeze-dried neck bones can easily be fed year-round as they can be totally consumed, creating less to no mess at all in your home car, etc. Since they are soft, they’re usually eaten more quickly so, no, they will not keep your dog busy for an hour. They will be chewed, gulped and swallowed and your dog will probably be begging for more within 5 to 10 minutes. But that’s okay, because these freeze-dried raw necks not only taste good, but they are remarkably good for our pets.

Nutrition & Bio-Availability

Nutritionally, freeze-dried poultry necks retain the nutrients and flavor of fresh or raw frozen necks.  If your pet relishes a raw chicken neck, it will enjoy its freeze-dried counterpart. These freeze-dried necks are completely digestible with a texture described as “soft crunchy” or “chewy.” Both raw and freeze-dried poultry necks are a great source of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals and are high in glucosamine and chondroitin, enzymes and amino acids. Plus, all the nutrients in raw and freeze-dried bones are optimally bio-available to our pets. These naturally occurring nutrients are not synthetic substances that their bodies regard as foreign and have trouble digesting. Raw and freeze-dried bones are a fully utilized, healthy addition to your pet’s diet.

Dental Health

The active enzymes in raw bones also discourage dental problems, specifically tooth plaque. Feeding my dogs a raw food diet plus raw bones since 1974 none of them have ever had any dental problems, nor have they needed their teeth cleaned. In addition, I don’t need to brush their teeth. Raw bones do all the work for us! Interestingly, raw freeze-dried necks contain the same beneficial enzymes necessary for keeping our pet’s teeth plaque-free, and I have never heard of a pet cracking a tooth on a freeze-dried bone. If your pet is an aggressive chewer, freeze-dried poultry necks may be a safer option as they are easily pulverized by your pet’s strong jaws. As a dental aid, freeze-dried and raw poultry necks are truly a functional, yummy treat. Learn more about Pet Dental Health in our Blog Article.

Northwest Natural’s Freeze-Dried Poultry Necks Come in Three Sizes:

Chicken Necks:

As the smallest of the poultry necks, these are an appropriate size treat for cats and small dogs. These necks have proportionally more skin attached which gives them the advantage of natural Omega 3’s and 6’s.  Chicken is also slightly higher in protein than the other neck bones with a generous vitamin and mineral content.

Duck Necks:

This medium size poultry neck works well for most dogs in the 25 to 50 pound range. These necks are high in calories, fats, and vitamins (especially B6 and B12) with a rich taste most pets enjoy.

Turkey Necks:

The size of turkey necks will vary, but you can generally see the size or gently squeeze the package to feel how large the necks are. Tom necks are appropriate for giant breeds, but hen necks can be consumed by medium sized to large sized dogs. Turkey is a slightly leaner meat that is also high in vitamins and minerals, notably zinc, iron, and the hard to source natural selenium.

For All Sizes

You can adjust the size of the freeze-dried necks your pet can consume by holding onto a larger freeze-dried neck while you let your pet chew on it. This way you can control the amount your pet eats and avoid an over-eager pet from choking. Or, if your small dog loves turkey, simply cut the large necks into Pomeranian-sized pieces for your little buddy. If your Great Dane loves chicken, you can crush freeze-dried necks and sprinkle over his dinner. Supervision is always wise when feeding whole bones to your pets. My dogs range in size from 28 – 45 pounds and can eat all three sizes of freeze-dried bones under my watchful eyes.

Boredom Busters & Brain Work

Healthy pets need mental and physical stimulation; raw and freeze-dried bones provide both. Bones are like a puzzle to our pets as they try to figure out how to get all the good stuff, not miss a morsel, and do it quickly so they can try to grab their sister’s bone or beg for another. If you are feeding beef marrow bones, is their tongue long enough to reach every bit of that delicious marrow? Where can they hide it so they can eat more of it tomorrow? So many issues for those little canine and feline brains to consider! Bones of all types take the boredom out of our pets lives and gives them manageable challenges and great chewing fun.

Why not experiment with something new for your pet’s diet? If your dogs are anything like mine, I know they will love having a freeze-dried poultry neck as a treat or in their food bowl as an interesting diet addition. Let’s give our favorite carnivores something they naturally crave and will really enjoy – raw frozen or raw freeze-dried bones! Happy crunching to one and all!