Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as “Dr. B” to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital and Boston’s first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University.
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Can dogs eat chicken? Is chicken good for dogs? The answer to both is yes! Boiled chicken is the best option, whether your pup is sick or you're just looking for a healthy food to feed your dog. In fact, boiled chicken is filled with protein, vitamins, and minerals that your dog’s diet requires and is gentle enough to feed to dogs with sensitive or upset stomachs.[1] Plus, it's super easy to make! We've got everything you need to know about how to cook the chicken and how to feed it to your dog, so read on.
Boiling Chicken for Your Dog
Set a few skinless and boneless chicken breasts or thighs in a pot. Cover the chicken entirely with water and boil the chicken for 12 minutes. Then, remove the chicken, let it cool, and shred it with forks to make the pieces small enough for your dog to eat.
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Enough water to cover the chicken
Steps
Place 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into a medium-size pot. Spread the chicken breasts out along the bottom of the pot so the meat is not layered. If you do not have a pot large enough to support the chicken breasts, use a deep, covered skillet instead.- Make sure that your chicken is completely defrosted if it was frozen. The frozen meat will affect the cooking time of the chicken and could potentially cause the meat to cook unevenly. If it is still frozen, finish defrosting the chicken in the refrigerator before cooking it.
- Fill the pot with water until all of the chicken breasts are submerged. Add approximately 3 in (7.6 cm) of water to the pot, or more if needed to cover the chicken breasts. Just be careful not to fill your pot with so much water that it bubbles over while cooking. Keep about 2 in (5.1 cm) of head space to avoid this.
- Do not add any additional seasonings to the chicken, as those may cause your dog to have an upset stomach. Keep the chicken bland, and then pair it with other foods later if you want.[2]
Advertisement - Cover the pot and boil the chicken for 12 minutes over high heat. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Then, continue to cook the chicken for approximately 12 minutes.[3]
- Remove one of the chicken breasts from the pot and cut into it to make sure it is thoroughly cooked after 12 minutes. If the inside is still pink or gummy, return the chicken to the pot and continue to cook the 3 breasts for approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Place the cooked chicken breasts onto a plate and shred it into small pieces. Use a knife and fork, or 2 forks, to break the meat apart easily. Make the pieces of meat small enough for your dog to chew and swallow safely.[4]
- Keep your dog’s size in mind when shredding the meat. Smaller dogs may require the meat to be broken into much smaller pieces than larger dogs would.
- Let the chicken cool off for 10-15 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest on the counter until it is cool to touch. Once cool, you can either give some of the chicken to your dog as a quick snack or pair the chicken with other foods to make it a meal.
- Speed up the cooling process by placing the chicken in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Store leftover chicken in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Place leftover chicken into a glass or plastic container that has a tight seal. Then, store it in the refrigerator, and feed it to your dog over the next 3-4 days.[5]- Alternatively, freeze the boiled chicken in a sealed container for 2-6 months and save it for the next time your dog has an upset stomach. Then, simply defrost the chicken in the refrigerator before feeding it to your dog.
Give your dog plain boiled chicken as a small treat. Use the chicken as a training supplement or simply give your dog the chicken as a stand-alone treat. Just be careful not to overfeed your dog with the boiled chicken.[6]- If using the boiled chicken as a training tool, feed your dog single pieces of shredded chicken when it succeeds at a task.
- When using the boiled chicken as a stand-alone treat, portion appropriately to the size of your dog. Think about how much dog food you usually give your dog for a meal, and scale the chicken into smaller portions based on that.
- Mix chunks of the boiled chicken with dog food to make the plain meal enticing. Your dog will enjoy the added flavor to the dog food and will become fuller on the extra protein. Just be careful not to overfeed your dog in the process. Reduce the amount of dog food you normally give your dog when adding the chicken.[7]
- The amount you give your dog depends entirely on the weight of your dog and the amount of exercise it normally receives.
- Try to break up the normal meal into a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. If you normally give your dog 1 cup (224 g) of dog food for dinner, then only give your dog 2/3 cup (149.3 g) of dog food and 1/3 cup (41.7 g) of chicken, or 3/4 cup (168 g) of dog food and 1/4 cup (31.25 g) of chicken.
- Add the shredded chicken to white rice to settle an upset stomach. Prepare 1 cup (180 g) uncooked, white rice as you normally would—usually in a pot on the stove or in a rice cooker. Then, mix some of the shredded chicken in with the rice, and allow it to fully cool before feeding it to your dog.
- Proportion the rice to chicken in a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. Pair 2 cups (400 g) of cooked rice with 1 cup (125 g) of cooked chicken, or 3 cups (600 g) of cooked rice with 1 cup (125 g) of cooked chicken.
