Finding the best diet for your canine friend can be tricky, but you want to keep your pet healthy and happy. But, obviously, for finding the perfect match, you cannot try every kind of food available.
Feeding chicken to your pet dogs is a safe bet. Chicken is an excellent protein source, but you cannot exclusively feed your pet dog on chicken meat.
It does not provide a nutritionally adequate diet to your dog. The deficiency of nutrients in your furry friend’s diet makes them vulnerable, especially the growing animals, who are preliminary victims. Puppy pets need a proper and balanced concentration of nutrients in their diet to fulfill their growing body needs. Growing puppies with an unbalanced diet and deficiency of various nutrients lead to skeletal abnormalities, orthopedic diseases, and fractures.
Nutritional requirements of your dog:
Chicken meat, raw or cooked, adequately fulfills the protein and amino acid requirements of your dog. The daily nutritional requirements of dogs are not only limited to proteins and amino acids. Dogs also require essential fatty acids, Vitamins, and minerals. Using chicken meat as a daily diet for your dog can create a deficiency of vitamins and minerals.
According to reliable studies and proved results, for the maintenance of an adult dog’s health, a diet with only chicken meat is not sufficient as it has lack of following nutrients:
- Calcium
- Chloride
- Copper
- Folate
- Iodine
- Iron
- Manganese
- Potassium
- Riboflavin
- Thiamin
- Vitamin A, B-12, D, & E
- Zinc
The deficiency of different nutrients can make your pet dog at risk of numerous nutritionally mediated diseases.
Is chicken good for dogs?
Chicken meat is the most common source of protein that is used in pet food. It is an affordable source of meat that anybody can afford and manage their budget. Like any other diet source, chicken meat has its pros and cons:
Pros of chicken meat for dogs:
- Chicken is high-quality meat that is a fantastic source of protein for dogs.
- Chicken meat offers your dog a more variety of meat. Its different parts provide tastes, marrow ration, fats, and proteins.
- It is available in small portions, so it is easy to serve fresh.
Cons of chicken meat for dogs:
- Depending upon the chicken farming, chicken meat may have a deficiency of Vitamin D.
- A diet of only chicken becomes the reason for malnutrition in pet dogs, especially puppies.
Benefits of chicken meat for dogs:
Pet dogs require protein to get energy, and chicken meat is full of proteins with lots of energy. It also provides the following benefits:
- Chicken is leaner meat, and it fulfills the protein requirements of your pet dog without adding extra calories.
- Chicken meat provides the omega-six fatty acids that support your dog’s healthy skin and shiny coat.
- Chicken also provides essential amino acids and glucosamine to your fur baby and makes it ideal for building lean muscle tissues and ideal bone health.
Raw chicken for dogs:
In recent times “Raw dog food movement” has got so much hype. But, it is still puzzling that can your pet dog eat raw chicken or not?
Yes! Dogs can eat raw food. They love to have a piece of juicy and fresh raw chicken in their diet.
You have to keep in mind that your pet dog is a carnivore that can gulp raw meat. The digestive system of dogs is designed to take care of certain bacteria present in raw meat. But when it comes to your pet dog, avoid risking this on them with expired food.
Feeding your dog with chicken or most other poultry products creates significant nutritional problems and causes various health issues in your canine friend. People mostly prefer chicken neck for raw-fed dogs because these meaty bones provide a natural balance of minerals to the dog in the wild. Chewing these bones also provides an added benefit for doggy’s good dental health.
But the raw chicken that humans use can be a risky diet for pet dogs. It carries harmful bacteria that can make your dog ill, and in severe cases, it can be fatal. Raw chicken may also cause:
Acute PolyradiculoNeuritis (APN):
According to research, feeding your pet dog raw chicken may cause canine paralysis. It is a rare acute PolyradiculoNeuritis or APN in which the dog’s immune system starts attacking its nerves. This condition leads to debilitating paralysis in the head, neck, and legs. Most of the dogs get recovered from this condition eventually, but it may take at least six months. The leading cause of this condition is a bacterium called Campylobacter present in poultry chicken.
