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On occasion, veterinarians are asked by patients why their dog canât exclusively eat chicken. This question usually stems from a finicky dog that is given chicken to help encourage eating, resulting in them only wanting chicken and not the food items that make up a balanced diet. Exclusively feeding chicken meat to dogs does not provide a nutritionally adequate diet.
Dogs have a daily nutritional requirement beyond protein and amino acids, including essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. While chicken meat, cooked or raw, will adequately fulfill a dogâs protein and amino acid requirement, and a portion of their essential fatty acid requirement, their diet will be lacking in vitamins and minerals. For example, 2 cups of boiled, chopped, boneless, skinless chicken breast per day will fulfill the caloric needs of a neutered, ideal body-weight dog at 16-19lbs. However, this diet is lacking in the following nutrients recommended by The Association of American Feed Control Officials 2016 guidelines for adult maintenance:
Nutrient deficiencies can place an animal at risk for numerous nutritionally-mediated diseases. The most vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies are growing animals. Puppies require higher concentrations of nutrients in their diet to fulfill the needs of their growing bodies. Feeding an unbalanced diet to a puppy most often contributes to orthopedic disease, leading to skeletal abnormalities and fractures.
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.
Phosphorus also plays a versatile role in a dog’s 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[*].
As long as it’s 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.
If fed to a dog daily, it may have positive effects on a dog’s 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.
While these are all are essential to your dog’s 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.
It is common knowledge to offer your pet a ‘bland’ diet when they develop signs of gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting or diarrhoea. The thought behind this is to simply give their gut a ‘break’ and reduce workload by eating easily digestible foods instead. Traditionally, the go-to bland diet has been boiled chicken and rice.
At My Vet Animal Hospital, an alternative to ‘chicken and rice’ that we often recommend is the Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d (Digestive Care) range as it is a complete and balanced, high-energy dense nutritious diet, that is conveniently pre-made and contains prebiotics and probiotics. It also exceeds the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrition standards and also has a 100% money-back guarantee for quality, consistency and taste.
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Here are some of the pitfalls and reasons why you should look beyond the traditional ‘chicken and rice’ bland diet:
At My Vet Animal Hospital, we often see pets with acute gastrointestinal issues that are managed through dietary modifications. Nutrition is pivotal in the management of gastrointestinal problems as well as the overall health and development of your pet. Although ‘chicken and rice’ smells and tastes amazing, we have started to trend away from a home-cooked bland diet and instead recommend you trial better alternatives first. Just because ‘chicken and rice’ is common, doesn’t mean it’s the best for your pet!