Chicken and rice are common additives in a dog’s diet. Not only do they make for a tasty dish but both the foods also consist of immense health benefits. The chicken and rice diet is also called the “bland diet”, it is commonly recommended by vets to help your dog recover from stomach disorders.
Having said that, the recipe is pretty sensitive and requires precise measurements. Otherwise you can end up harming your pet instead of helping it. In this article, I’ll be discussing the health benefits of the chicken and rice diet, correct measurements of the ingredients according to your dog’s body weight as well as the correct way to feed a sick dog.
Why feed my Dog Chicken and Rice?
The chicken and rice dish is a simple meal to prepare. It’s easy to cook and has numerous benefits for your fur baby. Here are some reasons you might want to put your dog on this diet.
1. Helps with Stomach Problems
One of the top reasons why owners choose to give their pup this diet is to cure their diarrhea. Homemade chicken and rice are light on your dog’s stomach and are digested with ease. Moreover, these foods de-stimulate the canine digestive system, causing the number of muscular contractions to go down. Thus, the bland diet is also a great cure for a vomiting dog.
Many vets suggest boiled chicken and rice as a cure for other issues like allergies, malnutrition, or food sensitivity too. Along with being digested easily this diet will also provide your dog with nutrients. It can also be used as a part of an elimination diet to investigate food sensitivities.
2. Good energy source
Chicken and rice are a good source of proteins and carbohydrates. Protein have amino acids which help repair muscles and even make your dog’s coat shiny and healthy. The best thing about chicken is that your dog can have as much of it as it wants without getting fat.
The carbohydrates account for a quick source of energy and enhances the growth of good bacteria in the stomach. The rice starch may help stimulate your dog’s appetite which is required for a dog that refuses to eat because of its health.
3. Healing properties
Vitamins and minerals in rice and chicken help repair muscles in your pup while revitalizing its energy stores too. Take it like your dog’s very own chicken soup. The iron found in rice also increases the oxygen carrying capacity in your pooch.
The recipe is also gluten free which is great because most dogs are allergic to gluten. Furthermore, various studies have also evidenced that eating chicken and rice may be good for improving heart health in dogs.
How Much Chicken And Rice To Feed Your Dog?
The amount of chicken and rice to feed your dog depends on its weight. The more the weight of the dog, the more you have to feed it. Essentially, the ratio of rice to chicken should be kept as 2:1. So if you’re giving your pooch 1 cup of food, ⅓ of it should be chicken whereas the rest two thirds should be white rice.
Prepping the Chicken:
To prepare chicken, use chicken that is fat-less and boneless. Strip off the chicken’s skin and cut it into small pieces (chicken cubes of about half an inch). Then, boil the chicken with the bones and wait until the pieces turn white. Remove the cooked chicken and leave the bone broth to cool. Some owners prefer to leave the chicken raw but eating raw chicken could be bad for your pooch who already has an upset stomach.
Prepping the rice:
As for the rice, use white rice and cook it until soft. You can add the chicken broth to spike up the flavor but do not use any seasoning or spice as those could be bad for your pooch. Also refrain from using any corn starch, oils or butter- you want to keep this meal as simple as possible. Cool the rice and combine it with the cooked chicken. Make sure the meal cools completely before serving as hot food can burn your dog’s mouth.
Tip: If you want to make this diet a regular part of your dog’s diet, then sticking to white rice is recommended since brown rice is a little harder to digest. You could also make a large batch of this meal and store it up for 2 to 3 months.
In general, dogs need about 25-30 calories per pound of weight to sustain their caloric needs. The table below provides a rough estimate of how much rice and chicken to give your dog per day. Remember to check with your vet before giving your dog the meal.
| Dog’s Body Weight | Chicken and Rice |
| 10lbs | 0.75 cups |
| 20lbs | 1.5 cups |
| 30lbs | 2.25 cups |
| 40lbs | 3 cups |
| 50lbs | 3.75 cups |
| 60lbs | 4.5 cups |
| 70lbs | 5.25 cups |
| 80lbs | 6 cups |
The Right Way to Feed a Sick Dog
When starting out the rice and chicken diet, keep your dog on a fast for 1 day and then feed your dog small portions of chicken and rice. Observe how your dog reacts to the meal. Sometimes your dog might have a food allergy and if you suspect that it looks for signs like rashes, vomiting or upset stomach that got worse. If you find that your dog tolerates the diet then feed it in the recommended amounts for two to three days.
Signs that your dog is getting better include- toilet timings becoming regular and stool consistency improving. Getting your dog’s fecal sample checked may also be helpful in indicating if it is healthy. When you find that your pup is getting better, bring back its normal dog food.
Slowly start adding their normal food 1/4th of a portion of the bland diet and bringing up the number to 100% when the dog is completely in good health. Avoid feeding this diet for an extended time as your dog may develop allergies to it. Another tip is to divide your dog’s food into 4 to 5 meals instead of two meals per day. This will be helpful in retaining stomach contractions and will slowly bring your dog to its natural cycle instead of bombarding the digestive system with new foods.
The Bottom Line
All in all, feeding your dog rice and chicken diet is a fantastic decision. Not only is this dog’s meal healthy but it also possesses numerous health benefits that can help your pup heal its sensitive stomach.
Additionally, these two components are easy to find and cook. The recipe is straightforward and can be stored up for months. That being said, a responsible owner should be careful about the measurements when feeding their dog chicken and rice. Otherwise, these foods can do more harm than good.
