Chicken: The Complete Protein Source For Your Dog

Dogs love chicken as much as we do. Chicken is a widely available, healthy source of protein for dogs.

Chicken helps in maintaining the dog’s muscle structure and naturally provides all the amino acids essential to dogs. Plus, chicken tastes yummy.

Chicken and chicken by-products (lungs, spleen, liver, and kidneys) are one of the most common ingredients of healthy commercial dog foods.

Health Benefits of Chicken and Chicken By-products For Your Dog

Chicken is one of the most valued food when it comes to dogs. Chicken provides amazing health benefits to our furry friends. Let’s check out some of the health benefits of chicken for dogs.

1. Helps in Building Muscles

Chicken is one of the best high-quality protein sources. It is lean meat, which means that it contains more protein percentage and a less fat percentage per gram. It is highly helpful in building & maintaining muscles in dogs.

2. Keeps bones healthy

Apart from protein, chicken is rich in minerals like phosphorus and calcium, which is helpful for your dog’s bones.

3. Helps in Relieving stress

Did you know that chicken is a natural antidepressant? The Vitamin B5 present in chicken has a calming effect. This is really helpful when your dog is stressed, like during thunderstorms, fireworks, separation anxiety, etc.

4. Boosts Immunity

Chicken is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals which are helpful in boosting immunity in our furry friends. Keeping your dog’s immune system strong can help reduce the risks of diseases.

5. Promotes Heart Health

Chicken is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and B Vitamins both of which play an important role in maintaining a healthy heart in our furry friends.

Chicken Ingredients Used in Dog Foods

If you are a concerned dog parent, you must have read labels on dog foods. Most of the Dog Foods contain Chicken, Chicken By-products, Chicken meal, chicken fat, and Chicken Flavor. Let’s Find out what these actually mean.

Chicken

Chicken in dog foods is pure flesh and skin without any internal organs or feathers

Chicken Meal

A chicken meal in dog foods includes flesh, skin, and bone which have been properly cleaned, dried, cooked, and grounded.

Chicken By-products

Chicken by-products in dog food are the parts of a chicken that are left after the flesh is removed. These can include lungs, spleen, liver, and kidneys.

Chicken Fat

Chicken fat in dog foods is a high-quality energy source. It provides essential fatty acids that promote skin and coat health.

Natural Chicken Flavor

The natural chicken flavor is also called Chicken digest. It adds palatability & nutrients to the dog food. The natural chicken flavor is a blend of high-quality protein and fat material.

Are Chicken By-products in Dog Food Healthy & Safe?

Yes, chicken by-products are safe & healthy. Your dog cannot get all the essential nutrients from the flesh alone. Chicken by-products are a rich source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins & minerals.

Chicken by-products in dog food are highly digestible and contain 60-70 of protein.

Top 5 Dog Foods that have Chicken as the Main Ingredient For Protein

If you don’t eat chicken or if you don’t want to cook chicken for your dog, you can consider these commercial dog foods that have chicken as the main ingredient.

1. PEDIGREE Adult Dry Dog Food, Chicken & Vegetables

We have personally tested Pedigree. It is still one of the best, healthy, and affordable dog food available. Our dogs love this dry food.

Pedigree adult dog food is a complete balanced diet packed with all the major nutrients, essential vitamins & minerals. It is Ideal for Pugs, Beagles, Labrador, Golden Retriever, German shepherd, etc.

Benefits:

• Complete & Balanced Adult dry dog food
• Promotes strong muscles, bones & teeth
• Promotes healthier & shinier coat
• Provide Dogs with 5 signs of good health in 6 weeks or less* – a PEDIGREE Assurance
• Improves digestive health
• Boosts immunity & Overall health

Ingredients:

• Chicken and Chicken by-products
• Meat and meat by-products (chicken, lamb and/or pork)
• Cereals & Cereals by-products
• Soybean meal & soybean oil
• Essential Vitamins & Minerals

Proximate Nutritional Analysis:

• Protein (Min) 20%
• Fat (Min) 10%
• Crude Fibre (Max) 5 %

2. Farmina N&D Pumpkin – Chicken & Pomegranate – Grain Free, Adult Dog Food

Another name in the list of having chicken as the main ingredient is Farmina N&D Pumpkin – Chicken&Pomegranate – Grain Free – Adult Dog Food.

