When I was thinking about adopting a Labradoodle, I wanted to be informed of any future needs of my dog, specifically what they can and can’t eat. So, I did a little study to find out if Labradoodles could eat chicken.
So, can Labradoodles eat chicken? Dogs are unique creatures with their own different needs. As a group in general, Labradoodles can eat chicken. But some Labradoodles can have allergies, so an elimination diet is the best method to discover if chicken is the cause.
Pet owners automatically assume that chicken is ok for their pets because it’s found in a lot of dog food. And in most cases, famous dog food brands are good choices, but pet owners will have to be updated with their dogs’ needs, and learn what really works for them specifically.
If your Labradoodle is exhibiting allergy-like symptoms, the reason for that could perhaps be the chicken they’re eating.
Raw Chicken
For humans, eating raw chicken is completely out of the question.
It is extremely bad for us and can easily lead to food poisoning and general sickness.
Most people have at some point experienced food poisoning either from bad Chinese, your insane uncles’ homemade chicken, or perhaps it was your own fault after a round of terrible cooking.
What is the common denominator in all these instances? Undercooked chicken. Which brings us to the question, can Labradoodles eat raw chicken?
Dogs generally have higher levels of acidity in their stomachs than humans do, which provides them with greater protection from any bacteria.
The reason why humans can’t eat chicken raw is that the level of acidity in our stomachs isn’t high enough to kill off potentially dangerous strains of bacteria.
When talking about raw chicken, the first thing people usually think about as the mains source of worry is salmonella, and that is often the correct assumption.
However, salmonella isn’t the only potentially dangerous bacteria that raw chicken can contain.
Many vets recommend that you don’t feed raw chicken to dogs simply as a precaution that guarantees the health and safety of your furry friend.
But having said that, the high acidity of dogs stomachs does give them an extra layer of protection for consuming chicken raw.
If you intend on giving raw chicken to your Labradoodle, be sure to pay careful attention to the date of purchase. Your chicken should be as fresh as possible. If you’ve purchased some chicken and don’t plan on feeding it to your Labradoodle immediately, you should store the chicken in the freezer.
If you do plan on feeding the raw chicken to your Labradoodle the following day, you can get by with storing it in the fridge. As an extra precaution, you should rinse the chicken before serving it to your Labradoodle.
You should never give your Labradoodle bone-in chicken.
While it is usually cooked bones that owners should be careful about, uncooked chicken bones are also quite dangerous. Because bones from chickens are quite small, and if given to medium to large dogs, will be a choking hazard.
Cooked Chicken
Cooked chicken bones are amongst the worst things you can give your dog because cooked chicken bones are heavily prone to splintering.
Please don’t give your dog bone-in chicken without completely removing all the bones. If you don’t feel like having to deal with removing the bones, consider getting boneless chicken instead.
It is extremely important that you do not give your dog chicken bones or else you might not have a dog anymore.
There’s a reason why chicken bones are notoriously bad for dogs as they have previously even been the cause of death in dogs unfortunate enough to get their paws on some.
If dogs are fed chicken bones, the bones are very fragile and will splinter extremely easy, thereby causing choking or they can also puncture the gastrointestinal tract.
Unseasoned cooked chicken is a good way to introduce protein into your Doodles’ diet.
If it’s the first time you are giving your Labradoodle chicken, be sure to give only give small amounts in the first period of time. This will allow your dog to become familiar with this new ingredient and also ensure that this isn’t the only food they will eat.
The best method is to serve a small amount of chicken with your Labradoodles’ regular meal, or if you plan is to feed your Labradoodle “natural” foods, give them chicken and vegetables, or chicken and any other food.
Protein isn’t the only nutrient your Labradoodle needs, so be sure that they will continue to eat other foods and not only the delicious chicken from now on.
As with us humans, foods should be enjoyed in moderation. If your Labradoodle is not showing any symptoms of allergies, then when it comes to eating chicken, they should be fine and dandy.
Labradoodles and Chicken Allergies
Labradoodles that suffer from skin conditions could actually be the result of a food allergy or intolerance towards some type of food.
More often than not, the main reason for this is overprocessed dog food.
The reaction can come from the chemical additives in that type of food. If you try to switch to raw or “natural” dog foods and the allergies do not lighten, it could perhaps be an allergy towards chicken or some other foods.
