Chicken Bones Pose a Risk
So, your furry pal is probably off the hook in terms of bacterial infection but are chicken bones safe for dogs to eat? Unfortunately, not – the wings, drumstick, and neck portions of the chicken contain bones that have the potential to cause dangerous blockages in the guts of dogs.
Why Dogs Can (Usually) Eat Raw Meats Safely
There are a few reasons why dogs are less likely to suffer from health problems when eating raw chicken. Dogs evolved as carnivores without the ability to cook meat, so their digestive systems are adapted to cope with bacteria such as E.Coli and salmonella. These adaptations include:
It’s still possible for a dog to contract salmonella or other harmful bacteria (see the section below). But it’s less likely than if a human was to eat the same meat.
In fact, dogs raised for their athletic performance (such as racing greyhounds) have traditionally been fed a raw food diet by some trainers. Trainers call this a BARF diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), as it aims to mimic the diet of a dog in the wild.
Raw food diets for pet dogs are also becoming popular. While there is fierce debate about the health of a raw food diet – many vets think it’s unbalanced and potentially dangerous in the long-term – there’s little risk of a healthy dog occasionally eating raw chicken. The more raw chicken your dog eats, however, the greater the chance of an infection. For this reason, it’s probably best to avoid feeding raw chicken on a regular basis.
While eating raw chicken doesn’t seem to be as dangerous for dogs as humans, it still has the potential to cause health problems in dogs – and salmonella is one of the most common concerns.
Salmonella is a group of bacteria found in foods such as eggs, chicken, cheese and nuts. In humans, salmonella can lead to a variety of unpleasant symptoms that can last up to a week – so it’s no wonder most people try to avoid it at all costs.
Dogs can get a salmonella infection – and it’s often present in raw chicken. It is, however, more common in dogs that have weak immune systems (including puppies and older dogs) or those already on antibiotics (as this can reduce the amount of protective bacteria in the dog’s digestive system).
If you suspect your dog has salmonella, treatment depends on how bad it is. While mild cases can usually be treated without a hospital visit, always see your vet when your pet is unwell. It’s vital to make sure your dog stays hydrated while he’s recovering. Your vet may also prescribe antibiotics.
Severe cases may require hospitalisation of the dog. This is so the dog can be properly hydrated via IV fluid therapy. Most dogs recover well even with severe salmonella though.
Should dogs eat cooked chicken?
Cooked chicken is definitely an acceptable treat, or can be part of a whole food diet for dogs. The chicken should be unseasoned (remember, ingredients like garlic and onions can be toxic for dogs). You can poach it, bake it, or toss it in your slow cooker. Chicken is high in protein and can be a great addition to your pup’s diet.
Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Breast? | DogVela
Our dog Bingo, a lab/shepherd cross, gets raw chicken almost every day. We buy it frozen as a mince from the grocery store and he loves it.
In fact, most dogs love chicken, which is why it’s one of the most common ingredients and flavors in dog food formulas.
Dogs’ digestive systems are designed to digest raw food freely and a lot of dog owners are adopting the new raw diet trend for their dogs.
In this guide, we’ll tackle everything you need to know about raw chicken and whether you should feed it to your dog or not.
In the above, he is waiting outside the kitchen window while I prepare his lunch – chicken mince and necks. And yes, that is my work boot he has also been chewing!
We have some very old chickens that produce watery eggs – most of those go to the dog!
To show you that dogs will eat and can eat chicken, I’ve prepared this delicious meal of chicken mince and necks.
We don’t exclusively feed him chicken, but he also gets a good kibble and often eats beef and lamb as well.
The little man loves his raw chicken meals, though I do feel a bit grossed out if he comes and licks me in any way afterward!
He always takes the chicken neck away to be eaten elsewhere. The atmosphere needs to be perfect to really enjoy it.
The necks of all kinds of poultry are good for dogs (though it sometimes depends on the dog breed). For example, our dog loves raw turkey necks just as much, if not more!
For those who want to go deeper on the subject of whether or not raw chicken is good for dogs, keep scrolling!
Similar to dogs in the wild, your house dog is an omnivore, which means it can eat just about anything from meat, fish, chicken, vegetables, and fruits.
For that reason, it’s in dogs’ genes to eat raw meat, such as chicken, and thousands of years of breeding and adaptation won’t just take these instincts away.
In fact, eating raw chicken breast isn’t a bad thing either. After all, chicken is an excellent source of animal protein, which is the best type of protein and the easiest to digest by the dog’s stomach.
Some people may not recommend dogs eating raw chicken because it carries a risk of bacterial contamination and suggests cooking the chicken for safety.
Some will prefer freshly cooked dog food, such as the dog food delivery service Pet Plate provides.
However, dogs’ stomachs are much stronger than ours and can tolerate bacteria better than we do. This is because their stomach is much more acidic in nature, which provides much better protection against bacteria.
Yet, you should keep in mind that dogs used to eat raw meat that they’ve just hunted, so there wasn’t room for a huge bacterial buildup.
That’s why if you want to feed your dog raw chicken meat, you should make sure that it’s relatively fresh or has been freeze dried.
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In other words, you should always rinse the chicken breast well before serving it raw to your dog as an extra precaution – this goes for cats eating raw chicken as well.