When we gather together for dinner, no matter what you’ve presented on your dog’s plate, they might come around sniffing on your plate.
Most of the time, you are keen to feed them whatever you are having.
One of the most common of this food is chicken tenders. Before treating your dog with these strips, its best to check whether dogs should or should not eat chicken tenders.
Can dogs eat chicken tenders?
Dogs can eat chicken tenders if the chicken pieces are cooked properly. Dogs can also have boiled, washed raw, or frozen chicken tenders. However, chicken tenders are mostly fried and should never be fed to dogs. Fried tenders can be high in cholesterol and can cause heart disease in dogs.
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Fried chicken tenders:
Unfortunately, chicken tenders are almost always bought or cooked deep fried in hot oil.
While the meat inside the fried coating is protein, once fried in oil, the same protein piece comprises high levels of cholesterol.
Not just that, fried food like fried chicken tenders can cause serious heart problems for a dog.
Raw chicken tenders:
Generally, chicken tenders can be eaten by dogs if they are not fried, or processed with spices.
Being cut from the breast of chickens, raw chicken tenders are high in protein. In a dog’s diet, a high protein can add the right amount of nutrition even when the dog is not eating from all food groups.
Nevertheless, you may want to make sure that the chicken tenders that are fed to the dog are washed and cleaned. Unwashed tenders bought fresh from the market should not be fed to your dog.
Although many experts consider raw chicken tenders to be safe for your pet, most advise boiling the strips just to avoid the risk of bacterial infections from raw food.
Frozen chicken tenders:
Dogs can eat frozen food including frozen chicken tenders. One of the many foods advice that experts emphasize talks about how it is better to either freeze or dehydrate chicken strips if you fish to feed your dog raw tenders.
However, if your dog is young and has a hard time chewing, we do not recommend frozen chicken tenders.
Raw tenders are sometimes flash frozen before being fed to dogs as treats to make sure they are fresh.
Is chicken tenders bad for dogs? Can dogs eat KFC tenders?
For us humans, chicken tenders only have one form and that is fried. However, when it comes to a dog’s treat of chicken tenders, there are various ways in which chicken tenders can be presented.
Fried chicken tenders are mostly popular among children. In KFC, one might say it’s a crowd favorite among people who love eating fried food.
However, for dogs, fried food including fried chicken tenders is a no-go. So you should not feed your furry friend with KFC tenders. Unknowingly, you could be putting your dog at risk of heart disease.
Nonetheless, if you wish to give your dog chicken tender treats, you can feed them boiled pieces of the strips.
Frozen or dehydrated chicken strips are also a good option. Dogs can also have raw chicken strips but it is vital to make sure that they are freshly cut and washed.
You may also want to note that raw tenders may contain bacteria, that can cause damage to dogs with more sensitive stomachs.
Can I give my dog chicken breast tenderloins?
The truth is, there is no straight answer to whether a dog should or should not eat chicken tenders. While chicken itself is high in protein and omega 3 fatty acid, the contents of a chicken would change completely depending on the procedure on how it is cooked.
Can puppies eat chicken tenders?
Puppies are small and young. They are not used to having all the junk and fats as adult dogs. Moreover, the amount of acidity and acidity in an adult dog’s stomach can tolerate fried or raw food better and it is not the same for puppies.
Due to their sensitive stomachs, puppies should not eat chicken tenders, whether fried, frozen, or raw. Boiled or cooked chicken tenders are safe but only in smaller amounts.
Lean protein is good for puppies and tenders are soft enough for them to chew on. It is also crucial to ensure that the tenders are cooked without any harmful spices that may cause the puppies to fall sick.
Frozen tenders are safe and can be eaten by dogs being cold and frozen, but for puppies, they are a little too hard on the gums. some dogs may go through from tooth problems are eating too many frozen chicken tenders.
4 reasons why dogs can/cannot eat chicken tenders
Here is a general summary of why it is better for dogs to not eat chicken tender unless it is boiled.
Fried tenders can increase Cholesterol:
For humans and pups alike, fried food and fried chicken tenders are a red flag. Eating deep fried chicken strips only means that the dog is increasing its cholesterol levels.
With all that oil absorbed in the chicken tenders, feeding a dog friend tender regularly can result in an unhealthy, lethargic, and overweight dog in the long run. Long-term heart disease is also another problem that dogs face when they eat too much-fried food.
Seasoning can be toxic for dogs:
When chicken tenders are baked, cooked, or fried, the tenders are usually marinated in several spices.
This could include pepper, onion, garlic powder, and all the ingredients that can be toxic for a dog. This would cause mild to severe digestive issues depending on how much your dog has consumed the tenders.
Raw tenders can cause bacterial infection:
If not fried in fat, chicken tenders are often fed to the dog in their raw form. While they may not cause heat or gastronomical issues, raw chicken tenders have salmonella or bacteria. Although an adult dog is less likely to go through from this and can eat raw strips, puppies may show symptoms of indigestion.
Improper cooking methods:
One of the problems with feeding dogs with chicken tenders is how they are not cooked in the right way.
If bought from stores, chicken tenders are always fried. In addition to that, spices like garlic and onion are added to the cooking process. Such spices along with oils can cause a dog to fall sick if they eat chicken strips regularly, particularly once that are not cooked safely for dogs.
What happens if dogs eat chicken tenders?
What’s good in chicken tenders:
Chicken tenders are boneless, which is great for a dog’s diet. When dogs are fed chicken, it should be cooked or boiled and boneless. Properly cooked chicken tenders are full of nutrition for adult dogs and puppies alike.
Being cut from the soft part of chicken breasts, tenders are easy to chew and digest for dogs. Moreover, being low in fat, and high in protein and omega 3 fatty acid, properly cooked tenders can be made part of a dog’s regular diet.
The adverse effects:
The problem with chicken tenders begins when they are fried. Fried food should not be fed to your dogs unless occasionally and in very small amounts.
Not only do fried chicken tenders cause heart burns and increase cholesterol in dogs, you never know what spices have been added to the fried chicken tenders. In the long term effect, serious heart diseases in dogs can shorten their healthy lifespan if fried tenders are eaten regularly by a dog.
How many fried chicken tenders can a dog eat?
While fried food or fried chicken tenders are not recommended to be in a dog’s regular diet, a little amount once in a while would never hurt most dogs.
With that mentioned, it is important to remember that you can only treat your dog with 3 to 4 fried chicken strips on any occasion, given there are not too many spices in the tenders.
When you feed your dog some fried chicken tenders, there is no resting easy. To make sure your dog’s digestive system is not overwhelmed, it may be a good idea to take your dog for longer walks.
Not only does this stimulate their digestive juices, but it also makes sure that no hurt burns or gastronomical issues occur from the fried food. These fried chicken tenders are high in fat, walking an extra mile would also help burn the fat off for the dog.
Final Thoughts
Fried chicken tenders are full of fat and cholesterol and should not be eaten by dogs. Moreover, the spices that are used to marinate the tenders can sometimes be toxic to dogs. Generally, safely cooked chicken tenders are high in protein and good fats and are safe to be eaten by dogs.