Chicken is one of the most popular foods among humans, and for good reason: it’s low cost, it’s nutrient rich, and it’s delicious. So it’s no wonder that many Labrador Retriever owners are wondering if they can feed chickens to their Labs.
Can you feed chicken to your Labs? The short answer is yes—you can feed chicken to your Labs. But there are lots of nuances that pet owners need to know about before serving up a meal of chicken to their furry pals. In this blog post, we’ll answer every question regarding feeding raw chicken and cooked chicken to your Labrador Retriever, including the most important one: can Labs eat chicken bones?
Let’s start with the first question:
Is chicken safe for Labs?
Yes, any unseasoned roasted, poached, grilled, or baked chicken is safe for Labs to eat. Cooked chicken is a better option because the cooking process helps to break down the protein in the muscle. Ensure it’s boneless as well—chicken bones can splinter and get stuck in your Labrador Retriever’s throat. Avoid feeding your Labrador Retriever too much chicken at once as it can have a laxative effect.
If you are feeding your Labrador Retriever chicken for the first time, watch for any signs of allergic reaction. It’s rare, but some Labs can show a food intolerance or allergic reaction to new foods. If you observe any symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting, stop feeding your pet chicken and consult a vet immediately.
Benefits of chicken in Labs
Protein: Chicken is a rich source of protein and contains all the essential amino acids, making it an excellent option for Labrador Retriever food.
Omega-6 fatty acids: Chicken can be a good choice for Labs with dry, itchy skin because it’s rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which are important for healthy skin.
Vitamins: Chicken contains vitamins A and B-12, which help maintain your Labrador Retriever’s vision and nervous system function. The vitamin A found naturally in chicken also supports strong bones.
Minerals: Chicken is high in phosphorus and selenium, two minerals that are important to your Labrador Retriever’s health. Phosphorus plays a role in bone formation and energy metabolism, while selenium is an antioxidant that helps protect against damage caused by free radicals. It also contains small amounts of iron, zinc, potassium and copper—all essential minerals.
Glucosamine: Chicken provides glucosamine to your Labrador Retriever’s diet. Glucosamine supports joint health and flexibility.
Do all Labs like chicken?
Unfortunately, no. Even though we like to think of our Labs as our best friends and family members, they do not share all of our tastes—especially with food. Some Labs are really picky eaters and will turn up their noses at chicken.
If you’re feeding your Labrador Retriever commercial food, you may be in luck because a lot of brands out there include chicken in their formulas, so you could just switch to a different flavor or brand. If you’re making your own food for your Labrador Retriever, consult your vet about some other protein sources that are safe for Labs (e.g., beef, turkey).
It’s important to remember that Labs can have allergies to certain ingredients, and chicken is one of the most common allergens for Labs. So if your Labrador Retriever doesn’t like chicken, he might have an allergy to it. Your vet can help you figure out if this is the case by having your Labrador Retriever undergo allergy testing or by testing for specific signs of allergic reactions.
Whatever the reason is that your Labrador Retriever doesn’t like chicken, don’t force him to eat it—it might make him sick or anxious. Instead, try some other protein sources (safe ones!) and mix them with grains and vegetables.
Can my Labs have chicken every day?
There’s no rule about how often Labs can eat chicken, but as long as your Labrador Retriever is not allergic to chicken, your vet approves it, and you’re feeding it as part of a balanced diet, then there’s nothing wrong with feeding your Labrador Retriever chicken every day. In fact, many people do!
However, if you’re feeding your Labrador Retriever chicken every day, make sure that you’re monitoring the rest of its diet. For example, if your Labrador Retriever is overweight, or you see signs of weight gain after feeding it chicken every day, then you may need to adjust how much food you give it per day.
Can Labrador Retriever puppies eat chicken?
You can give your Labrador Retriever puppy cooked chicken! Just wait until your pup is at least two months old and make sure he’s already on a specialized puppy diet. Even once he’s old enough, you should only introduce a small bite of chicken—just be prepared for puppies to spit out food they don’t like, so have a towel handy if possible.