A high percentage of dog food contains chicken, so it is possible that even if you haven’t feed your Labradoodles baked chicken, he can still have been eating chicken as part of his regular dog food.
Consider trying out food from Ollie Petfood, as they supply some of the best possible food for dogs, and currently, you can get 50% off your first box.
If your Labradoodle has been showing symptoms of allergy such as:
- Chewing on self
- Coughing
- Hair loss or thinning fur
- Dry, itchy skin and/or rash
- Ear inflammations
- Upset stomach
- Dulling of the coat
- Wheezing noises
- Eye discharge
Then the reason could be the food he/she is eating. The most common food allergies for dogs are:
- Chicken
- Dairy Products
- Chicken eggs
- Grains
- Wheat
- Beef
- Some fish
- Soy
- Lamb
- Corn
Labradoodles specifically are more predisposed to soy and grain allergies.
It is pretty likely that if a dog is allergic to one food item, it will also be allergic to multiple others.
If you suspect that your Labradoodle has allergy symptoms that are being caused by his food or if it might be environmental allergies, the best thing you can do for your Labradoodle is to consult your vet.
If your vet thinks that the food they’re eating might be the cause of the allergies in your Labradoodle, he/she will probably suggest putting your Labradoodle on a special hypoallergenic diet or run some food elimination tests.
If you go searching for hypoallergenic dog diets you will quickly find pricey dog foods that your Doodle doesn’t really need. The elimination diet is a lot more practical to study because you can identify specific foods that are the cause of your Labradoodles’ allergies.
As a Labradoodle owner, you should try and introduce food containing ingredients they’ve never had before, then after 8-10 days, start slowly re-introducing ingredients such as chicken or grains to their diet one-by-one spacing each ingredient out by another 8-10 days.
Food allergies or irritations can either show up immediately but can also take a few days to reveal themselves, and if you introduce ingredients one at a time, it will make it easier to find out what ingredients (or perhaps multiple ingredients) are causing your Labradoodles’ suffering.
If your Labradoodles display signs of allergies that only become more severe during this testing process, then it is more plausible that his allergy symptoms are being caused by something environmental.
As with humans, dogs can also experience seasonal allergies.
And as an added possibility, blood and urine tests at the vet can most likely help rule out possible health conditions that could be the cause of your Labradoodles discomfort.
Sick Dog Benefits
If you have a Labradoodle, the first thing you should typically do is consult your vet. There’s a reason why your vet is a licensed professional and they can help you to best meet the needs of your sick Labradoodle.
If you have any questions about your Doodles’ diet, while they are sick, they should first be checked by your vet.
But with that in mind, it can be very hard to get a sick Labradoodle to eat anything. Between vomiting, diarrhea, and lack of appetite, it’s quite understandable that a Doodle won’t eat, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful to the owners who are worried about their pets’ well-being.
Chicken tastes delicious to any dog and can help allure your Labradoodle to eat and guarantee that they are getting some solid nutrients especially if they are having diarrhea, or have been sick for a while.
A good idea for a smooth meal that mots Labradoodles can eat even when they are sick is some unseasoned shredded chicken and rice.
If you pre-shred the chicken it will make it a lot easier for your vulnerable Labradoodle to eat more, and together with the rice, it will make for a meal that is nice and easy on its’ stomach.
If your Labradoodle is having difficulties eating, or you just want to fill him/her up with good nutrients, bone broth is a great way to achieve that. Bone broth contains bone marrow that is a great source of healthy nutrients for your Labradoodle.
If you have a plan of making your own bone broth, then you will have to be a bit careful.
As I mentioned beforehand, cooked bones can be extremely dangerous for dogs, so be sure that there are no bones or pieces of bone in the broth you give to your furry friend.
For extra safety and to ensure that you don’t have to take an emergency visit to your vet you can strain the broth through some cheesecloth or any mesh strainer to make sure that no small bones escaped your eyes.
Related Questions:
Does every dog have food allergies? There are some dogs that are genetically predisposed to food allergies due to bad breeding practices. Less than one percent of all dogs are known to have food allergies, but environmental allergies more considered more common.
Can a dog with a chicken allergy eat turkey? Turkey isn’t the same as chicken, so just because a dog exhibits a chicken allergy does not mean that he can’t eat turkey, duck or any other kind of bird for that matter. Numerous dogs that have reactions to chicken doesn’t have any allergies related to other birds.
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