Though it is general knowledge that most dogs can eat chicken, some pet owners who want to start a raw meat diet for their dogs may wonder – ‘Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Breast? ‘ and how much raw chicken breast can be fed to dogs.
Here is the whole article dedicated to clearing your doubts.
In this article, we’ll learn about
- Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Breast?
- 4 risks of eating raw chicken breast for dogs
- And more…
Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Breast?
Dogs can eat raw chicken breast safely as long as the raw meat is prepared properly to minimize bacteria infection. Raw chicken breast is a good source of protein, Vitamin B, and omega fatty acids and can be given as the primary ingredient in the dog’s food.
According to Dr. Amanda Ardente, DVM, PhD, by eating raw chicken breast, your dog can get a cleaner and healthier dental system, immunity system, lustrous coats, etc.
Raw chicken breasts are enriched with some of the most nutritious vitamins and other elements and are also low in fat rate. So, including chicken breasts in your dog’s diet will be a good move.
Chicken breasts are low in fat and calories, so they can be fed to underweight and dogs with less activity. Most pet owners, however, are opposed to feeding their dogs raw chicken breast. The antipathy for raw meat is most likely motivated by a fear of their beloved canines catching any unwanted bacteria infections.
Although raw chicken breast does contain harmful pathogens, adopting proper hygiene and sanitary measures will lower the risk. So, you should carefully feed your dog raw chicken breast, after taking into consideration all the hygiene measures.
Is Raw Chicken Breast Safe For Dogs To Eat?
Raw chicken breast is generally safe for all dogs, but if your dog has previously had an allergic response to chicken meat, avoid feeding them chicken breast.
Most people are concerned about the risk of salmonella infection when deciding whether or not to feed their dogs raw chicken breast. Salmonella is a bacteria that can be found on raw meat and can infect those who handle it.
On the other hand, Salmonella does not need to be a concern if adequate hygiene is followed.
When purchasing raw chicken breasts, be sure to clean them and place them in the freezer. Any pathogen that may be present will be reduced when frozen.
What Are The Risks Of Raw Chicken Breast For Dogs?
Usually, eating raw chicken breast won’t cause any serious problems to dogs. Since dogs have a small digestive system with strong acids, the raw meat is usually digested quickly, and the chances of risk are minimal to low.
Even yet, there are some dangers that dog owners should be aware of while feeding raw chicken breasts to their pets:
1. Inadequate Hygienic Handling
Raw meat, such as chicken breasts, are a hotbed for microorganisms such as Salmonella, E coli, campylobacter etc.
Raw chicken breasts that haven’t been properly stored or cleaned can cause food poisoning in your dog resulting in vomiting, diarrhea and in worst cases, diseases like polyradiculoneuritis, also known as APN.
APN is a rare, but debilitating nerve disorder that starts with hind limb weakness and caused by the campylobacter bacteria.
Which is why, rigorous sanitary procedures must be followed before serving raw meat to dogs.
2. Potential Choking Hazards
Raw chicken breast is typically rather large in size; therefore, if your dog, adult or puppy, consumes it without thoroughly chewing it, there is a risk of huge chunks becoming trapped in the esophagus and causing choking. Also, food that hasn’t been fully digested might build up in the pancreas, causing pancreatitis.
So, make sure to feed the breast in small portions and make it easier for your dogs to chew on the raw meat.
3. Overconsumption May Lead To Pancreatitis
According to Dr. Heidi Kos-Barber, DVM, pancreatitis is an inflammatory disorder that affects the pancreas of dogs and can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, lethargy, and dehydration.
Dogs who are fed raw chicken breast without the fat layer scraped are at a high risk of developing pancreatitis. Which is why it is crucial for pet parents to remove the fatty layer and skin before feeding.
4. Excessive Protein Content May Be Bad For Dogs
Raw chicken breasts are high in protein content. As much as vital protein is for a canine’s overall health, when fed too much the excessive protein in it may cause obesity in dogs.
According to Dr. Ashley Gallagher, DVM, overconsumption of protein rich food may cause renal damage and abnormalities in bone formation.
Can Puppies Eat Raw Chicken Breast?
Puppies from 3 to 5 weeks can be fed raw chicken breast. When introducing raw meat to your puppies, gradually introduce newer portions.
For puppies, we recommend you feed the breast portion in small pieces or minced form to make it easier for them to chew and digest the meat.
Puppies can consume at least 5% of their body weight every day. For example, if your pet weighs 10 lb, then you can feed him 0.5 lb of raw chicken breast. This can be divided into at least 2, ideally 3, meals per day.
How Much & How Often Can I Feed My Dog Raw Chicken Breast?
As much healthy raw chicken is, it can cause some health troubles for the dog when fed too much. This is why pet owners must practice following guidelines when feeding dogs.
Dogs should only eat raw chicken at about 2% of their current body weight. For example, if your dog weighs 50 pounds, you should feed only 1 pound of raw chicken breast.