Remember that puppies have delicate digestive systems and can be sensitive to foods outside their diet. If you think about it, that makes sense: they have specially planned the average commercial Labrador Retriever food diet to provide optimal nutrition for Labs, so introducing too much of something else can throw off the balance. If in doubt, consult with your veterinarian before adding anything new to your puppy’s diet.
How much chicken can Labs eat?
The amount of chicken your Labrador Retriever can eat depends on a few factors, including their age, size, and activity level. Because different Labs have different needs and tolerances, the best way to find out how much chicken your Labrador Retriever can eat is by consulting with your veterinarian.
That being said, if your Labrador Retriever is on a raw meat homemade diet, they should generally eat about ¼ to ⅓ cup of meat protein per 20lbs of body weight per day.
Keep in mind that if your Labrador Retriever suffers from diarrhea, follow a 2:1 ratio of rice to chicken (for example, ⅓ cup chicken and ⅔ cup rice per one cup of food).
Last, remember that portion control is very important for your Labrador Retriever’s diet. Start small, and if there are no bad reactions from the food, you can offer more.
How to serve chicken to your Labs?
There are several ways to serve chicken to your Labs.
One way is to feed it along with your Labrador Retriever’s usual food, but make sure that the serving of chicken is relatively small, and that you don’t continue feeding your Labrador Retriever this way for more than a couple of days.
You can also give your Labrador Retriever some plain chicken as a treat. This is especially good if you’re offering the chicken as a reward for something.
You can also dehydrate some chicken and offer it as a chewy treat. This works well if you have an especially active or teething puppy.
If you are looking for a meal option, consider mixing some cooked chicken with some healthy grains and vegetables before cooking it as tasty meatballs.
When is chicken bad for Labs?
First, it’s important to note that a little chicken will not hurt your Labrador Retriever. In fact, chicken is a good source of protein for Labs. And if you’re ever in a pinch and don’t have your Labrador Retriever’s usual food on hand, cooked chicken can actually be a great option for getting them the protein they need.
However, if your Labrador Retriever has certain allergies or underlying health issues, it’s possible that you need to avoid giving them chicken. For example, if your Labrador Retriever has food allergies, they may be allergic to chicken as well. If that’s the case, ask your vet about what to do instead of feeding them chicken.
If your Labrador Retriever eats too much chicken, it can cause an upset stomach and vomiting. So try to control how much chicken you give them—and make sure that you get their regular food back in their system after eating too much chicken!
Chicken bones are also bad for Labs because they’re likely to splinter and cause internal damage. And while it’s okay to give your Labrador Retriever, some cooked skin-on chicken (it won’t hurt them), make sure that the skin hasn’t been seasoned or prepared with any spices or oils that could harm your Labrador Retriever. Raw chicken is also bad for Labs, as it may contain bacterial contamination.
Other human foods Labrador Retrievers can eat
What other human foods can Labs eat? Here is a list of some other human foods your Lab can eat.
So, can Labs eat chicken?
The answer is a resounding ‘yes’, but with some caveats. Chicken is a great source of protein for your Labrador Retriever, and it can be an excellent source of B vitamins, riboflavin, niacin, and pyridoxine. Chicken also contains phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
But like any food that is new to your Labrador Retriever’s diet, don’t introduce chicken all at once. Start them off slowly by introducing a little chicken into their diet at first. Also, keep in mind that Labs can be allergic to chicken just like humans can be allergic to different foods, so if you notice your Labrador Retriever has any adverse reaction to eating chicken, don’t feed it to them anymore.
If your Labrador Retriever loves chicken as much as mine does, then you should definitely eat it up more often but cook it thoroughly with no harmful additives like salt or spices which could upset their stomachs. If possible, feed breast meat instead of dark meat because dark meat contains more fat than white meat does, which may lead to weight gain for your pet and higher cholesterol levels.
Also remember to take cooked chicken off the bone before feeding it to your Labrador Retriever because cooked bones are very brittle and can splinter easily, causing choking hazard.