Unless the chicken has been undercooked, boiled chicken is unlikely to give your dog diarrhea. In fact, the opposite may occur. If your dog is suffering from diarrhea, boiled chicken can actually settle an upset stomach.
When it comes to dog diets, it seems like there are an endless number of options. Dry food, wet food, raw food, homemade food–with each category having their own health benefits.
There is a lot to know about the health benefits and risks of every type of dog food available.
If you cook food for your dog, you may be wondering what is safe and unsafe for them–and you definitely want to avoid any food that is likely to cause an upset stomach!
One of the safest foods for dogs is boiled chicken. Boiled chicken is not likely to give your dog diarrhea; in fact, it almost always has the opposite effect.
Is Boiled Chicken Safe For My Dog?
Yes!
Boiled chicken is perfectly safe to feed to your dog. Many owners will use small pieces of chicken as a highly motivating treat for training their dog–dogs can’t resist the taste of meat!
Many owners will also mix small amounts of chicken with their dog’s kibble to encourage them to finish all of it.
No matter your reason for wanting to feed your dog plain, boiled chicken, know that it is perfectly safe, nutritious, and a great source of protein.
When a dog has an upset stomach, switching them over to a bland diet of chicken and rice has been proven effective.
White rice, in particular, is known for helping your dog’s digestive system get back on track. Unless your dog has an allergy to either of these foods, boiled chicken or white rice is likely to stop their diarrhea, not give it to them.
Long Term Effects
When your dog has an upset stomach, it’s good to put them on a bland diet of boiled chicken and white rice for a few days.
However, this diet is not sustainable on its own in the long term. While it contains some nutrients your dog needs, a diet of just chicken and rice lacks a number of nutrients that your dog needs to live a healthy life.
There is also very little fiber in this meal, which is essential when your dog has an upset stomach.
While boiled chicken and white rice are an excellent base for a well-rounded meal, on their own, they do not contain enough of the required nutrients your dog needs to live a long and healthy life.
Other vegetables, oils, and supplements will need to be added to ensure your dog stays as healthy as possible.
It is also difficult to meet your dog’s caloric needs while feeding them solely white rice and boiled chicken.
Like humans, dogs need to consume a certain number of calories each day to remain at a healthy weight and sustain their active lifestyle.
A large, adult-sized dog needs a significant amount of chicken and white rice to meet their caloric needs.
Boiled chicken is part of a balanced diet for dogs, but it is not the only thing they should eat.
Can Boiled Chicken Make My Dog Sick?
Boiled chicken itself is not likely to give your dog diarrhea or make it worse if this is something they are already experiencing. There are only a handful of reasons consuming boiled chicken could make your dog sick.
Intestinal Upset
Like anything else that is new to your dog, boiled chicken can cause intestinal upset if your dog has never eaten anything except kibble their whole life.
However, it is much less likely with boiled chicken than other foods, especially if your dog has ever eaten dry food or treats with chicken as an ingredient.
Risk of Allergies
Your dog may have an allergy to poultry, in which case, boiled chicken is not a suitable alternative when their stomach is upset.
Dogs develop allergies when their immune system sees something they are ingesting as dangerous and triggers a response with uncomfortable symptoms.
This can happen with any food, even chicken, and the reactions can get worse over time–your dog is not likely to just get over an allergy.
Food allergies in dogs can lead to itching or scratching of the ears, paws, and face. You may notice your dog constantly scratching at their ears or licking their paws to relieve themselves.
Allergies can also lead to gastrointestinal problems like vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive gas.
Allergies in dogs can happen genetically or appear to have no cause–like with people, they just happen.
However, repetitive feeding can cause allergies as their body becomes unable to break down the protein.
If this happens, it’s a good idea to rotate through different protein sources that agree with them. Always introduce a new protein slowly to prevent their stomach from becoming upset.
If you suspect your pet may have an allergy to protein, work with your veterinarian to develop an elimination diet.
You’ll remove all possible allergens from your pet’s diet (including flavors in items like treats, toothpaste, etc.).
After a waiting period, you will reintroduce the potential allergen and see if your pet has a reaction.
If you take away all poultry sources from your dog for three weeks, then give them chicken and see that they have an allergic reaction, you will know to no longer feed them that type of protein.
Avoid Fatty Parts
Not all parts of the chicken are digested the same by dogs. Parts that are higher in fat–like chicken thighs, wings, and skin–are much more likely to upset your dog’s stomach.
Dark meat from the chicken is higher in fat content than the light meat. This higher fat content is more likely to cause intestinal distress in your dog, as they do not digest fatty foods well.
If you have accidentally fed your dog a chicken wing (or they have fed it to themselves), there is no reason to panic.
However, consistently feeding your dog dark meat or other greasy and fatty meats can have adverse long-term effects on their health.
They may end up with a condition called pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas. This condition causes uncomfortable symptoms like fever, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and pain. To avoid it, only feed your dog lean cuts of meat.
If your dog has an upset stomach, and you feed them boiled dark meat or fattier parts of the chicken, you run the risk of making it worse. When feeding your dog boiled chicken, stick to plain, unseasoned, skinless breasts for the best results.
Risk of Undercooked Meat
Undercooked chicken, or meat of any kind, always carries a risk of food-borne illness. Raw meat is much more likely to contain pathogens like salmonella, E.coli, or listeria, which would make your dog very sick.
When feeding them boiled chicken, use a meat thermometer to ensure it is fully cooked. Double-check the thickest part of the meat to make sure it is white all the way through. There should be no signs of any pink, raw meat remaining.
Some pet owners like to feed their dogs a raw diet, as they believe it is similar to what dogs would eat in the wild.
While this may be true, that does not eliminate the risk of food-borne illnesses if they are consuming raw meat.
The chance is much higher that they will get sick from eating raw meat because of the presence of bacteria and pathogens, so be sure to thoroughly cook your chicken or other meat before giving it to your dog.
Cooked, boiled chicken is completely safe for your dog, but raw chicken always comes with a risk.
There are only a few ways that boiled chicken could upset your dog’s stomach. If it is undercooked, your dog has a poultry allergy, or they have never had chicken in any form before, it is possible they could have an upset stomach in reaction.
However, in most cases, boiled chicken will agree with your dog and not cause any issues–and it is something they usually love to eat!
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