On a warm Sunday lunchtime, chicken nuggets from KFC or McDonald’s are all you need. It is common for your dog to walk up to you and sit cutely in front of you, looking into your eyes. It then hits you, can dogs eat chicken nuggets?
Dogs are good imitators. Given a chance, they would consume anything we eat even if it is toxic to them. Read on to find out if this mouthwatering delicacy is safe for dogs.
So, Can Dogs Eat Chicken Nuggets?
You and I know very well that lean organic chicken offers very good nutritional benefits to dogs. In fact, most dog foods contain chicken as one of the ingredients. They derive the essential proteins from the chicken they eat.
Boiled chicken is recommended in some quarters as a relief for dogs that are experiencing stomach upsets and are not eating their regular food. The question then is, can dogs eat chicken nuggets? This is because after all, they are made from chicken. Yes, they can; but it is not recommended.
The difference between nuggets and the actual chicken is the processes it undergoes when being prepared. Chicken nuggets are normally deep fried in vegetable oil. This makes the nuggets saturated with fat. This fat is not needed by your dog in such large amounts as part of their diet.
Although dogs do not have to worry about cholesterol levels, too much fat is not healthy for a dog with weight or heart problems. So, if you feed chicken nuggets to your dog regularly, she is bound to become very lazy, gain weight and may even refuse to eat her regular food while preferring the nuggets.
The high-fat content can lead to clogging of arteries. This restricts the flow of blood, leading to less blood supply to some parts of the body. So, put simply, you should never give processed chicken nuggets to your dog.
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Why are Chicken Nuggets bad for Dogs?
Even us humans are advised not to consume too much of chicken nuggets, either in one serving or regularly. The same applies to your dog only that you should never try it, but why?
Too much salt: Nuggets contain excessive amounts of salt. High amounts of salt do not end well for your dog. It causes excessive dehydration and urination in your dog and could even lead to kidney failure if not stopped in time.
Dangerous raw materials: The chicken that is processed into chicken nuggets is thought to come from places where food safety standards are not held in high regards. Some of these could be contaminated and hence harmful to your dog.
Seasoning: The breading in nuggets sometimes contain seasonings that could be disastrous to your canine’s health. These could be onions and/garlic.
What should you do then?
If you discover that you cannot resist giving chicken nuggets to your dog, there is a way or two to limit the effects of too much fat in your dog.
⇒ Tone down the amount to just a piece of nuggets once or twice in a week. This will give the body enough time to deal with the mess.
⇒ Remove the greasy coating: The crispy coating of chicken nuggets contains most of the fats and seasonings. The inner meat is a lot safer for your dog as it is not exposed to too many spices and vegetable oil.
Alternatively
The reason you could be giving your dog chicken nuggets maybe as a treat. If she has behaved well throughout the week, she deserves a treat. Instead of risking her life with chicken nuggets, you could give her other treats.
These could be pumpkins, sweet potatoes, deboned chicken, carrots, and apples. All these are natural, and your dog would like them.
Choose wisely for your dog
Can dogs eat chicken nuggets? Yes, they can, but you should not encourage it. The number of fats, salt, and seasonings in it is just too much for your dog. If your dog accidentally consumes your nuggets, she will become sick due to the oil.
Occasional diarrhea and vomiting may accompany it but nothing serious if the accident occurs once. Continued feeding on nuggets will surely lead to the consequences above.
Hi! I’m Karen and a certified dog lover. As a freelance writer and blogger, I do my best to squeeze in some time with my dogs, learning more about the way they act and how I can make sure that they continue to stay well-cared for by yours truly.
My dogs have helped me through a lot, and this is my way of giving back to them! Besides animals, I also love to travel and cook, having explored my country’s restaurants and unique places. Follow me as I show you all the amazing tips and bits of information I learn along the way about our furry friends!