What’s not to love about well-prepared fried chicken, from the crispy skin to the succulent meat inside? You can bet your last dollar that your dog would express the same sentiments if they could. However, is it actually safe to let your dog eat fried chicken?
The short answer is no, and dogs cannot eat fried chicken. The longer answer is that it sort of depends on factors like the quantity and most importantly, the ingredients used to make the fried chicken. Obesity turns out to be the biggest health risk if dogs are constantly fed fried chicken.
In the upcoming sections, we shall answer all the important questions that you may have about feeding your dog fried chicken. You will be shocked to learn just how dangerous the crispy and savory treat could be to your dog’s well-being.
Without further ado, here is more on why it is generally not a good idea to let your dog consume fried chicken.
Can Dogs Eat Fried Chicken?
It may be safe to let your dog have a bite or two of your fried chicken, but it is generally best to completely avoid letting your dog have any fried chicken.
The reason why it is such a bad idea to let your dog have even a small amount of fried chicken is that you may not be able to predict how much or how little of this dog treat it will take to cause health issues.
These health issues include short-term consequences like digestive issues as well as serious long-term consequences like obesity.
Is It Safe To Let My Dog Eat Fried Chicken?
Generally, it is not safe to let your dog eat fried chicken in most cases. This is both due to the ingredients used and the actual cooking method.
To give you a better idea of why you should avoid feeding your dog fried chicken, here are some of the features of fried chicken that make it unsafe for the pooch.
High-Fat Content
On average, a piece of deep-fried chicken could have as much as 0.5 oz of fat. It is very easy to exceed your dog’s daily requirements of fats with such a high amount in a small serving.
The high-fat content could have short-term consequences like diarrhea and pancreatitis or longer-term effects like obesity and heart disease.
Excessive Calories
In addition to being high in fats, fried chicken is typically a very calorie-dense food. From the meat and fatty skin to the breading and oil, your dog may end up consuming as much as 260 calories from a single piece of fried chicken.
For a better idea of how insane this is, a 30-pounder dog has a daily caloric requirement of about 550 to 600 calories. This means two chicken pieces will be enough to meet or even possibly exceed this requirement.
Potentially Toxic Ingredients
What is fried chicken without a bit of spice? Some of these spices, like onion powder and garlic powder, are incredibly toxic to the dog. When consumed, even in moderation, they could cause serious health consequences, including life-threatening anemia.
Allergens
Food allergies are relatively common in dogs. Common triggers found in fried chicken include gluten in the breading, soy from the seasonings, and even the chicken meat itself.
If your dog is allergic to any of these ingredients of fried chicken, even a small bite could trigger a reaction and put your dog in a lot of discomfort.
Can I Let My Dog Eat The Skin From Fried Chicken?
You should completely avoid letting your dog eat the skin from fried chicken. This is because the skin contains the highest concentration of the ingredients in fried chicken that make it unsafe for dogs.
This includes spices, grease, as well as flour, and its associated gluten.
If you really must let your dog have a taste of your fried chicken, it is actually safer to remove the skin. However, it is important to remember that the meat will also have some of the potentially-toxic spices and could still be a health risk to your dog.
What Will Happen If I Let My Do Eat Fried Chicken?
If you let your dog consume large amounts of fried chicken, you will be putting them at a huge risk of developing a number of health consequences. Here are some of the most common of these issues that you may end up having to deal with.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is a condition where the dog’s pancreas gets inflamed typically as a result of auto-digestion. A number of factors can trigger pancreatitis. However, overconsumption of fats is recognized as one of the main causes of the condition.
Some of the signs and symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs include vomiting, abdominal pain, distention, as well as reduced appetite.
If not promptly addressed, pancreatitis can be life-threatening to the dog.
Gastrointestinal Irritation
The high-fat content as well as the spices used in the fried chicken, could also irritate the pooch’s gut.
This will often result in irritation features like diarrhea and vomiting a few hours after the dog indulges in the fried chicken.
Obesity
Obesity is a long-term consequence of allowing your dog to consume fried chicken for a long period of time. This happens as a result of the high-fat content and the numerous calories even in the smallest serving of fried chicken
Hemolytic Anemia
Onion powder and garlic powder are commonly used in fried chicken recipes. While they do make the chicken a lot tastier, they are unfortunately incredibly toxic to dogs.
Onions and garlic cause hemolytic anemia in dogs which could be life-threatening if severe and unaddressed.
Allergic Reactions
Your dog may also develop allergic reactions from consuming fried chicken. The sensitivity could be triggered by a number of ingredients, including the meat itself and gluten.
The symptoms, in this case, will range from itchiness and hives to abdominal distension and diarrhea.
What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Fried Chicken?
Your next step of action after your dog consumes fried chicken depends largely on how much they have eaten.
If the dog ate only a bite or two of the chicken and they are not allergic to any of the ingredients, you can just monitor them from home. Look out for things like diarrhea, hypersalivation, abdominal distension, and any unusual behavior.
It also helps to keep the dog hydrated and to feed them neutrally-flavored and easy-to-digest foods.
On the other hand, if your dog consumes a lot of fried chicken or is allergic to some of the ingredients, it is best to get your dog reviewed by a vet as soon as possible.
