Disputes about whether it is possible to feed a dog chicken meat often arise among dog breeders and do not subside for a minute. Some believe that such offal, inedible for humans, as chicken heads, paws, necks, navels and skeletons can not only be beneficial, but also diversify the pet’s menu. Others categorically reject everything connected with this product. In addition, chicken bones are considered the most dangerous for dogs' health.
At the same time, chicken is considered one of the most common and economical dietary types of meat. In addition to the fact that dogs like chicken meat, introducing this product into the four-legged diet will fill the animal’s body with valuable and nutritious microelements that are found only in chicken.
From the first days, when Jack had just appeared in our house, I was interested in the question of feeding him chicken. If you feed him chicken, what parts of it and how should you feed him correctly? At what age should it be introduced into food? Is chicken meat contraindicated for my beloved dog?
The benefits and harms of chicken meat for dogs
Dogs are very fond of aromatic chicken, which is not only known as a dietary product, but is also easily digestible by the digestive tract, unlike lamb, beef, horse meat, rabbit and other lean types of meat.
An adult contains quite a lot of nutrients, vitamins, macro- and microelements. In chicken there is much less of this, but due to the unformed skeleton, a large dog can be given the whole carcass.
When raising chickens at a poultry farm, all kinds of nutritional supplements are used for rapid growth and weight gain. Plus, the birds are stuffed with antibiotics so that there is no pestilence from diseases.
As a result, a fat, sick chicken grows, the meat of which contains chemicals, which can subsequently cause allergic reactions in dogs and resistance to antibiotics if medical intervention is necessary. Therefore, for feeding, it is best to use chickens raised at home on natural products.
Can dogs be given chicken?
Dog breeders switch their dogs to a natural diet, starting with chicken, which is considered a dietary food with significant energy value.
Poultry protein is well absorbed and digested. However, chicken as food is not suitable for all dogs, with the exception of individuals with a problem pancreas and individual intolerance, manifested by allergic signs or digestive disorders. New food is introduced gradually, monitoring the body's reaction. Responsible dog owners feed their pets poultry from their own home range or products of proven quality purchased in the store. The meat is served to the dog raw or cooked, and parts with bones are given with caution.
What dogs are not allowed to eat chicken?
If, after feeding chicken, your pet develops a rash, his ears turn red, and he itches endlessly, then the meat has caused an allergy. In this case, it is necessary to remove chicken meat and its by-products from the diet and immediately contact a veterinarian for qualified help.
It is not advisable to feed chicken to small breed dogs, since they are highly allergic and have a small jaw, which does not allow them to gnaw even small bones, injuring the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat, as well as the gastrointestinal tract.
Is it possible to feed it to a dog all the time?
In a dog’s diet, the meat diet is fundamental. Essential nutritious protein is found in beef, lamb, rabbit and other types of meat. You can't feed your dog only poultry. Chicken serves to diversify the main menu, but is not suitable for all dogs - in some it gives rise to allergic symptoms.
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What form should the meat be in?
Dogs came into human life from the wild, where they ate birds and small animals. There was no “boiled meat” in their diet, but exclusively raw meat on the bone. Animals raised in freedom do not have stones on their teeth, and therefore no bad breath, which cannot be said about domestic animals.
And the BARF system is based on eating natural raw foods and bones.
In raw chicken, all nutritional value, protein and vitamins are preserved, but in heat-treated chicken, after 20 minutes the protein and half of the vitamins are destroyed, and microelements are boiled out of the meat into the broth. If raw meat is healthier, then how can you avoid infecting your pet with helminths and pathogenic bacteria that may be found there?
To do this, you need to place the chicken in the freezer for three days, during which time all helminths and bacteria should die. Before cooking, remove and simmer for 5 minutes. During this time, the remaining bacteria will die, and the nutritional value of the product will not change.
Why is chicken harmful to your pet?
The harm lies in individual intolerance to the product; low-quality or expired products also cause damage to health. It is advisable to use poultry raised in natural village conditions or buy chicken from sellers who are responsible for the quality of their product. Some producers on poultry farms add hormonal substances and antibiotics to feed; eating chickens filled with such drugs will harm the development of puppies and the health of adult dogs. “Hormonal” food provokes early puberty and improper skeletal formation in dogs, causing digestive disorders and allergic irritation.
Fatty chicken broth is harmful to the pancreas, liver and gastrointestinal tract of the animal.
Boiled and tubular chicken bones are dangerous; when they crumble into fragments, they damage the esophagus, leading to serious complications, including death.
Which is better, pulp or offal?
Both chicken pulp and its by-products have sufficient nutritional value, only the meat is more dietary. But your four-legged friend may have his own preferences.
Ideally, it is necessary to give alternately the pulp and other parts in different versions, without giving preference to one thing.
By-products
Chicken bones. Is it possible to give your dog chicken bones?
- You can, but only in raw form, not tubular. Many people do not know where the tubular bones are located in chicken.
- These are the long bones in the wings and legs, the rest of the bones can be given. Bones are a kind of simulator for a dog’s jaw, which strengthens both the jaws and teeth.
- A beef bone, for example, will only benefit the animal. And here are the tubular chicken ones.
