Boiled Chicken every now and then....

[Goldglv]

I was wondering if I gave my girl some boiled chicken every now and then, would that be ok?

She's on a grain free diet right now, just kibble and canned food. I think she'd enjoy the chicken but I just want to make sure it won't upset her stomach or anything.

Is there any other type of meat I can boil for her? And how much should I give her?

[Jessica H]

When Dozer was having diahrrea issues I gave him boiled chicken and rice for 3 days and it cleared right up. Boiled chicken would be fine. I wouldn't use it for her only diet. I would just mix in a cup every so often and cut back on the dry for that meal if you wanted to add some.
I was told boiled hamburg can upset a sensitiv GSD's belly though.

[natalie559]

Enhancing a commercial diet with fresh foods is a great idea!! You could enhance it with anything- (well except those foods that aren't good for dogs) meat, veggies, cheese, eggs your own left overs from dinner, etc.

Monica Segal has written a booklet for exactly what you are asking about, http://www.monicasegal.com/catalog/p...products_id=88

and in it she suggests replacing no more than 30% of the diets calories with fresh foods or you run the risk of unbalancing it. If you choose to supplement with just meat, which is high in phosphorus, she recommends adding calcium to ensure the important ratio of Ca:P remains in check. 250mg calcium per 3.5 oz boneless meat.

But if you are only doing it occasionally I wouldn't worry about the extra calcium supplementation.

[aspatter]

Does the fact that the chickens diet is corn and grain a factor? Does that undo a grainfree diet?

[natalie559]

I would think that it would only 'undo a grain free diet' if you were feeding the stomach contents of the bird.

[Carol Boche]

The only thing that I would chime in on here is that if you are going to do a partial raw food diet is to feed it separately from the kibble diet.

Raw food takes about 4 to 5 hrs to digest and kibble takes 12 to 15 hrs, therefore, fed together, the raw food would stay in the system considerably longer than is desired.

Cooked food I also feed separate as it passes faster as well. And, by cooking food, you take away a lot of the nutrients that you would by feeding raw, which you can feed with the bone in (chicken and some other meats) and that takes care of the calcium/phosphorous ratios.
(ie: wings and legs = lots of bone so more calcium breasts and thighs have more meat so more phosphorous....)

I feed leg/thigh quarters (chicken wise) mainly and never have an issue....I feed a variety of meat weekly.

I do feed kibble when I travel (or I feed Honest Kitchen, a dehydrated form of raw) and in 4 years have never had an issue with any of the dogs other than a case of loose stool once in a while.

[natalie559]

Originally Posted By: Carol Boche if you are going to do a partial raw food diet is to feed it separately from the kibble diet.

Raw food takes about 4 to 5 hrs to digest and kibble takes 12 to 15 hrs

Cooked food I also feed separate as it passes faster as well.

The above is an internet myth that has never been able to be proved. Many feed the two together with no problems.

Originally Posted By: Carol BocheAnd, by cooking food, you take away a lot of the nutrients that you would by feeding raw

True of some foods but not others. Some foods actually increase their nutrients when cooked, beef liver is a good example.

[Carol Boche]

Hmmm.... I guess we have to agree to disagree on the internet myth. After working with several people that feed raw and have had their dogs into the vet for issues with having the raw food stay in the stomach longer than what it usually should. Once they separated, there were no more issues.


I am not here to say that my way is the way to go, but rather to give an opinion.

I have not read any research that says cooked food is better than raw. It may be out there, but I have never come across it.

[natalie559]

Originally Posted By: Carol BocheI have not read any research that says cooked food is better than raw. It may be out there, but I have never come across it.

I didn't say that one was better than another- only addressed the comment about cooking resulting in a loss of nutrients. You were right in that a lot of cases it does, but not in all. You can research that information on the USDA database, http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Using the beef liver as an example raw it contains 16898 IU Vit A and cooked it contains 31714 IU Vit A- nearly double!

I believe it really depends on the dog which is best, raw vs cooked. I feed raw and find it best for my crew, but what works for one may not work for another.

So back to the original poster- was there a reason you wanted to boil the meat or would you try it raw? I certainly find raw easier than cooking. But regardless of raw vs cooked, supplementing the diet with either will be great for the dog!

[Biren]

I have been feeding my 7 months old GSD for the past 4 months half a kg boiled chicken plus royal canin junior 30 (three cups). Feeding is 7 morning then 7 evening. 6 morning he goes for walks and potty then evening 5 walk and potty then night 9 walk and potty. He is doing fine with boiled rice and dry kibble mixed. Sometime i feed him along with up boiled eggs or apple or bread (made up of wheat). Also he gets daily dose of raw hide sticks.

All these days he never felt sick or had upset stomach. As i stay on third floor apartment floor he does climbs good 3/4 time stairs. Also chicken is fed with bones and sometime i add vitamins as well as calcium.

Cheers
Biren