Are you guilty of sharing your meals with your furry best friend? It’s tempting to treat our dogs with scraps from our plates, but not everything is safe for them to eat. If you’re wondering, “Can dogs eat raw chicken?” the answer is a simple no. Raw chicken isn’t toxic to dogs, but it isn’t the best choice for their health either.
Chicken may be tempting to both humans and dogs, but raw chicken is not a wise choice for our four-legged friends. This food is highly processed, with high levels of salt and fat, making it a health hazard for dogs. If your pooch is in tip-top shape, you could consider small pieces of raw chicken as a rare treat.
It’s always best to consult your vet to make sure the treats you give your pet are suitable for them. So, let’s keep the raw chicken in the “treat” category and stick to healthier options for your lovely dog.
Is Raw Chicken Safe for Dogs?
The answer is not simple yes and no, rather it is a little complicated.
If your dog is an adult healthy fit dog, a small proportion of raw chicken will not harm your dog. Definitely, dogs have better digestive systems than us. He is able to digest raw food(especially raw meat). But raw meat like raw chicken may contain bacteria like salmonella, E. coli, and other pathogens, which increase the chances of bacterial contamination, which can be harmful to your dog.
Serving raw chicken to your dog is certainly not recommended. There is a risk behind it. Now if you came here to know that can you feed a dog raw chicken or your dog has eaten raw chicken accidentally, keep your dog under watch. There can be diarrhoea or vomiting and sometimes also gastrointestinal issues.
Debate is going on all over the world that whether dogs can eat raw chicken or not. We will discuss all you need to know and will also suggest to you what to do in this situation.
Side Effects of Dog Eating Raw Chicken
Many vets are against giving raw food to dogs including raw chicken. After eating a small piece of raw chicken many dogs suffers a few symptoms mentioned below.
Vomiting or Regurgitation
A dog’s digestive system is made in such a way that it throws out undigested food mostly when the dog ate more than his capacity. There are chances that raw chicken contains bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli, which simply cause vomiting or regurgitation due to bacterial contamination which is harmful to dogs and cause food poisoning.
If your dog doesn’t have a raw diet then suddenly eating raw chicken is hard to digest for them. Therefore, they throw out food by either regurgitation or vomiting. Sometimes they experience abdominal pain, fever, and dehydration.
Sometimes even these small symptoms are serious “Dogs and cats who vomit for longer than a few days or are depressed or dehydrated should be presented for veterinary evaluation” suggested by Washington State University.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is such a painful condition. Raw chicken leads to a surge in fat levels, which leads to pancreatitis. It also causes inflammation in the pancreas, and because of that, the dog suffers from vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and lethargy.
Worms and Parasites
Uncooked chicken might have parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. The acid in a dog’s stomach can digest them, but if they remain undigested, it will lead to anaemia and malnutrition, and sometimes it can make your dog seriously ill. Thus, it is very important to deworm chicken by cooking it to prevent these kinds of diseases.
Nutritional Imbalances
Raw meat doesn’t provide the required nutritional value to your dog. Instead, they are full of harmful bacteria. Nutritional imbalances can make your dog weak by affecting their bone and teeth. Lack of nutrition causes poor growth, and a weakened immune system and it leads to illness.
“All nutrients should be balanced to ensure they are absorbed properly by the body and appropriately used for each bodily system“ which means, dogs need a balanced diet in order to grow and stay fit. says Tiffany Tupler, DVM from PetMD.
While raw chicken can cause issues for dogs, other raw foods like fish may also pose risks. So it’s important to be cautious and ask your vet if you’re wondering ‘do dogs eat fish‘ before feeding it.
Are There Any Benefits to Feeding Raw Chicken to Dogs?
Feeding your dog raw chicken is not advisable. Although there are a few benefits of serving raw chicken to your dog, the benefits cannot outweigh the risks. Many people believe that raw food is healthier than cooked food for dogs. Yet there is no evidence of it. Few believe that a raw diet increases digestibility and improves hair coat and skin quality.
