Can Dogs Eat Chicken?

Yes, dogs can eat chicken, and plain cooked chicken is one of the most useful foods you can keep in the fridge. The free Dog Toxic-Foods Checker lists plain cooked chicken (boneless) as Safe: “Lean, dog-friendly protein — great for training or a bland diet.” The catch is in the words plain, cooked and boneless.

This page covers how much to give, chicken and rice for an upset stomach, and the three things that turn chicken from a great treat into a vet visit.

Why plain chicken works so well

Chicken breast is lean, high in protein and easy to digest, and most dogs will work hard for it. That makes it a favorite for training: diced into pea-sized pieces, a single breast can carry a whole week of practice sessions. It’s also the protein most vets reach for in a bland diet, because it’s gentle and most dogs will eat it even when their appetite is off.

How much chicken to give

The Toxic-Foods Checker’s portion guide: a few pea-sized pieces as rewards — a little for a small dog, a small handful for a large one. “Plain: no skin, bones, or seasoning.”

• Count it as a treat. All treats together should stay within about 10% of daily calories, the guideline AAHA uses. The free Dog Feeding Calculator gives your dog’s daily calorie number.
• Cut it small for training. Tiny pieces let you reward many times without overfeeding.
• Add it slowly if your dog isn’t used to it, and watch the stool for a day or two.

Chicken and rice for an upset stomach

The AKC lists boiled, boneless, skinless chicken with plain white rice among the foods to feed a dog with a mild upset stomach. How to make it:

1. Boil a boneless, skinless chicken breast in plain water until it’s cooked through, with no oil, butter, salt or seasoning.
2. Shred it into small, easy pieces.
3. Mix it with plain cooked white rice (rice for dogs).
4. Feed small portions and go back to your dog’s normal food gradually over a few days.

It’s a short-term fix, not a long-term diet, because chicken and rice alone isn’t nutritionally complete. Call your vet if the upset lasts more than a day, keeps coming back, or comes with vomiting, blood, lethargy or a sore belly. A spoonful of plain pumpkin is another gentle add-in for mild loose stools.

The three things to avoid

1. Bones. Cooked chicken bones are hollow and splinter easily. They can choke a dog or cut and block the gut. Never give them, and keep the carcass and the trash out of reach (cooked bones).

2. Skin and fat. Chicken skin is mostly fat. Fatty food can cause stomach upset and, in some dogs, pancreatitis. Peel it off before sharing.

3. Seasoning. Many rubs, marinades, broths and gravies contain onion or garlic, which damage a dog’s red blood cells (onion and garlic). Salt, butter and oil don’t help either. Cook your dog’s portion plain, or set it aside before you season.

Raw chicken

The ASPCA warns that raw meat can carry Salmonella and E. coli. Those bacteria can make a dog sick, and dogs can shed them in saliva and stool, which matters in a home with children or anyone with a weak immune system. The Toxic-Foods Checker lists raw meat as Caution and suggests asking your vet before starting a raw diet. Cooking chicken all the way through removes the problem.

Chicken allergies

Chicken is one of the proteins most often reported in dogs with food allergies, alongside beef, dairy and wheat, according to a 2016 review in BMC Veterinary Research. Most dogs eat chicken without any trouble. But if your dog gets itchy skin, ear infections or ongoing stomach trouble, mention chicken (and any chicken-based treats) to your vet. Food allergies are diagnosed with a vet-supervised elimination diet, not by guessing.

Chicken products: what’s fine and what isn’t

• Plain boiled or baked breast: the gold standard.
• Plain cooked thigh meat, skin removed: fine, a bit fattier.
• Rotisserie chicken: often salted and seasoned with onion or garlic. Only plain inner meat, no skin or bones.
• Nuggets, fried or breaded chicken: too salty and greasy. Skip.
• Store-bought broth: often contains onion and garlic. Use a plain homemade broth, or a broth labeled for dogs.

Rotate plain chicken with other simple rewards like carrots, blueberries and plain turkey. The free food safety chart puts the whole Safe / Caution / Never list on the fridge.