Can too much chicken be bad for dogs

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 20, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Can Dogs Eat Chicken?

NOTE: Always check with your veterinarian first before giving your dog any new foods, especially people foods. What might be OK for one dog might not be good for your dog, depending on multiple factors, such as their age, health history, health conditions, and diet. Dogs on prescription diets should not be fed any food or treats outside the diet.

Chicken is a nutritious protein source for humans and dogs alike. Its a popular ingredient in dog food, and there are plenty of chicken-flavored dog treats and toys to choose from.

But while dogs can eat chicken, youll want to be careful about how much you give themand how its prepared. As with any new food that finds its way into your dogs bowl, moderation is key. Heres what to know.

Is Chicken Good for Dogs?

Chicken can be a healthy food for dogs if prepared correctly. Its an excellent source of protein and contains several nutrients that can help maintain your dog's overall health, including vitamin B6, vitamin B3, and zinc.

Just be sure any chicken fed to your dog is cooked thoroughly to avoid the risk of salmonella and other foodborne illnesses. Watch out for extra ingredients that might make them sick, like garlic and onions, and remove any bones because they can cause choking or digestive issues.

Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken?

Do not feed your dog raw chicken. Raw chicken is known to harbor unsafe bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, which can make your dog very sick. Ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked before sharing it with your dog.

What Chicken Products Can Dogs Eat?

There are several ways to prepare chicken, and not all of them are a good choice for our four-legged friends. Plain, boiled chicken is generally considered safe. But fried chicken and chicken thats been prepared with seasonings such as garlic, onions, or high-fat ingredients like cream or oil should be avoided.

Boiled Chicken

Boiled chicken is a good option to feed your dog. In fact, boiled chicken and rice is a common remedy for dogs with digestive issues, and your vet might recommend feeding this if your pup is vomiting or has diarrhea.

Fried Chicken

A tiny piece of fried chicken probably wont make your dog sick, but its certainly not a healthy option for your pup. Fried chicken made with oil can cause digestive upset, and eating high-fat food can cause a painful condition called pancreatitis. Fried chicken can also contain seasonings that are toxic to dogs, including onion and garlic.

Chicken Nuggets

Your pooch probably wont get sick if he snags one of your kiddos chicken nuggets from the floor, but its not a good idea to give your dog these as a regular treat. Chicken nuggetsespecially if theyre friedare not a healthy snack for dogs.

Chicken Feet

Unfortunately, your dog should also steer clear of chicken feet, as both the raw and cooked kinds can cause digestive issues. Just like any other type of raw meat, uncooked chicken feet carry the risk of harmful bacteria like salmonella that can make your dog very sick.

Cooked chicken feet dont have the same risk of bacteria, but the bones can splinter and cause tears or obstructions in your dogs digestive system.

Chicken Broth

Dogs can have chicken broth as long as it doesnt contain any harmful added ingredients. But onion and garlic are both common additives found in canned chicken broth andagainthese are toxic to dogs. But plain, low-sodium chicken broth (or homemade broth!) can make a nice addition in their dog food bowl when given in small amounts.

Can Dogs Eat Chicken Bones?

Do not let your dog eat chicken bones, as they can cause serious internal problems. Though theyre small, chicken bones can be serious choking hazards for dogs who ingest them.

Even if your dog doesnt choke, the bone can easily splinter and, as they move through your dogs digestive system, those tiny sharp-edged pieces can cut your dogs stomach and intestines. This can potentially cause ruptures, blockages, and infections that all require serious medical attention.

If your dog likes having something to gnaw on, skip the chicken bones and opt for a safer alternative, like a chicken-flavored chew bone or another chew toy.

What To Do if Your Dog Eats a Chicken Bone

If your dog eats a chicken bone, try to get it out of their mouth (as long as you can do it without distressing them further or getting bitten). Try offering another treat to get them to drop the bone.

If your pup ends up swallowing it, watch them carefully. If the bone appears to be stuck in their throat, this is an emergency and should be addressed ASAP. Take your dog to the vet immediately.

If you suspect your pooch has eaten a chicken bone, watch for signs of distress. If they display any of these symptoms, take your dog to the vet as quickly as possible:

If your dog is acting normal, its OK to keep monitoring them closely from home. Always call your vet if you have concerns about your pets health.

Can Dogs Be Allergic to Chicken?

Protein sources such as chicken (or beef, dairy, egg, lamb, and fish) are some of the most common causes of allergies in dogs.

Most of the time, dog food allergies affect the skin and coat, though they can also cause vomiting or diarrhea. Symptoms that may indicate your dog has a chicken allergy include:

Its possible for dogs to develop a food allergy at any point in their lifeso if Fido is suddenly scratching after he eats his regular chicken and rice kibble, you may want to try an elimination diet to see if something in his food is causing it.

How Much Chicken Should You Feed Your Dog?

Chicken is a common ingredient in commercial dog food and treats, so its safe to feed your pup chicken as a treat or occasional food topper. Just be sure its thoroughly cooked and unseasoned.

As with any new ingredient, moderation is key! Once your pup gets used to eating fresh chicken in small amounts, you can use the following as a guide to feeding your dog chicken. Generally speaking, your dog should have about 1/41/3 cup of meat protein per 20 pounds of body weight each day.

Extra-small dog (220 pounds) = About 1 tablespoon cooked, unseasoned chicken
Small dog (2130 pounds) = 2 tablespoons cooked, unseasoned chicken
Medium dog (3150 pounds) = Up to 1/4 cup cooked, unseasoned chicken
Large dog (5190 pounds) = About 1/3 cup cooked, unseasoned chicken
Extra-large dog (91+ pounds) = About 1/2 cup cooked, unseasoned chicken
Examples:Newfoundlands,Bernese Mountain Dogs,SaintBernards,Great Pyrenees

If your dog experiences digestive upset or other discomfort after chowing down on chicken, stop feeding it to them and call your vet.