- The fact is that, especially a large dog, will not even consider these bones to be a complete meal. In one fell swoop, she will bite them into small sharp fragments and swallow them.
- And in the intestines they will do “their evil deed.” With needle-thin fragments, they will pierce the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines until they are perforated.
It is not recommended to feed dogs any boiled bones, which, when chewed, crumble and cause injury and perforation in the gastrointestinal tract, and also cause constipation.
Difference between cooked and raw chicken for dogs
For all dogs who do not suffer from allergic symptoms, chicken and a non-concentrated broth based on it are suitable for food variety. The pet will receive more nutrients from a raw product, but there is a risk of infection with salmonella or other bacterial infection, so most owners feed the bird only after heat treatment.
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Uncooked bird bones (not tubular) are soft and easily processed by the stomach; boiled bones are dangerous to the health of the animal; when cooked, they become fragile, and when chewed, they crumble into sharp particles that can injure the walls of the esophagus. The bone parts of the carcass are not boiled, but are doused with boiling water against bacteria.
Chicken heads
Is it possible to feed your dog chicken heads? It is possible only for animals of large and medium breeds. Before giving a treat, it is necessary to pull out the beak, which can cause mechanical injury.
The most nutritious thing in chicken heads is the brain, which contains vitamin B12. Thanks to it, the pet builds muscle mass, feels vigorous and healthy.
Chicken necks
Is it ok to add chicken necks to a dog's food? Even for puppies. Necks are a source of calcium and protein. When this product is added to the diet, the animal massages the gums and receives all the necessary nutrients.
If desired, you can beat it with a kitchen hammer or grind it into minced meat. Everything should be in moderation, so give this product about twice a week. If the necks are boiled and given in large quantities, intestinal obstruction may occur.
Can puppies and pregnant women eat chicken?
Chicken meat can be fed to puppies and pregnant females if its digestibility is normal.
A puppy’s transition to solid food usually begins with chicken meat; if there are no problems with digestion, chickens can be safely included in the diet. It is important to consistently introduce the puppy to other types of meat, offal, and fish.
Food for pregnant bitches should be nutritious and balanced. Poultry protein, having energy value, is well absorbed and supplies the body with the necessary amino acids. With natural feeding, chicken, along with other types of meat, is necessarily included in the menu for females expecting offspring.
Chicken liver
Is it possible to give a dog chicken liver? Of course, it is possible and necessary, because this product is rich not only in vitamins A, B, E, D, but also in minerals, mainly iron. It also contains amino acids that are necessary for any living organism. The liver increases hemoglobin in the blood. Give no more than twice a week, because too much iron will not be beneficial.
When buying a liver, you need to pay attention to its appearance. It should be a bright, uniform brown color, with clear contours, and not leave dents when pressed. Unlike other offal, it should be boiled, as it can be a source of helminths.
How to choose?
When purchasing chicken heads for food, pay attention to the following points:
- Color of the product - they should be a pure, soft pink color without splashes of blue or green.
- Odor – the offal should not emit a putrid or sulfuric odor. Ideally, it smells like raw chicken.
- Condition – the product is best purchased chilled, since when frozen it is difficult to identify its degree of freshness.
- Type of bird - it is best to buy the heads of broiler chickens rather than adult chickens, as they are softer, easier to chew and digest.
Chicken stomachs
Should you feed your dog chicken gizzards? You can, as they are another inexpensive addition to complete nutrition.
- The advantage of this by-product is its low calorie content - 150 kcal per 100 g, so it may well be a dietary food for overweight dogs.
- Its advantages do not end there; the content of vitamins and minerals is very important for the normal development of the pet.
You can give it as a separate dish twice a week, or as part of your daily diet, but in much smaller quantities.
In order not to infect your pet with parasites, it is better to boil the stomachs for 5-15 minutes. Buy already peeled and check for freshness.
You can give both chicken tails and paws freed from claws. For complete nutrition, meat and offal should be given along with rice or buckwheat porridge, seasoned with vegetables.
What can replace chicken?
An alternative is turkey, it is low in calories, rich in vitamins A, E, potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, has little fat, and is easily digestible. The process of raising this bird is rarely accompanied by the use of hormones and antibiotics; most dog lovers prefer turkey meat when creating a menu for their pet.
Usually, with natural feeding, the basis of the diet is beef, rich in nutrients, but it does not contain all the necessary microelements.
Other alternative meats include:
- mutton;
- horsemeat;
- venison;
- pork;
- rabbit meat.
Lamb is valued for its high potassium and magnesium content and low cholesterol.
Horsemeat is easily digestible, rarely causes an allergic condition, but is of little nutritional value for active dogs.
Venison is valued for its usefulness and uniqueness, has a beneficial effect on cardiac activity and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and is considered a delicacy; not every owner will be able to pamper a pet with such a treat if he is not a hunter.
There is a lot of controversy about pork; many owners prefer to find an alternative to it or only serve it boiled.
Rabbit meat is a healthy product, but is contraindicated for animals with kidney and biliary tract diseases.
It is important for the animal to organize a balanced diet, including dairy products, eggs, fish, cereals, fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
