Vets recommend plain boiled chicken and rice as a temporary, bland diet for dogs with mild digestive upset (like diarrhea) because chicken provides gentle protein and rice offers easily digestible carbs that don't further irritate the gut, helping firm stools and allowing the digestive system to rest, but it's not nutritionally complete for long-term use and should be supplemented or transitioned to a balanced diet.
First off, chicken and rice are commonly recommended by vets when a dog has an upset stomach. The bland, easy-to-digest nature of this combination can help soothe your dog's digestive tract and provide a gentle introduction back to normal food after an illness or tummy trouble.
Chicken and rice is certainly okay to feed your dog and is perfectly healthy as a snack, treat, or meal topper every so often. However, I would not replace meals with just chicken and rice because it does not contain all the nutrients that your dog needs. Chicken and rice is certainly fine to feed your dog.
What Should Top 3 Ingredients Be in Dog Food?
Chicken and rice is a commonly used dietary tool to help dogs with mild stomach upset. It's easy, inexpensive, and tempting for pups who aren't feeling well. Generally considered safe and easy on the stomach, chicken and rice is a great place to start for dogs with diarrhea.
Three toxic types of meat for dogs include fatty, processed meats (like bacon, sausage, ham) due to salt/fat causing pancreatitis and sodium issues; seasoned meats with onions/garlic (allium) that damage red blood cells; and cooked bones, which splinter and cause internal damage or blockages, potentially requiring surgery. Raw meats can also carry harmful bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli.
You should feed your dog chicken and rice for no longer than two to three days, or until their stool becomes firm and regular. Once diarrhea stops, start reintroducing your dog's regular food slowly over the next few days by mixing it with the chicken and rice: Day 1: 75% chicken and rice, 25% regular food.
By excluding grains in food, dogs and cats eating a grain-free diet can develop a Taurine deficiency which contributes to the development of heart disease.
The healthiest dog food depends on your dog's specific needs, but top veterinarian-recommended brands known for science-backed nutrition and meeting AAFCO standards include Hill's Science Diet, Royal Canin, and Purina Pro Plan, offering options for life stages and health conditions. For sensitive dogs or allergies, limited ingredient diets (LID) from brands like Prime100 (single protein, human-grade) or raw/air-dried diets from Eureka (high meat, organs) are excellent choices, focusing on whole, digestible ingredients for better gut and skin health, but always consult your vet first.
Common Ingredients to Avoid in Homemade Dog Food
80/10/10 dog food refers to the Prey Model Raw (PMR) diet, a popular raw feeding method with a ratio of 80% muscle meat, 10% raw edible bone, and 10% secreting organs (like liver and kidney), aiming to mimic a whole prey animal's diet. While considered a natural approach, many experts stress that this model alone often lacks essential nutrients, requiring additions like fatty fish, kelp, or supplements to provide complete nutrition and prevent deficiencies, especially for long-term feeding or growing puppies, notes Houndsy and The Canine Dietitian.
Chicken and rice is a simple, short-term fix that helps calm upset stomachs and keep pups eating when nothing else works. Portioning matters. Aim for 1/3 to 1/2 cup per 10 pounds of body weight daily, split into smaller meals with a 50/50 chicken-to-rice ratio.
Each dog needs plenty of protein, easily processed from a high-quality meat source, like muscle tissue. Your pet can also benefit from fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats for body maintenance. The combination of these creates what every pet parent is looking for: a balanced diet.
The Problems with Chicken and Rice
Here's why chicken and rice might not be ideal: Rice isn't very nutrient-dense. White rice in particular is mostly simple carbohydrates, offering little fiber and few vitamins or minerals. It can spike blood sugar, which isn't great if your dog is diabetic or prone to inflammation.
They include vomiting, diarrhea, vomiting and diarrhea together, lack of appetite, and constipation. A food allergy could be to blame if your dog is vomiting and has diarrhea. Food allergy symptoms may also include skin infections or itchy ears or eyes.
The best dog food brands are those with research-backed formulas developed with veterinary nutritionists that meet AAFCO nutritional guidelines for dogs of different life stage and health needs. Top picks include Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, and Royal Canin.
The worst dog foods often contain cheap fillers like corn, wheat, and soy; unspecified "meat meals" or by-products; excessive sugar; and artificial colors/preservatives, with brands like Kibbles 'n Bits, Beneful, Gravy Train, and some Purina/Iams varieties frequently cited for low nutritional quality and questionable ingredients. Focus on avoiding poor-quality protein sources (unspecified meat meals), fillers, artificial additives, and dangerous human foods like chocolate, grapes, onions, and xylitol.
The 90/10 rule for dogs means that 90% of their daily calories should come from a complete and balanced dog food, while only 10% should come from treats, chews, and table scraps, preventing weight gain and ensuring proper nutrition. This guideline helps owners manage treat portions, preventing unbalanced diets and health issues like obesity, joint problems, and diabetes, as treats can be surprisingly high in calories, even healthy ones.
Yes, dogs can eat cooked eggs in moderation. Boiled, scrambled, and poached are all great options—as long as they're plain and not cooked in butter or oil. Raw eggs should be avoided due to potential health risks such as salmonella and reduced nutrient absorption.
There's no single "number 1" healthiest dog food, as the best choice depends on your dog's age, breed, and health; however, look for foods meeting AAFCO standards (Association of American Feed Control Officials), with real meat as the first ingredient, and vet-recommended brands like Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, and Royal Canin are often cited for balanced nutrition. Freshly prepared or raw diets can also be healthy but carry risks, so always consult your vet.
Dog Food Ingredients to Avoid
In short, grain-free dog food will help your dog's allergies if they're intolerant to grains but for other food sensitivities, it's not going to offer anything to help ease their symptoms.
Bland Diets
The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast (without skin and bones). As bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows, and defecation is less frequent.
Your veterinarian may recommend feeding a bland diet if your pet is experiencing an upset digestive tract. The two most common clinical signs of gastrointestinal (GI) upset are vomiting and diarrhea. These symptoms are often short lived and can be due to many things.
Gradual Dog Food Switch
Mix the new and old foods in these ratios: Day 1: 10% new food / 90% old food. Day 2: 20% new food / 80% old food. Day 3: 30% new food / 70% old food.