All dogs are descended from ancient wolves, which makes sense that meat, Chicken, or any kind of animal protein is healthy for them. From flesh to the skin, bones and almost every part of the chicken body is edible for dogs.
German Shepherds are Omnivorous, and thus chicken is one of the staples in their diet. In fact, until and unless they are not allergic to any kind of meat, they can go eating chicken 3 to 4 days a week.
Here, we have got some insights on their chicken or other meat-eating requirements for new and inexperienced German Shepherd owners. The guide will include answers to queries like:
Can German Shepherds eat Raw Chicken? Can German Shepherds eat chicken with bones? And other meat-eating conditions for dogs.
In this article, we will discuss whether German Shepherds can eat chicken or not. We will also take a look at the risks of feeding raw chicken to German Shepherds. Additionally, we cover the benefits of eating chicken and other birds for German Shepherds. Let’s have a look:
Written By Sergey Uhanov – Certified Veterinarian.
Sergey Uhanov is a certified veterinarian for dogs over 10 years, breeding 3 dogs. He loves dogs and has his own pet clinic in Israel. He likes to help other people with their dogs by sharing his experience and knowledge.
Can German Shepherds eat Raw Chicken?
German Shepherds originally are herd dogs with natural build to survive in the wild. Regardless of their popularity as pets, their personality and instincts are ideal for a wild environment. And thus, from wild, they are habitual of preying their own food and even eating in raw.
However, despite how normal it is for a dog to eat raw chicken, eating it boiled is always a better substitute. While raw chicken is completely natural and unprocessed; on other hand, it possesses several dangers as well.
Because there is no monitoring, dogs in the wild who survive on raw meat develop several health problems leading to death. But when it comes to pet dogs, owners are responsible to focus on aspects that can improve or drop their health.
Risks of Feeding Raw Chicken to German Shepherds
- Risk of Salmonella Infections
Not just Chicken but Salmonella infection is a common danger that comes with eating the raw and undercooked meat. Salmonella is basically a gram-negative bacterium that is unsafe if consumed by both humans and animals. It is usually found in the feces or intestines of animals.
When consumed, it is known to cause food poisoning, intestinal infection, diarrhea, vomiting, and other digestion-related illnesses. If kept unsupervised for long, the condition can even prove fatal for the patient, especially in pets.
Dogs who eat raw chicken are more prone to consume Salmonella as well. However, when you wash and boil the meat product, all such bacteria possibility too washes away.
- Risk of choking and injuries through Bones
When your German Shepherd is eating raw chicken, the possibilities are it has bones as well. Although you are offering them the fleshy part, there are high chances of it having small but bones inside.
And if your dog consumes the same, it will either get stuck in their throat or their intestine. Chances of tooth and gum injury too are high. While it is easier to handle bones stuck in the throat, the ones in the intestine can prove dangerous.
It, as a result, can puncture their intestine resulting in internal bleeding, hemorrhage, and even fatal conditions.
Can German Shepherds Eat a Whole Chicken?
There have been and still are going several debates on which part of chicken is safe for dogs and which is unsafe. Though, except your dog have some health condition, he can always have a whole chicken.
To the level, you are feeding cooked, boiled, or steamed Chicken, German Shepherds, will digest any part of it.
Can German Shepherds Eat Chicken Feet?
Chicken feet contain bones, tendons, cartilage, and skin. Though it is barely any amount of fat, their feet are rich in collagen, which provides one of the finest proteins to the eater.
German Shepherds who are young and have strong teeth can eat Chicken feat. It will prevent bone loss, relieve joint pain, improve skin health, and will improve their coat’s shine.
However, for Shepherds who have weak teeth or are in their adolescence or old age, one should refrain from feeding chicken feet to them. Because chewing on them can lead to broken teeth, and swallowing them can lead to internal organ injury.
You can feed Chicken feet to your German Shepherds:
- If your dog is not a Chewer.
- If the Chicken feet are fried, and your German Shepherd has eaten and digested it well in the past as well.
- If you feed them under your supervision and can remove feet from their meal once they have eaten most of its part except the bone.
Can German Shepherds Eat Chicken Intestines?