It is a Grain-Free product that derives a high percentage of its nutrition from animal ingredients (over 60%) and vegetable sources like pumpkin.

Benefits:

• Grain-free with a high percentage of Chicken & animal ingredients
• Contains pumpkin & other veggies
• Contains Beta carotene & other antioxidants
• Supports a healthy immune system
• Anti-diabetic – controls blood sugar levels 

Ingredients:

• Fresh boneless chicken (24%)
• Dehydrated chicken meat (22%)
• Pea starch (20%)
• Chicken fat
• Dehydrated pumpkin (5%)
• Dehydrated whole eggs
• Fresh herring
• Dehydrated herring
• Fish oil

Proximate Nutritional Analysis:

• Protein (Min) 30%
• Fat (Min) 18%
• Crude Fibre (Max) 2.9 %
• Moisture (Max) 9%

3. Arden Grange Prestige Dog Food, With Higher Chicken Protein

The next brand name that comes in our mind when we talk about obtaining protein from the chicken, as the primary ingredient, is Arden Grange Prestige Dog Food, With Higher Chicken Protein.

Benefits:

• Promotes Healthy Skin And Glossy Coat
• Rich in protein and contains energy-dense kibbles
• Suitable for fussy eaters
• Maintains a high-energy level in dogs
• Has hypoallergenic properties naturally
• Doesn’t contains dairy products, beef, wheat gluten, and soya

Ingredients:

• Chicken(fresh chicken 20% and Chicken meat meal 26%, )
• Refined chicken oil
• Chicken digest
• Rice (14%)
• Maize and corn
• Essential minerals and vitamins
• Others: It has Beet pulp, whole dried egg, and fish meal.

Proximate Nutritional Analysis:

• Protein (Min) 30%
• Fat (Min) 21%
• Crude Fibre (Max) 3 %

4. Drools Chicken and Egg Adult Dog Food

Drools Chicken and Egg Adult Dog Food is a protein-enriched diet with the proper proportion of nutritional ingredients that provides optimum health benefits to our Furry friends.

Benefits:

• Help Maintain lean muscles
• Help Maintain strong bones
• Promotes a healthy digestive system
• Provides optimum health benefits
• Suitable for every breed
• Kibbles controls tartar build-up

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• Whole dried eggs
• Corn, rice, wheat
• Corn gluten meal
• Fish oil, soya refined, and corn oil
• Essential minerals and vitamins & Antioxidants

Proximate Nutritional Analysis:

• Protein (Min) 24%
• Fat (Min) 10%
• Crude Fibre (Max) 2.5 %
• Moisture (Max) 10%

5. Purepet Adult Dog Food, Chicken and Vegetable

Purepet Adult Dog Food – Chicken & Vegetable might not sound familiar to many dog parents, but when it comes to feeding our furballs with chicken as the primary source of protein, this product becomes a sheer delight. This product fulfills all the nutritional needs of our buddies while keeping a check on our pockets.

Benefits:

• Helps in Maintaining ideal weight for dogs
• Helps in Keeping our furry friends agile and active
• Boosts health and vitality of our furry friends
• Easily digestible & Highly palatable
• Supports Strong immune system

Ingredients:

• Chicken and Chicken by-product
• Cereals and Cereals by- product
• Vegetables and Vegetable oil
• Antioxidants
• Essential minerals and vitamins

Proximate Nutritional Analysis:

• Protein (Min) 20%
• Fat (Min) 10%
• Crude Fiber (Max) 3.5%
• Moisture (Max) 10%

Providing a Chicken-rich diet to our furry friends doesn’t have to be a daunting task. You can give them boiled chicken mixed with cooked rice or simply can buy any of the above commercial dog foods as per your budget.