To conclude, there are a few benefits of feeding raw chicken but the risk behind it is bigger. Therefore you should not feed raw chicken.
While there are some potential benefits to feeding raw meat like chicken or pork, the risks usually outweigh the rewards. So it’s best to avoid giving your dog raw pork, even though some owners may wonder “can dogs eat pork?
What to Do If Your Dog Eats Raw Chicken?
If your dog ate raw chicken by accident or you serve a small piece of raw chicken, you should keep your eyes on your dog for the next 48 hours after eating. If he is acting normal, then you do not need to worry and also do not call your vet. Just observe if he has any symptoms like abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhoea.
If you notice any of these symptoms, you should call your vet. You should not take care of your dog only, but yourself and your family too. If you notice that there’s something wrong going on with your dog after feeding raw chicken. Stay away from the saliva and faeces of your dog. As it can put your health in jeopardy because of bacterial contamination of salmonella, E. coli, and pathogens which may be present in raw chicken.
Take him to your vet and meanwhile make sure he does not lick you and you wash your hand after touching your dog. Moreover, try to keep Young children, pregnant women, and elderly individuals away from him for 48 hours.
Your dog basically needs nutritional value like water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. You should feed your dog commercial food as it contains the required nutrients. Make sure you buy only commercial food which has been clinically tested and recommended by vets.
FAQs
How much should raw chicken be fed to dogs?
You should avoid feeding your dog raw meat. But if you want to feed raw chicken to your dog, ideally it should be 2-4% of the pet’s body weight. If your dog is active and underweight, you should feed 3% of his body weight. while less active and old dogs should have 1.5% of their body weight. This percentage is for the whole day, you can split it accordingly.
Can dogs develop food allergies from eating raw chicken?
Just like humans, dogs can be allergic to anything around them or any kind of ingredient in their food. So the answer is yes they can be allergic to raw chicken but it is not certain that every dog is allergic to raw chicken.
Can dogs eat raw chicken from supermarkets?
Raw chicken falls under the “not good for dogs” category. Meat from supermarkets can be fresh for humans but not for dogs. Raw chicken from supermarkets is home to many harmful bacteria and it can lead to gastrointestinal salmonella infections.
Can dogs eat chicken eggs?
Eggs are considered dog-safe food. They are very full of nutrients and one of the best food for your furry friend. Eggs are a great source of protein, fatty acids, and vitamins. But raw eggs are as dangerous as raw meat. So if you want to feed your dog eggs, make sure it’s cooked.
Can dogs eat the bone of raw chicken?
Yes, raw chicken bones are safe for dogs. But you should make sure before giving a bone to your dog, you wash it properly and keep your eyes on him. Also when dogs get excited whenever they see bone so train your dog not to chew and tear it. It can damage his teeth.
Final Thoughts
All in all, raw chicken is not suitable for dogs unless they hunt and eat it. Therefore, it is better to be a little careful when you feed raw chicken to your dog.
To sum up the question, “Can dogs eat raw chicken?” In simple words, although raw chicken is not toxic for dogs, you should not serve them. But if you still want to feed raw chicken, before you do, check with the vet to make sure your dog is healthy for raw chicken.
At the same time, do not worry if accidentally your dog eats raw chicken. Normally they digest it or show some symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting. If you notice any symptoms for more than 48 hours, show them to your vet.
While raw chicken is not recommended for dogs, owners also need to be aware of other human foods that may be harmful, like hot dogs. Check out is hot dogs safe for dogs for more information.
Reference:
- Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved February 3, 2024, from https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/ss/slideshow-foods-your-dog-should-never-eat
- Purina. (2022, December 22). Can Dogs Eat Raw Meat? Nestlé Purina Petcare Company. Retrieved February 3, 2024, from https://www.purina.com/articles/dog/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-raw-meat
- Nutrition – General Feeding Guidelines for Dogs | VCA Animal Hospital. (n.d.). Vca. Retrieved February 3, 2024, from https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutrition-general-feeding-guidelines-for-dogs