Hyperthyroidism:
Because of this, raw chicken meat dogs can suffer from another rare condition in which dogs experience hyperactive metabolism due to the excess production of thyroid hormone. This condition can cause increased appetite, vomiting, and increased urination. In long-term effects, kidney failure and heart could appear.
Chronic inflammation:
Even if it is free from harmful bacteria, raw chicken is still not ideal for pet dogs. It is not very nutritious because of the modern factory farming of chicken. This chicken is fed on waste products of an artificial concoction of bread, grain, and soy. This diet contains high Omega-6 fatty acid content and low Omega-3 fatty acids.
This unhealthy chicken causes chronic inflammation and a variety of diseases in your dog.
Although dogs have a healthier digestive system and stomach than humans, Campylobacter and Salmonella are really serious. If you want to give your faithful friend raw meat, then buy it from local, free-range chicken that is free from nasty additives. These chickens should be scavenging for grass and little bugs it finds in the ground.
Why is boiled chicken better for dogs?
Cooked or boiled chicken can be a better choice for your dog in many ways. Although boiled chicken’s nutritional values are lower than raw chicken, it is still lean meat that provides sufficient proteins to your Puppy for energy.
It is relatively safe for your dog with having not so high calories. Never try a boiled chicken with seasonings and sauces for your dog. These sauces and seasonings often contain garlic and onion that are poisonous for dogs.
NOTE: Always give the boneless boiled chicken to your pet dog as the boiled and cooked bones get stuck and splinter in their throat or intestines.
Risks of feeding boiled chicken to your dog:
Some of the common risks and issues your dog can face while having boiled chicken as part of their regular diet are:
- Without taking a balanced commercial diet, giving boiled chicken to your faithful friend can cause various nutritional deficiencies.
- Your pet can experience vomiting, motions, and gastrointestinal upset.
- Having boiled bones can cause choking and gastrointestinal tract puncture.
- Inflammation of the pancreas or Pancreatitis.
- Improperly cooked chicken can cause foodborne illness.
How much boiled chicken can your dog eat?
According to the approved diet recommendation for pet dogs, about 640Kcal per day is ideal for a dog with 33lbs. It means you can add up to 1/3 cup of chicken breast per day that provides approximately 64Kcal with no other treatment.
Boiled chicken for puppies:
Puppies are highly active as they are in their growing age and need a lot of energy. This is why natural dog foods like beef, chicken, and vegetable products are the best for your Puppy’s growth. You have to start feeding your Puppy on cooked chicken when they are at least eight weeks old or 12 weeks older. At this age, puppies start to cut their permanent teeth that they need to chew food.
Chicken for dogs – proper diet or a treat?
No doubt, chicken can be a valuable diet for your dogs that provides extra protein. It can also work as a suitable meal replacement when you don’t have proper dog food. Boiled and adequately cooked, unseasoned chicken is an easy addition to your dogs’ regular food as a treat.
Boiled chicken is not the central part of your dog’s diet, and with the only boiled chicken diet, you cannot expect good health and a properly functioning immune system for your dog. There is no harm to feed a small portion of skinless and properly boiled chicken to your dog as a regular food once or twice a week as a tasty treat. You can also use some boiled or cooked chicken as a high-value reward during training.
Conclusion:
If you think your dog eats chicken and is healthy and active, then you are entirely wrong.
Honestly, with boiled chicken, you’ll never get your dog’s hormones and inflammation under control. Although the boiled chicken is easy to digest, the safer alternative of a raw food diet, and commercially processed dog food, you cannot give it to your dog in a large amount.
The high quantity of Omega-6 fatty acids in chicken meat causes chronic inflammation to your dog that cannot promote a properly functioning and healthy immune system.