Featured Image: Adobe/bit24

WRITTEN BY

April Saylor

Freelance Writer

Can I feed my dog chicken everyday?

Chicken is probably the most popular and common food that people feed their dogs. Because of its complete protein profile, people are always wondering how much is appropriate to have in their dogs diet.

Chicken has been known to possess many benefits for dogs, including increased muscle repair and helping promote bone health.

If fed to a dog daily, it may have positive effects on a dogs overall health. As well as being the least expensive meat, chicken is also very high in lean protein, B3 and B6 vitamins and phosphorous and selenium.

But can I feed my dog chicken everyday?

The evidence from scientific studies has shown that chicken in a dogs diet may have many positive effects on our pups similar to dog foods with other meats likeTylee's Human-Grade Beef Recipe Frozen Dog Food, Spot & Tango Beef & Millet Dog Food Recipeor Farmer's Dog Beef & Lentil Dog Food Recipe. This article goes through the scientific benefits of chicken for dogs, along with what type of chicken ingredients to avoid when choosing a dog food.

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Vitamins and Minerals in Chicken

A high quality protein with natural vitamins and minerals is essential for healthy dogs in all stages of their lives. Chicken is not only very high in lean protein, but in B3 and B6 vitamins, phosphorous and selenium as well.

Vitamin B3 is an essential nutrient. Your dogs entire body needs it to function properly. Vitamin B3 has been shown to lower cholesterol, ease arthritis and boost cognitive function[*][*][*].

Vitamin B6 is one of the vitamins that is responsible for protein synthesis in dogs. This is especially important for a growing puppy. It also plays a key role in healthy hemoglobin production[*].

Phosphorus also plays a versatile role in a dogs diet. Along with calcium, it is responsible for healthy bones and bone density. When a dog is deficient in phosphorus, they can experience bone weakness and fractures[*].

Selenium is a trace element that is known to have many benefits to dog. Some of these include antioxidant properties, improved skin and coat condition, and a stronger immune system[*].

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While these are all are essential to your dogs health, it is important to note that naturally occurring nutrients in chicken may be more bioavailable than dried supplements alone[*]. In conclusion, chicken has many essential and beneficial nutrients that are present in its natural form.

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Avoid Chicken Meals and By-Products

Responsible dog owners take pride in making sure that their dogs are fed with the most high-quality food. But many dogs can develop allergies to food at any stage in their life.

Dogs can experience a variety of symptoms when they develop a food allergy. Some of these symptoms include:

Weakness
Lethargy
Various gastrointestinal issues

If left alone, these symptoms can progress into other more serious health issues.

But why does this happen with regular dog food?

Unfortunately, many of the cheaper foods available to dogs contain by-products and meals such as chicken meal or bonemeal. This type of ingredient may contain bones and other parts of chicken that may not be meat itself, such as beaks and fragments of feathers.

These types of ingredients are considered fillers, and can cause extra gastrointestinal issues.

So why should you feed your dog chicken?

Whole-meat chicken as the number one ingredient in dog food is one of the least common allergens to dogs. Recent studies have shown that as little as 15% of dogs have an allergic reaction to chicken[*].

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A Complete Protein Source

Chicken is considered a complete protein. A complete protein contains all essential amino acids that promote good development in dogs.

But what are amino acids?

Amino acids are organic compounds that make up protein, which is an important part to every cell in your dogs body.

After chicken is broken down in a dogs digestive system, it is broken down into amino acids and is then absorbed by the intestines. The intestines then distribute these amino acid chains to help repair muscle and build bone, as well as support the major organs.

Chicken is also a very lean meat. For example, the average 8 oz of ground beef has between 600 and 700 calories, while the same amount of chicken has around 400 calories. If your dog needs to lose weight, this means that they can fill their belly without gaining excess pounds.

So can I feed my dog chicken every day?

As long as its cooked, the answer is yes. Because chicken is a safe, healthy and easily digestible form of protein, it is often the main source of protein in high quality dog food.

Avoid raw chicken due to the risk of salmonella, and make sure all bones are removed from the meat. Cooked chicken bones can cause blockages and other problems for dogs when ingested.

When selecting a dog food, all ingredients labeled as meals should be avoided. Chicken meal is a highly processed ingredient made from the leftover parts of a butchered chicken. Beaks, feathers, bones and undesirable (even diseased) meat scraps are all transported unrefrigerated to meat meal processing facilities, where they are processed into a powder and sold as a pet food ingredient (we do not use it).

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How Much Chicken Should I Feed?

So how much chicken should I feed my dog per day? The right amount of chicken to give your dog depends on your dog's weight.

If youre feeding fresh dog food, you should feed your dog between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of boiled chicken for every 20 lbs of body weight.

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Although chicken is a great protein choice, you should make sure that their diet also has the appropriate amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber as well. Chicken alone will not be enough to meet these needs.

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The Bottom Line

Feeding your dog chicken everyday may be a healthy way to reduce calories and deliver highly bioavailable and essential nutrients to your dog.

Cooking chicken breast yourself or avoiding cheap dog foods made with by-products may be a good start to prevent many health issues in dogs. Look for a dog food with chicken as the #1 ingredient. Here is a dog food with fresh chicken that we recommend.

As long as you prepare chicken properly, it is a safe and healthy option to feed your dog everyday.