Is It Safe For Your Dog to Eat Rice?

Can you feed your dog rice? White rice is a common ingredient in many kibble dog foods. It’s a low-calorie simple carbohydrate that doesn’t have any salts, fats, or cholesterol. Yes. It’s safe to give to your dog as long as it’s plain white rice and doesn’t have any seasonings or salt.

Health Benefits of Rice for Dogs

Rice is nutritious and offers health benefits for dogs when added to a healthy diet.

Here are the health benefits of rice for dogs:

• Soothes gastrointestinal upsets

• Low fat

• Low sodium

• Antioxidants that protect against diseases

• Contains vitamin D

• Contains calcium

• Contains phosphorus

• Supports strong bones

• Contains natural probiotics

• Contains fiber

• Helps improve digestion

• Supports regular bowel movements

• Improves cognitive function

• Boosts energy levels

How Much Rice is Safe for Dogs to Eat?

While rice is safe for dogs to eat it doesn’t mean they can have it in abundance. Dogs need a balanced, complete healthy diet. Generally, dogs receive all the nutrition they need from a raw dog food diet such as www.raworigins.pet However if you are trying to aid your dog in soothing their stomach or helping with digestive issues, a veterinarian will often recommend plain white rice.

Typically, your dog’s diet should not contain more than 10% of rice. If you feed your dog more than this amount it will lead to weight gain obesity and other health issues. Obese dogs often develop health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, and hypertension.

The general rule is to feed large dogs about 1/3 cup of white plain rice two times a week without exceeding three times. However, smaller dogs will require much less. A veterinarian will guide you on the specific amount of rice that is ideal for your dog’s weight and current health conditions.

Are there Risks from Feeding Dogs Rice?

There is always a risk when feeding your dog human food. Dogs that live in the wild survive and thrive on a raw meat diet but domestic dogs are fed a variety of foods such as wet pet food, kibble, and more.

While rice seems safe enough o feed to most dogs on occasion there is still a risk of intolerance. Not all dogs are able to eat rice due to allergies. If your dog eats rice and shows any of the following symptoms, rush them to the veterinarian or animal hospital immediately.

Symptoms of food allergies in dogs include the following:

• Excessive licking of their paws

• Inflamed red paws

• Bald spots and other hair loss

• Skin rashes

• Itchy skin and excessive scratching

• Dry skin

• Chronic ear infections

• Odor in the ears

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Weight loss

• Aggressive behavior

• Lack of energy

• Hyperactivity

Overall, rice is safe to feed to dogs as long as it’s on occasion and an addition to a healthy diet. Cooked white rice is mostly used as a remedy to help improve a dog's digestive system and help them get on track. Limited amounts of rice that are plain and unseasoned are safe to give your dog! Start implementing rice into your dog’s diet today and check out www.raworigins.pet for a healthy balanced raw diet for dogs!