Is Chicken Good For Poodles? What You Should Know

Did you know that dogs evolved from wolves?

Yes, it’s true! Many dogs have wolf-like tendencies; you can still see it in their behavior. 

You might have seen it when dogs lick faces, scratch, dig, burry and more. It all derives from their animal instinct.

One animal instinct Poodles share with wolves is their carnivore hunger to devour meat. 

But, I understand, as a dog owner, it’s not always feasible for you to go out in the wild and hunt meat for your Poodle. 

So you have to use easily available meat from your grocery or local pet store. One meat, in particular, you might come across is chicken, but feeding chicken for a Poodle can be a controversial topic.

Is chicken good for poodles? 

The truth is, you shouldn’t have to worry about feeding chicken to Poodles. Chicken is readily available in many dog foods and is a significant source of protein, allowing them to have a plentiful supply of energy and help them build muscle mass. 

Moreover, it is packed with Omega 3 fatty acids, which allows their coat and skin to shine. It even contains 10 out of 22 of the essential amino acids required for dogs. These are just a few benefits chicken holds out of many!

But, you don’t want to give your Poodle any chicken source, though there are some types you must be conscious of. In particular, you should not give them raw chicken as there’s a high risk of your Poodle getting salmonella and other bacterial infections. You should also avoid giving bones, but I’ll return to this topic later to discuss it further. 

Can they eat the bones or only the meat?

Have you ever been tempted to feed your dog leftovers at the dinner table? I get it; it can be pretty appealing to feed them bones left from your KFC or just any chicken meal you’ve had. But, you should be careful doing this; many veterinarians do not advise it.

Once consumed, cooked bones can easily shatter, and the splints can damage their insides. 

Plus, if you plan to give them raw chicken bones, you have to be equally careful because a Poodle can choke on them, all depending on the size and type of Poodle you own. To avoid this, always observe your Poodle when eating them and look out for signs such as your Poodle pawing their mouth, attempting to cough, and more. 

Raw bones pose a risk of bacterial infection and all bones can lead to dental fractures, choking, gut obstructions and gut lacerations

Still, the best part is often a plain boiled chicken breast without the skin. The reason for this is that chicken breast is lean, and it’s less likely your dog will gain a lot of weight from it. In addition to this, you can also feed them chicken feet, chicken wings, and the neck, as long as they’re cooked. 

Can poodles eat chicken liver?

One area of the chicken that often gets overlooked when feeding a Poodle is the liver. But, as a dog owner, you should not think twice about giving your Poodle it. The liver is very nutritious for a Poodle due to its vitamins and nutrients.

The chicken liver can be classed as a superfood containing Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Folic Acid B Vitamins, Iron and additional minerals.

• Vitamin A: This helps their digestion and reproductive system.
• Vitamin D: Aids immune function and protects against certain cancers, autoimmune and infectious diseases. It also helps muscle and bone strength.
• Folic acid and vitamin B: Reduces anaemia, fatigue and helps mental health.
• Iron: Encourages haemoglobin production, oxygen transportation and regulates their temperature. 
• Copper and zinc: Helps bone, skin and joint health. 

Just looking at all of these benefits above, do you see why it can be classed as a superfood? Plus, in comparison to other body parts, chicken liver is extremely low in calories. So, ideally, the cooked chicken liver works well as a training treat, and it’s best given in small bits.

Cooked Chicken

If you’re planning on giving your dog cooked chicken, then you might want to mix up their diet a little. I mean by this, you don’t want to provide them with cooked chicken breast every day. 

Types of meals or treats

There’s a wide range of recipes for cooked chicken meals you can find for your dog on the internet. Ideally, it would be best if you paired them with vegetables to ensure they’re getting the most out of what they eat. Of course, you can always pair boneless chicken with sweet potatoes and brown rice. 

Owners should not try and provide homemade meals as a sole source of nutrition without first consulting with a canine nutritionist. Treats like chicken should make up no more than 10% of the diet.

Many of these meals are easy to make, having a prep time of around 10 minutes and a cooking time of 40. Similarly, you can always add cooked chicken to dry dog food to encourage your Poodle to eat more kibble. 

Regarding threats, there are several homemade chicken treats you can make for your Poodle. Similarly, there’s chicken jerky you can also get, which are light crispy strips of chicken. However, if you plan on giving your dog store-bought chicken treats, I’d highly recommend checking where they’re manufactured. Any chicken treats made outside of the USA made do not abide by FDA regulations and could include dangerous ingredients like fillers.

