Can Dogs Eat Rice?

Insert Some Witty Remarks About Rice Here…

Not everyone agrees on whether dogs should consume grains such as rice.  It’s a common filler in commercial dog food, but one that dog owners are increasingly looking to avoid.  With raw and grain free diets becoming more popular, rice is becoming less so.  Yet those of us with dogs who have sensitive stomachs, like my Kitsune, know that plain rice, possibly mixed with meat, can make a palatable but bland meal that can help our dogs get over GI upset.

Why Rice?

Rice, white rice especially, is easy to digest.  As mentioned above, many owners use it as a ‘go to’ food for dogs who are experiencing GI upset.  Because it’s cheap, easy to cook, easy for dogs to eat, and usually well tolerated, rice can be a helpful addition to the diet of dogs who are sick or elderly.

Brown rice is higher in protein and nutrients when compared to white rice.  However, it’s also coarser, harder to digest, and many dogs don’t seem to like it as much as plain white rice.

Precautions

Dogs can be allergic to grains, including rice.  For dogs who are not allergic, rice is a safe diet addition, but it shouldn’t make up a large percentage of their diet.  Rice is fine as an addition to a home made diet, an occasional snack, or as part of a bland diet for a sick pup, but it doesn’t contain enough nutrients to keep a dog healthy long term and should not be fed exclusively.

What do you think?  Do you ever feed your dog rice?  Does he/she like it? 

Not surprisingly, my papillon Kitsune readily eats, and  seems to enjoy, white rice.  My Alaskan Klee Kai, Fenrir, who can be quite picky when it comes to food, isn’t as impressed by rice.  He’s more likely to make a mess with it all over my kitchen floor than eat it!

Looking for more ideas for healthy “human” foods you can share with your dog?  Check out my other blogging from A to Z challenge posts!