Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Breast?

The Short Answer is:

Raw chicken breast is tasty, fast, nutritious, and quite economical as a treat for your dog, however, it contains harmful bacteria. The raw chicken breast might contain a few different kinds of harmful bacteria, depending on whether it is fresh or past its sell-by date. Cooking a fresh chicken breast will kill the harmful bacteria, whereas cooking an out-of-date chicken breast will not.

The purpose of this article is to explain the “Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Breast?“.

The raw chicken breast is tasty fast nutritious and quite economical as a treat for your dog however it contains harmful bacteria. 

It is estimated that one in four food poisonings in the United States is caused by raw chicken. 

Okay so that is a statistic about people not dogs.

In contrast dogs can become ill from eating contaminated chicken as I will explain later.

Cooking chicken breasts whenever possible would be my recommendation. 

You can read on to find out how I came to that conclusion!

The dangers of feeding raw chicken breast

The raw chicken breast might contain a few different kinds of harmful bacteria depending on whether it is fresh or past its sell-by date.

Cooking a fresh chicken breast will kill the harmful bacteria whereas cooking an out-of-date chicken breast will not.

By handling raw chicken you are potentially putting yourself in danger as well by feeding your dog raw chicken.

You might be poisoning the rest of your house if you do not clean up and clear up thoroughly enough?

Sorry if that sounds gloomy.

I’ll give you the dirty lowdown on raw chicken remembering that this applies to all meat not just the breast. 

Three bacteria in raw chicken

Raw chicken is most commonly contaminated with Campylobacter.

The presence of this bacteria has been estimated to be as high as 24% in raw chicken. 

The main symptoms of campylobacter in dogs are diarrhea vomiting and difficulty going to the bathroom. 

A dog can also become infected with campylobacter by coming into contact with the infected feces of another dog.

Salmonella is the next bacteria that hides in raw chicken. 

The salmonella contamination rate in chicken parts was 26.3% according to a 2012 US survey. 

By contrast the UK had a 5.8% unemployment rate in 2001. 

You might notice your dog suffering from diarrhea vomiting and lethargy.

People are more likely to contract salmonella poisoning from dogs than from them!

C.perfringens is a third-resident bacterium that can also cause diarrhea. 

Chicken can be killed by cooking it to 165 degrees Fahrenheit which kills all three bacteria. 

If you want to keep yourself safe while handling it do not wash the chicken but do make sure that you wash your hands afterward.

The nutrients in raw chicken breast

Raw chicken contains just over 9% fat and 21% protein per 100g serving according to the nutrition label. 

The daily values are now a bit confusing because they are based on the nutritional needs of a person not a dog.

We do know that dogs need a diet with 45% protein and nearly 14% fat so raw chicken breasts meet part of these requirements.

Aside from the vitamins and minerals it contains raw chicken breast can also benefit your dog.  

It would be impossible to list all the minerals and vitamins in chicken breast so I will just highlight those that are most abundant in chicken breast.

Chicken breasts provide dogs with some of the iron and zinc they need.

The situation is less favorable with copper.

A dogs diet should include chicken breasts as a source of vitamins A B1 B2 and B5. 

Does cooking the chicken breast change it?

According to nutritional information about cooked chicken breast the protein content increases (from 21% to 27%) and the fat content decreases (from 9.3% to 7.4%).

When chicken is cooked what happens to its minerals and vitamins?

Cooking meat results in a reduction of many minerals and vitamins. 

In most cases this isnot by much for vitamins and minerals. 

What is the best way of cooking chicken breast for your dog?

Have I convinced you to consider alternative ways of feeding your dog chicken breast?

I understand. I feel your pain. 

The process of the cooking chicken breast takes longer and involves more mess.

Those facts are true.

However how do you cook it the best?

 In order to preserve as many nutrients as possible within the chicken boiling or poaching is the best option.

This is the simplest method because a pan and boiling water are all you need to cook the chicken and it is the “best” method because it cooks it in the lightest way.

Chicken breasts can take between 10 and 15 minutes to cook depending on their size.

Nevertheless check the meats thickest part with a thermometer just to be sure. 

Does freezing chicken breast kill the bacteria?

So you grudgingly admit to some of what I am saying.

Nevertheless you have thought of something else- another way to feed raw chicken.

Is it possible to feed my dog frozen raw chicken? 

Doesnot freezing it kill the bacteria?

Cool idea but freezing bacteria only freeze it. 

If you give your dog a frozen piece of chicken to eat your dog might break a tooth biting into it. 

I confess to feeding one of my dogs frozen raw chicken breasts seven or eight years ago.

During her pregnancy we were looking for ways to give her more protein so we chose chicken breasts because they are high in protein and relatively inexpensive.

For a few weeks we fed Mia a raw or frozen chicken breast every day to help her along.

Her teeth werenot broken and she did not get sick from the bacteria so I think we were fortunate. 

The riddle is still whirring in your head as you try to figure out how to keep my dog safe while still feeding him raw chicken. 

How about raw chicken bones? Let’s find out.

Are raw chicken bones safe for dogs?

Raw chicken bones are probably safer to feed your dogs than raw chicken breasts.

Dogs are safer eating raw bones than cooked bones since raw bones are considerably less likely to splinter into tiny pieces.

For most dogs chicken bones are quite small and could become a choking hazard.

Imagine a dog chewing on the leg of a chicken or a dog chewing on the leg of a cow.

Dogs can choke on chicken bones if they swallow them after a couple of bites (if that).

However a beef bone? Now thats something big and delicious!

It is best to choose bones from larger animals such as a pig or a cow if you intend to give your dog a raw bone.

To ensure that the bones are weight-bearing such as the leg bones.

In dogs’ mouths these bones are less likely to splinter as they are more robust. 

Does my puppy need to eat raw chicken breast?

Many people also ask similar questions about their puppies when it comes to food-related questions.

As for raw chicken breasts or anything that contains raw chicken when it comes to puppies the answer is “no.”

Because their immune systems havenot fully developed even the biggest and toughest puppies are susceptible to infection.

Their performance isnot at 100%.

This is also true for elderly dogs or dogs with underlying health conditions.

Donot take any chances.

The bloody thing should be poached!

Skin or skinless chicken breast?

The chicken skin from a roasted chicken is a must for most people when they sit down and eat a Sunday roast. 

This adds a little something extra to the meats flavor and texture.

However what does it do for dogs?

It is said that people should not feed it to their dogs because it is just “all fat”.

The fat content is only 40% and the protein is only 20% so its not quite true. 

Moderation is the key to this treat. 

They might occasionally eat chicken skin if they eat chicken breast regularly. 

Can I feed my dog too much chicken breast?

Depending on what you mean by too much the answer will vary.

As we saw earlier the chicken breast does not provide dogs with all the nutrients they need in their diet it is not nutritionally balanced.

Thus you can feed your dog too much in that sense.

Similarly you can feed your dog too much raw chicken because the more you feed your dog the greater the chances of it getting sick with campylobacter or salmonella. 

You should feed your dog chicken in moderation and try to add variety to their diet by using different meats and vegetables. 

Amanda (Author)

With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.

Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)

Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.