Can poodles eat chicken soup?

There’s not really any concern with giving you dog chicken soup; it’s generally pretty safe as long as it’s given to them in moderation. The right homemade chicken broth can provide your dog with an essential amino acid known as glycine, which can help their liver and kidneys. Just make sure the soup you give them is homemade and does not contain additional ingredients like garlic, salt, or onions. 

Can poodles eat chicken nuggets?

Who doesn’t love a good nugget? Well, next time you stop at Mcdonalds or any fast food joint, you should not give in to the temptation of feeding your dog them. Whether store-bought or from a fast food outlet, chicken nuggets can be highly toxic to your Poodle. 

This is because many chicken nuggets are heavily fried in oil and contain a lot of salt and fat. Plus, there are always risks of hidden ingredients like onions and garlic, which are toxic to dogs. But, of course, this also applies to any chicken substitutes such as vegan and Quorn nuggets.

Raw Chicken

Can they get sick from raw meat?

When it comes to feeding a Poodle raw chicken meat, there’s a lot of skepticism raised. This is because we can’t eat raw chicken for us, humans, due to the number of bacteria that linger on its surface. Some of these bacteria can be highly dangerous, triggering Salmonella, Campylobacter and Clostridium perfringens. These bacteria can cause stomach problems and vomit in humans.

But, a Poodle’s stomach is slightly different from a human. Part of the reason for this is due to the high acid content their stomach holds, allowing them to consume raw meat without getting sick. If you’re planning on giving them raw meat, make sure it’s done at home and follow good hygiene practices.

Contact your vet immediately if you notice your Poodle doing the following:

• Vomiting
• Fever
• Lethargy
• Diarrhea
• Lack of appetite
• Dehydration
• Increased heart rate

Types of meals or treats

Another safe alternative is buying formulated raw dog meals or treats from the store. You will want to look for raw chicken bones, muscle meat, liver, or kidneys when you’re doing this. Similarly, you should look at well-known brands as opposed to specific types of raw meals and treats. In these circumstances, reputation can be everything, and you will want a proper brand that abides by FDA guidelines. 

How much should you feed them?

Feeding chicken, whether it’s cooked or raw, is not the same for every Poodle. There’s a lot of variables that can influence the amount of chicken your Poodle should eat, such as:

• Age: The amount of chicken and type of chicken given to a Poodle can differ whether it’s a puppy or adult.

• Size: The amount of chicken can vary based on whether a Poodle is puppy, adult, Miniature, Toy or Standard. For example, a Toy will eat a lot less than a standard.

• Activity level: If you have a highly active Poodle, they will most likely need more chicken and calories than a sedentary one.

• Health conditions: If your Poodle has any preexisting health conditions, it may influence the type of chicken and the amount you feed them.

Therefore, to know if you’re feeding your Poodle enough chicken, we recommend speaking to your vet. A vet will advise you how much to feed based on the qualities mentioned above and indicate whether they need to gain, maintain or lose weight. In addition to this, I recommend you read the instructions on store-bought dog food to give you an idea of their feeding guidelines. 

You should also consult with your vet to determine that your recipes are healthy and contain all the right nutrients regarding homemade chicken recipes. 

Similarly, you should limit these to once a day with raw or cooked chicken treats, especially bones or chicken biscuits. These can increase weight gain and cause a risk of other health problems. On the contrary, you can give them small pieces of frozen or cooked chicken as training treats. 

Is chicken good for a puppy?

If you have a Poodle puppy that’s coming out of the weaning phase and onto solid foods, you may be tempted to feed them chicken. It is possible to feed them chicken, but they have to be at least eight weeks old, and you should speak to your veterinarian first.

Can puppies eat chicken bones?

Try and avoid feeding your puppy chicken bones at first! Bones may be too big for them, and there’s a high risk they could choke on them. Some vets advise against all bone feeding.

Can puppies eat chicken and rice?

Chicken and rice is a healthy meal you should definitely give to your puppy when feeding. This is also easy to digest and low in fat due to its single protein and carbohydrate source. 

Conclusion

Overall, chicken meat is an incredibly nutritious food to feed your Poodle! It’s packed with protein, omega 3s and amino acids. In particular, try to feed your Poodle chicken breast or chicken liver as they’re low in calories and full of nutrients. 

You will want to be cautious about how much food you feed them and avoid cooked bones at all costs. Before you start feeding them chicken, please speak to your veterinarian, who will advise you of good recipes and brands to give them.

Have you given your dog chicken? Share your experience here.