What is the first thing you reach for when having a cold or flu? Chances are it is going to be a nice warm cup of tea mixed with honey and a slice of lemon.
Our dogs have a similar remedy when things are going so great healthwise. And that is the old ‘chicken and rice diet’
Many vets and dog owners swear by it.
If your dog is currently on the chicken and rice diet but isn’t pooping much or not at all, does that mean something is wrong?
When introducing the chicken and rice diet to your dog, it can take a while for your dog to start pooping again. Most dogs can take up to 72 hours to accumulate and eliminate their poop when recovering from a bad tummy upset.
In this article, we will be taking a closer look at why the chicken and rice diet is popular and how it can affect your dog’s digestive system.
What Is The Chicken And Rice Diet For Dogs?
The chicken and rice diet is basically a bland diet for dogs that aren’t in the best of health. It consists of cooked chicken which is lightly boiled or steamed and a small serving of cooked rice.
Please do not feed your dog rotisserie as the meat contains ingredients that can be unhealthy and toxic to your dog.
There are many iterations of this diet that can compromise of other meats and grains such as brown rice.
Why Is The Chicken And Rice Diet Recommended?
The chicken and rice diet can be good for dogs that are recovering from surgery or have an upset stomach.
Dogs in this state usually don’t have much of an appetite or are not able to consume their regular dog food. It is also common for dogs to not be drinking enough water after their surgery.
I doubt that many of us will find a fat, juicy and oily burger appealing when we are ill.
What makes this bland diet suitable for such dogs is how simple it is.
There’s only one source of protein and carbs for the dog to digest. Furthermore, it is low in fat and doesn’t contain a lot of filler and preservatives that you find in most pet foods.
The whole idea of this chicken and rice dish is to make the dog’s diet palatable and easy to digest.
When Do Dogs Poop After Eating Chicken And Rice?
The digestive system in a healthy dog is pretty efficient. It can take anywhere between 8-12 hours for a dog to fully digest its food and poop of whatever that’s not digested.
This is a lot faster than humans which can take between 24-48 hours.
The reason for a dog’s efficient digestive system is due to its powerful stomach acid and shorter digestive tract.
There are other factors that can also determine how fast your dog poop’s after a meal such as:
- Breed
- Age
- Amount of physical activity
- Gut microbiome
Not much attention is paid to a dog’s gut microbiome but it can largely dictate your dog’s current digestive health.
There are millions upon millions of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live in your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. They help with your dog’s digestion and other important bodily functions.
This ecosystem in your dog’s stomach can get disrupted when it is in poor health, age or on medication (especially antibiotics).
You can expect your dog’s digestive system to be much less effective during this period.
Is It Normal For My Dog To Not Poop After A Bland Diet?
Based on my experience, it does happen more often than not. The last time my dog was on chicken and rice, he didn’t poop for a good 2-3 days.
There are a couple of reasons for this.
A chicken and rice meal is very low in fiber. The more fiber your dog has in its diet, the more frequently it will want to poop.
This is good if your dog has been having diarrhea as it will slow down stool production in the intestines.
You can’t expect your dog to have the same potty frequency when it was on its regular diet of kibbles and canned food.
Chicken and rice diets are also very low in fat which is easier on your dog’s stomach and makes the ingredients a lot easier to break down and digest. This helps to reduce intestinal contractions and gives the GI system a much needed break.
Digesting food does take a lot of energy.
Will Boiled Chicken And Rice Constipate A Dog?
I don’t see how such a bland diet can make your dog constipated. But there are some ways that it can mess up your dog’s tummy.
This is when your dog has an existing reaction to chicken or white rice.
It is possible that the chicken and rice diet can give your dog some degree of constipation or even diarrhea for that matter under such a scenario.
You can change out the meat to something which is more agreeable such as lean beef or rabbit meat. Cooked fish can also work during this period if your dog is fine with it.
It is better to choose fish that is lower in fat content like cod and halibut as compared to salmon.
For dogs that are allergic to grains like rice, you can use sweet potato or pumpkin instead. I am a big fan of adding some fresh pumpkin to my dog’s diet every now and then as it helps to firm up the stool and helps to promote regular bowel movements.
How Much Chicken And Rice Should You Feed A Dog?
If your dog isn’t eating well then you should feed it as much food as it can handle. But if your dog is eating normally, a good rule of thumb would be about 25-30 calories per pound of body weight.
90-95% of your dog’s meal should compromise of protein and the rest in rice. I wouldn’t advise feeding your dog too much rice as it doesn’t have the ability to break down carbohydrates effectively.
Too much rice can put more stress on the digestive system and cause diarrhea.
Some dog owners say not to rinse the rice before cooking, as it is the starch that you want as a binder and rinsing the rice removes it and other water-soluble nutrients.
I do wash my rice all the time to wash away the contaminants, if any, just to be safe.
Is It OK To Feed My Dog Chicken And Rice Every Day?
Giving your dog boiled chicken and rice every day isn’t a great idea. It is not supposed to be a cure but a bland diet to aid in your dog’s digestion and recovery.
I don’t find such a diet to be nutritionally balanced compared to canned food or a proper raw meat diet. However, such a bland diet is good for dogs that poop in the car due to having a nervous stomach.
It’s simply a means of supplying some nutrition while the dog is recovering and should be stopped when your dog poops normally or is feeling better.
Why Is My Dog Orange In Color After Eating Chicken And Rice?
Orange or yellowish stool in dogs means that the tummy is still in upheaval and has yet to settle.
Sometimes it can be caused by having too much bile in the stomach or the food passing too quickly from your dog’s digestive system and out its rear end.
There isn’t sufficient interaction with the bile in the dog’s stomach which gives poop its brown color.
If the poop color doesn’t revert back to being brown after a few days, please let your vet know about it.
How Long Can A Dog Go Without Pooping?
A dog who is healthy and in decent shape should be pooping on a daily basis or more than that. My dog goes about twice a day on most days.
If your dog is sick or recovering from surgery, it is normal to notice a slow down in its bowel movements.
For one, your dog might not even be eating enough to produce poop. And secondly, his gut microbiome is messed up at the moment.
But if your dog isn’t pooping after 48 hours, I would suggest taking it to the vet to make sure there’s nothing serious.
The vet might have to perform an enema on your dog or prescribe some laxatives to get the bowels moving.
Why Hasn’t My Dog Poop After Having Diarrhea?
If your dog has been having diarrhea for the best few days, there’s a good chance that it has pretty much emptied out its intestines with all that explosive pooping.
I’m guessing that your dog’s appetite wasn’t too great with an ongoing upset tummy.
It will take some time for the body to start accumulating poop in the intestines and restart the pooping process.
I remember having a super bad episode of food poisoning while I was on holiday in Europe. Food came out both ends relentlessly for close to 5 days.
I don’t think I pooped for a week after I recovered. There was nothing left to poop.
Your dog isn’t constipated so don’t worry too much about it as long as it is not straining to poop, vomiting or looking unwell.