A chicken has two intestines, similar to mammals though they are smaller in size. From their daily diet, most of the nutrients are digested and absorbed in their small intestine.
In contrast, their large intestine absorbs waste from food and passes it out from Cloaca. Hence, yes, as long as the chicken Intestines are cleaned and cooked, it is safe for your German Shepherd to eat.
Before feeding Chicken intestine to your German Shepherds:
- Make sure the large intestine is thoroughly washed. It must not have any food waste (poop) inside.
- Wash, cut in small pieces, and then boil the intestines.
- Lastly, the meal is safe to eat for your German Shepherds.
Can German Shepherds eat Chicken Liver?
Chicken liver is a rich source of Vitamin A, B, protein, iron, CoQ10, and trace minerals. It is 100 times more nutritious than muscles and by far the healthiest part of any meat.
Feeding your German Shepherd both raw and cooked liver is safe. However, make sure that the amount of liver should not cross more than 10% of their diet.
It is because the Chicken liver is highly nutritious; thus, exceeding the recommended amount can lead to health issues.
How Often Can a German Shepherd Eat Chicken?
Chicken is a healthy form of meal for German Shepherds; however, there is a limit to feeding the same. Dogs are Omnivorous, and thus their diet must contain equal and required proportions of both plant and meat.
Overpowering a single of them can lead to long-term health issues in dogs. Feed clean and boiled chicken once or twice a week to your German Shepherd. Considering how your dog digests meat, you can extend days to even 4, though not more than that.
Ideally offer chicken as either breakfast or lunch to German Shepherds. This is because dogs take 4 to 6 hours to fully digest and absorb their food. Thus, when offered in dinner, it might lead to unhealthy weight gain in dogs.
Are German Shepherds Allergic to Chicken?
How do you know if your dog is Allergic to Chicken? Well, German Shepherds are not universally allergic to chicken, but it is not a surprise if a lot of them are.
Maybe your German Shepherd easily digests most of the meat items, though, with chicken, they develop allergies. In any such case, it is better to remove chicken or chicken-based products from their diet.
There are only two ways to diagnose chicken allergy in dogs:
- First, either take your German Shepherd for allergy tests.
- Or Eliminate chicken from their diet and monitor the progress.
German Shepherds who are allergic to chicken can show certain symptoms after eating the same. These symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, itchiness, skin infection, obsessive licking, ear or foot infection, or more.
Do German Shepherds Attack Chickens?
German Shepherds, by nature, are wild dogs; thus, a live chicken is always prey to them.
Until they are not trained to live together with chickens, they will have the urge to harm or prey on them.
Benefits of Chicken in Dog food-German Shepherd Diet
- Chicken is lean meat and is a high source of energy for dogs.
- It is one of the easily digestible meat proteins that ensure the required dose of protein and energy in dogs.
- Chicken is rich in amino acids that ensure bone health and lean muscles in dogs.
- Chicken is full of nutrients including Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B, D, and F.
- It is also rich in minerals like phosphorous, zinc, and copper.
Is it safe for a dog to eat a bird?
Is it normal for dogs to kill pigeons, parrots, and other pet birds?
Dogs kill birds because of their natural animal carnivores’ instincts. Some dogs are even bred specifically to hunt and catch birds for food, Prey drive is not a bad thing,
But Some birds like pigeons carry Salmonella bacteria in their intestines and poop, and if German shepherds or any other dogs might get seriously infected and sick from eating them.
Some symptoms include diarrhea, dizziness, and drooling after eating a dead bird, usually, ingestion of dead birds is not something to worry about but always seek a veterinarian’s assistance in case of an emergency.
Wrapping Up
And with that, our final verdict says, “German Shepherd can definitely eat Chicken.” Until your dog has some particular meat allergies, there is no second thought for adding chicken into their diet.
While some dogs go healthy eating chicken daily, owners can feed them a small amount of chicken with one meal a day. From keeping German Shepherds internally fit to maintaining their skin health and coat’s shine, chicken provides wholesomely for their overall physical wellbeing.
Apart from chicken in its original form, you can also add chicken-based dog foods and treats to your German Shepherd’s diet.