Can Huskies Eat Chicken? Raw, Cooked, Bones? All FAQs

Many owners out there often ask if their husky can eat chicken. And while the short answer is yes, a lot of huskies are easily upset by specific diets and foods, which does relate to chicken.

This article explains how you can safely incorporate chicken into your husky’s diet. And it covers examples of when chicken probably isn’t working out well for your husky too.

Can Your Husky Eat Chicken?

Yes, huskies can eat chicken, both cooked and raw. But when feeding your husky raw chicken, further precautions must be taken to reduce the risk of salmonella & other issues.

Every husky is different…

Chicken has long been a dog’s favorite treat or main meal, and the protein absorbed from chicken is extremely important for building a strong, healthy body. But is it ok for every breed?

When it comes to Siberian Huskies, their sensitive stomachs and wacky eating habits are a hot topic for all the owners out there. And something that you would assume is perfectly fine, like chicken, isn’t so straightforward.

Although chicken is widely used, bland and easily digestible, it’s actually still classed as an allergen, and can affect huskies negatively. Now, this isn’t the case for all huskies out there, but it’s something important to remember.

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It’s best to do a chicken test:

Try giving your husky a smallish piece of cooked plain chicken without bones, and see how he reacts, does he suddenly poop, vomit or does he carry on his day with his normal energy and excitement? This will be the best way for you to know if your husky is tolerant of chicken.

The best way to cook chicken for your husky:

Boiling the chicken is the healthiest method of cooking.

Other methods such as frying, grilling or baking usually require oil or will leave burnt portions on the chicken. Although we know this tastes great, it’s not healthy for a dog to be consuming.

Related: Can Huskies Eat Eggs?

Is It Safe For Your Husky to Eat Chicken Bones?

What about the bones in chicken? can huskies eat chicken bones?

Huskies can eat RAW chicken bones only. COOKED bones should never be given to a husky, or any dog.

Raw bones can be a tasty treat with many added benefits. Your husky will benefit from cleaner teeth, healthy gums, added vitamins and minerals. And on top of that, raw bones have also been shown to cleanse the digestive tract.

On the contrary, cooked bones become brittle and can fracture/splinter. Splintered bones become very sharp and could cause serious damage inside your dog’s body leading to an emergency trip to your veterinarian. In rare cases, internal organs could be punctured and this can be fatal. Cooked bones are a big no-no!

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Can Your Husky Eat Raw Chicken?

Yes, huskies can eat raw chicken, but it’s not for every husky out there. The RAW food diet, commonly known as the BARF diet, is extremely common amongst husky owners. But there are a few very important things you must know first.

Raw chicken is completely different from cooked chicken. When you cook chicken, the high temperatures will kill any harmful bacteria that may be in, or on the chicken meat. Raw chicken obviously doesn’t go through this process, therefore leaving potential bacteria on or in the meat.

But at the same time, a dog’s stomach acid is much more potent and ours, and therefore provides much greater protection against bacteria and contaminated foods.

5 Safety tips when giving your husky raw chicken:

• Try to avoid giving your husky raw chicken with kibble. – Although people do it, it makes physiological sense, that you don’t mix kibble with raw meat. They digest different and at different rates. You must, of course, introduce raw meat slowly, and there many ways to do this without mixing it in with kibble. If this is something you want to try, I suggest researching this topic specifically or contacting your veterinarian.
  
• Buy your meat from a trusted source and check the date. – To help avoid the chance of feeding your husky contaminated meat, purchase it from a trusted source. Without getting too deep, it helps to know the chickens were free-range, had a good quality of life and were kept clean and healthy. You must also be well aware of the best before date, and only feed it to your husky well within the time.
  
• Wash the meat before giving it to your husky. – Although this doesn’t help to get rid of salmonella that’s inside the meat, it can help to wash off other harmful bacteria sitting on the surface.
  
• Closely monitor your husky after giving raw meat. – It’s really important to watch your husky and his behavior after eating raw meat. Is he ok? Does he seem agitated or his normal self. Watch for signs of sickness, vomiting or excessive diarrhea. While it’s normal to expect some kind of reaction due to the change of digestion, it shouldn’t be excessive.
  
