Whether cooked or simply a choice of flavoring, chicken is a great and healthy meal for your dog. It is packed with protein which maintains a healthy growth of coating and muscle development. Raw chicken, without any additional ingredients, can even act as a substitute for a whole meal.
While feeding cooked chicken to your pets is considered as a safe meal, how about raw chicken? There have been movements that support giving raw meat to your dogs, but there isn’t really a unanimous decision on whether they are a safe option for your pets.
IS RAW CHICKEN SAFE FOR DOGS?
Unlike humans, our dogs’ digestive system is much more equipped to break down uncooked food. Potentially harmful bacteria also doesn’t stay that long inside their body since their intestines are a lot shorter than ours. This is why sometimes a few minutes after a meal, your dog immediately has to go potty. Because of this, it’s safe to say that raw chicken is okay for your dog to eat.
On the other hand, veterinarians are not a hundred percent into the idea of feeding raw chicken to your pup. Most of them would tell you that just because dogs have survived with raw meat before doesn’t mean that their genetic makeup today can withstand the same kind of food.
Their main issue is that raw chicken still contains a lot of bacteria, and no one can really say if it belongs to a stronger strain that may put your dog’s health in harm’s way. This can become a problem if you fed raw chicken to an old dog, a puppy, or a dog with a sensitive stomach.
PREPARING RAW CHICKEN FOR YOUR DOG
Most people avoid feeding their dog cooked chicken parts with lots of bones because these may splinter and hurt their stomach and intestine. When served raw, however, chicken bones do not normally splinter. Raw chicken neck and wings are usually the favored chicken parts of dogs and they like to gnaw on the bones after eating the meat, but you should never feed cooked chicken bones to your dogs.
If you want to be extra careful, you can stick to meaty parts such as the breast and the thigh. Slice them into small pieces so your dog can have an easier time chewing them in bite-sized chunks.
THE CONCLUSION
At the end of the day, it’s still up for you to decide. You can err on the side of caution by avoiding raw chicken for your dog. At the same time, you can still feed them raw chicken as long as you prepare fresh meat. The quality of raw chicken that you’re feeding them should be a priority if you want them to have a go at uncooked food.
Interested in what else your dog can eat? Check out our guides on whether dogs can eat pineapples, onions, yogurt, or sweet potatoes!
CAN RAW CHICKEN GIVE DOGS DIARRHEA?
Some of our dogs here at TopReview are raw fed, and no, raw chicken is a great basis for any dog's diet.
DO VETS RECOMMEND RAW DIET?
If fed correctly a raw diet is an excellent, healthy diet for your dog, and most vets agree. However, make sure you do your research and don't just feed your dog on scraps.
DO DOGS GET SICK FROM SALMONELLA?
Salmonella is rare in dogs, but they can carry the bacteria and shed it in their saliva and feces.