As for how often, since raw chicken, every day is not a good idea, you can feed them once or twice a week.
Also Read: A Guide To Getting Your Dog’s Diet Right
Can Dogs Eat Chicken Breast Every Day?
Vitamins A, B, D, amino acids, calcium, thiamine, and a variety of other nutrients can be found in raw chicken meat. These nutrients are essential for sustaining a dog’s health and well-being.
So you might want to add chicken as a daily ingredient in your pet’s diet. Unfortunately, that’s a really bad idea.
Overfeeding chicken breasts, as healthy as they are, can cause problems in dogs’ strong but sensitive gastrointestinal systems.
How Do I Prepare Raw Chicken Breast For My Dog?
Chicken breasts are usually large pieces. So, make sure to cut the chicken breasts into small chunks before feeding them to your dogs so that they can chew and eat the raw meat readily.
To prevent your pet from choking, remove any bones from the breast.
For puppies, you can provide them minced chicken breasts to make it easier for them to consume and digest the meat.
You can also feed your puppies store bought dehydrated or freeze dried chicken breasts too.
Freeze-dried chicken breasts are also available online, Stewart Freeze Dried Dog Treats and Raw Paws Freeze Dried Chicken Breasts are some of the popular ones.
Can My Dog Eat Frozen Chicken Breast?
Yes! In fact, frozen chicken breast is preferable to fresh chicken breast.
Raw chicken breast usually has some bacteria like salmonella and other pathogens. These pathogens usually cause health issues like stomach illness for pets.
However, freezing the chicken breasts can easily avoid this. Although freezing chicken may not completely eliminate microbes present in raw meat, studies show that freezing reduces the percentage of bacteria in meat, and refrigerated storage can further minimize bacteria concentrations.
Prior to feeding the dogs, you can freeze the chicken for about two weeks to minimize the risks of the bacteria.
What Are Some Of The Best Raw Chicken Parts For A Dog?
Chicken breasts are the protein-rich part of the chicken that provides dogs a healthy constitute. But that is not all there are to dogs; along with breast, here are some other raw chicken parts that are not healthy and nutritious for dogs:
1. Chicken Thighs
The fat content in chicken thighs is quite substantial, and dogs can have a more lustrous and healthy coat by eating chicken thighs.
When feeding chicken thighs, keep the amount of food you give them to a minimum.
2. Chicken Wings
Chicken Wings are raw meaty bones that help to keep the mouth and digestive system of dogs clean.
3. Chicken Neck
Chicken necks include a lot of calcium, chondroitin, and glucosamine. According to the VCA Hospital, chondroitin and glucosamine are all good for your pet’s oral and joint health.
4. Chicken Feet
Chicken Feet are packed with beneficial nutrients like glucosamine and chondroitin, which aid in increasing the metabolism and maintaining the bone health of the dogs.
5. Dark Chicken Meat
Dark chicken meat refers to the darker parts of the chicken’s thigh and drumstick. This dark chicken flesh is lower in fat, has more flavor, and has higher nutrients, including zinc, iron, vitamin C, and protein.
6. Chicken Innards
Innards of chickens, such as livers, hearts, and gizzards, are abundant in nutrients, vitamins, amino acids, and lean fat, all of which are good for a dog’s health and metabolism.
- Chicken livers are high in nutrients like zinc, copper, iron, and other fatty acids, which help dogs’ kidneys, livers, and other organs stay healthy.
- The chicken hearts are high in vitamin A, B, and thiamine, a vital substance that helps dogs’ hearts stay healthy.
- Chicken gizzards are high in A, B vitamins, riboflavin, and other nutrients that help dogs’ metabolisms.
7. Chicken Bones
Raw chicken bones are excellent sources of protein for dogs. However, while feeding raw chicken bones to dogs, special caution should be exercised.
When feeding pups, chicken bones should be ground into little bits.
Also Read: Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Liver, Gizzards, and Hearts?
Is It Better For Dogs To Eat Raw Or Cooked Chicken?
The answer to whether you should eat raw or cooked chicken is simple: both.
Raw chicken is nutritious, including all of the essential nutrients that are beneficial to the dogs’ general health. Cooked chicken is also safe for dogs. Some nutrients are lost during the cooking process.
So, the decision is entirely yours when it comes to feeding raw or cooked chicken to dogs.
Both are safe; just make sure the meat is thoroughly cleaned when given raw, and the items added when feeding are safe for dogs. When cooking, for example, avoid using onions or any other veggies that may be toxic to dogs.
Does My Dog’s Size Matter While Feeding Him With Raw Chicken Breast?
Raw chicken breasts are often high in fat and lean proteins. So, regardless of how big or small your dog is, you can feed them raw chicken flesh without fear. Just make sure you don’t overfeed them and just add the right amount of food to their diet.
If you have little dogs or puppies, make sure the chicken breast portion is divided into small pieces to prevent choking.