• Do not give your husky raw meat that has seasoning on it. – Although we love our spices and seasonings, dogs do not. Even if they think they do, it’s bad for them. Salt, spices or different flavorings could be harmful to your husky, so be sure to only give plain, unsalted, unseasoned, raw chicken.

How Much Chicken Can Your Husky Eat?

Perhaps after testing out a small piece of chicken, you see that your husky absolutely loves it, and doesn’t experience any negative side effects.

So, how much chicken is an appropriate amount to be giving to your husky? Let’s find out.

The average adult husky can eat around 200-250 grams of cooked chicken breast per day to reach their required protein/caloric needs. However, this assumes they are not receiving protein elsewhere.

If your husky is eating kibble as their main diet, then they are likely receiving almost all of their required protein from it. Meaning we should not be giving a lot of extra protein.

Most kibbles for active adult dogs have protein levels ranging from 20% to 25% So, without this being an exact science here if you’re Siberian husky is very active, receiving 2 hours of intensive exercise per day, and the kibble you are using contains let’s say, 22% protein, it’s more than likely, your husky will be fine with a good handful of cooked chicken breast in with his mealtime.

However, if your husky is particularly inactive, and his kibble already contains let’s say 26% protein, I wouldn’t be regularly giving him extra chicken on top of his normal diet.

Chicken is great for most dogs. But if you aren’t prepared to work out the correct proportions then only give it occasionally as a treat.

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If you really want to know how to figure out exact amounts, get your boxing gloves, because we’re about to have a fight with mathematics.

Assuming that your husky is already eating the correct amount of calories per day, you can use this to gauge the amount of chicken you can give.

1. How many cups of kibble is your husky eating per day?
2. Multiply the number of cups by the number of calories per cup.
3. This gives you the number of calories he’s eating per day.
   —————————————————————
   
4. 1 gram of protein is around 4 calories. 100 grams of chicken is around 30 grams of protein… 30 grams of protein x 4 calories for each gram of protein = 120 (calories). So 100 grams of chicken is around 120 calories.
5. You can now work out how this fits into your husky’s daily diet. You’ll need to calculate how much kibble you must substitute for the extra chicken you want to add in.
6. You must also take into consideration the protein levels. As chicken is pretty much only protein. Real chicken bumps up the protein percentage of his daily diet drastically.

If you aren’t looking to become a maths teacher, then it’s best to only give chicken as an occasional treat throughout the week. You could also use it as a high-value reward during training sessions!

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When You Shouldn’t Feed Your Husky Chicken

Although chicken is a normal food staple in most dog’s diets, there are a couple of situations where it would be best to avoid giving him extra chicken.

Your husky is already overweight:

If your husky is already overweight, which is quite uncommon for huskies, then you’ll need to visit your veterinarian to have some health check-ups.

There can be many reasons why a dog becomes overweight. It’s usually to do with exercise levels and his daily diet. But there could be underlying health issues, that’s why it’s always best to see a professional first.

Health issues aside, you will typically need to cut back on his diet, and giving him extra protein through the chicken breast, may not be advised.

Stomach issues or allergies:

Many Siberian Huskies have both stomach issues and are sensitive to common allergens. If your husky is having a hard time eating his food, or you know he suffers from allergies, you may want to hold back with the chicken until you fully understand the issue.

Despite being extremely common, chicken is still actually an allergen and can affect dogs in negative ways.

There are many signs of having a sensitive stomach, such as a lack of appetite, refusing food, only eating a small amount, lack of energy, signs of discomfort or loose stools. It’s always best to see your veterinarian for extra help, but for now, avoid giving chicken.

Related: Can Huskies Eat Rice?

FAQ Section

Summary

So there you have it! Hopefully, by now you know whether or not your husky can eat chicken, and the best way to introduce it to him.

Remember that this is non-professional advice and I’m not a veterinarian. If you have further questions, it’s best to contact your local veterinarian.

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