- To subtly flavor the rice, use the chicken broth produced by the boiled chicken to cook the rice. Do not use the store-bought chicken broth to cook the rice, as it may contain ingredients, like onions, that could be harmful to your dog.[8]
- Instead of white rice, you can prepare brown rice to increase the nutritional value of the meal. Be aware that brown rice is harder for your dog to digest. If your dog has a sensitive or upset stomach, only feed it white rice.[9]
- Supplement the classic chicken and rice meal with canned pumpkin or yogurt. Use canned pumpkin or non-fat, plain yogurt to regulate your dog’s digestive system. The pumpkin is high in fiber and the yogurt is a natural probiotic that will be gentle on your dog’s stomach.[10] Both will add a moist texture to the meal.
- To a 1/2 cup (100 g) of cooked white rice and 1/4 cup (31.25 g) of chicken, add 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 mL) of yogurt or 1/4 cup (56.25 g) of canned pumpkin. Mix the ingredients together, and portion as needed to feed it to your dog.
Feed your dog boiled chicken 1-2 times a week. Unless your dog has a digestive issue like an upset stomach, refrain from feeding it boiled chicken more than twice a week. This will keep your dog from developing picky eating habits or becoming reliant on the chicken.[11]- If your dog does have a digestive issue, feed it boiled chicken up to 3 days in a row to help regulate its stomach issue. If the digestive issue persists, contact your local veterinarian.
Boiled Chicken for Dogs Recipes
Expert Q&A
- QuestionCan I feed my dog boiled chicken every day?
Brian Bourquin, DVMBrian Bourquin, better known as “Dr. B” to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital and Boston’s first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University.
VeterinarianAdding yummier foods like chicken to your dog's diet may cause it to stop eating its regular dry food, so I recommend not trying to feed your dog new things regularly.
Tips
- If your pet suddenly stops eating its normal food, take them to the vet to get them checked out since a lack of appetite could be a sign of something wrong.[12]Thanks
- Talk to your vet before supplementing your dog's diet with chicken. Sometimes incorporating chicken into your dog's diet can actually make them picky about eating their other food.[13]Thanks
Warnings
- Allow the shredded, boiled chicken to cool completely before feeding it to your dog. Otherwise, your dog may burn its mouth and tongue while gobbling down the special treat.[14]Thanks
Things You’ll Need
- Medium-sized pot with a lid
- Large skillet with a lid (optional)
- Utensils to shred the chicken
- Tongs or a slotted spoon
- Plate
References
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/six-foods-to-feed-your-dog-when-hes-sick/
- ↑ https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-chicken
- ↑ https://www.petplace.com/article/dogs/pet-health/can-dogs-eat-chicken-only#h2
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/six-foods-to-feed-your-dog-when-hes-sick/
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/six-foods-to-feed-your-dog-when-hes-sick/
- ↑ https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-chicken
- ↑ https://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/agallagher/2014/october/5-dos-and-donts-mixing-your-pets-food-32070
- ↑ https://www.thedodo.com/dodowell/can-dogs-eat-rice
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/six-foods-to-feed-your-dog-when-hes-sick/
- ↑ https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-pumpkin
- ↑ https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/healthy-foods-checklist-chicken-dogs
- ↑ Brian Bourquin, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
- ↑ Brian Bourquin, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/six-foods-to-feed-your-dog-when-hes-sick/
About This Article
Boiled chicken is a healthy, nutritious snack for dogs, and it’s also great for soothing an upset stomach. To prepare it, start by placing 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium-sized cooking pot. Spread the breasts apart in the pot so that they’re not overlapping, since this could cause them to cook unevenly. If they were frozen, defrost them completely in the fridge before you put them in the pot. Next, fill the pot with enough water so that the breasts are completely submerged. Don’t add any seasonings, since this could upset your dog’s stomach. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, and let the chicken cook on high heat for about 12 minutes. Cut into one of the breasts to make sure it’s cooked all the way through. If it still looks pink or gooey in the middle, boil the breasts for another 1 to 2 minutes and check again. Once the meat is fully cooked, place it on a plate and shred it into small pieces with a knife and fork. Make sure the pieces are small enough so that your dog can swallow them safely. Then, let the shredded chicken sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is cool to the touch. Once it’s cool, you can either feed the chicken to your dog right away or store it in the fridge for another 3-4 days before feeding it to your dog. It will also keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to feed the chicken to your dog, you can either serve it plain as a treat or mix it with dog food to enhance a regular meal. If your pooch has an upset stomach, mix the chicken with plain white rice, canned pumpkin, or plain yogurt to make a gentle, soothing meal. In general, try not to feed chicken to your dog more than 1-2 times per week to prevent your pup from developing picky eating habits or expecting chicken all the time. For more tips, including how to mix boiled chicken with other foods to help your dog digest it, read on!
Reader Success Stories
"Thank you, such good advice for me. I have a dog with an upset tummy and the vet suggested boiled chicken. I feel more confident now. White rice was good to know, thought brown would be healthier but not if they have tummy issues. All good."..." more
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