The appropriate amount of chicken and rice to feed a dog depends primarily on the dog's weight and whether the meal is intended as a temporary bland diet for digestive issues or as part of a regular feeding routine.
General Guidelines for Feeding Chicken and Rice to Dogs
- For dogs with digestive issues (bland diet):
Feed about 2% to 3% of the dog's body weight per day in total food, with a ratio of roughly 2 parts rice to 1 part chicken. This helps provide easily digestible protein and carbohydrates while being gentle on the stomach. For example, a 22-pound dog would receive about 165 grams of rice and 85 grams of chicken daily, split into multiple small meals to avoid overloading the digestive system
- By dog weight, approximate daily amounts (chicken and rice combined):
Dog Weight| Chicken (cups/day)| Rice (cups/day)
---|---|---
10 lbs or less| 1/3 cup| 2/3 cup
10 – 20 lbs| 1/2 cup| 1 cup
20 – 30 lbs| 3/4 cup| 1 1/2 cups
30 – 40 lbs| 1 cup| 2 cups
40 – 60 lbs| 1 1/4 cups| 2 1/2 cups
60 – 80 lbs| 1 3/4 cups| 3 1/2 cups
80 – 100 lbs| 2 1/4 cups| 4 1/2 cups
These amounts are typical for a bland diet and can be adjusted based on your dog's usual food intake and calorie needs
- Ratio of chicken to rice:
Most recipes recommend about two parts white rice to one part boneless, skinless chicken breast by volume (e.g., 2 cups rice to 1 cup chicken)
- Meal frequency:
Divide the total daily amount into several smaller meals to reduce digestive stress
Additional Notes
- Chicken should be plain, boiled, boneless, and skinless to avoid excess fat, which can worsen digestive upset
- Rice should be plain white rice without any seasoning, butter, or oil
- This diet is usually recommended only for 2–3 days until the dog's stool normalizes, after which you should gradually reintroduce regular food over several days
- For long-term feeding or nutritional balance, chicken and rice alone are not sufficient and can cause nutrient deficiencies; commercially prepared sensitive stomach diets are preferable for ongoing issues
- If your dog is on regular kibble, some vets suggest feeding an equivalent calorie amount of chicken and rice as a substitute during digestive upset
In summary, feed your dog chicken and rice based on their weight using the approximate amounts above, maintaining a 2:1 rice-to-chicken ratio, splitting meals throughout the day, and limiting this diet to a short recovery period unless otherwise advised by a vet
