Today's grativibe is about all the good dogs and the people who love them.
Look. The photos aren't super beautiful. It's two white foods with some overcooked green beans. I'm sure every Michelin-star chef out there would make it look other-worldly, but my dogs couldn't give a monkey's Milkbone. And honestly, neither could I.
Anyone who's ever been owned by a dog has made boiled chicken and rice on at least one occasion. Pups' bellies get sensitive and need some calming foods once in a while. Just like us. Maybe they ate something they really should not have eaten. (Oh hi, deer poop!) Well, not just like us. (But hey there, cheesecake!) Or maybe they are sick or recovering from surgery. It's always boiled chicken and rice to the rescue.
Recently chicken and rice came to the rescue in a big way. Our AndyBobby had a malignant mass removed from his jowl last fall. The margins were very good, but his oncologist recommended a preventive round of chemotherapy. Thus, AndyBobby took a pill three times/week for three months. He had always been an enthusiastic eater, but this made his appetite start to wane.
I got worried and began to brainstorm ways to keep him interested in his meals. He's a bit of a carbaholic, so a couple tablespoons of this chicken & rice recipe mixed with his kibble did the trick. Of course, the other three dogs were "interested" as well. Since I'm kind of a softie, it's been a round of chicken & rice for everyone. Kibble had never been so exciting!
On December 18th, we received the good news that AndyBobby was cancer-free. It was the best Christmas gift we could have been given!
Now it's February, and here we are still making chicken & rice for the dogs. I like that they get the added health benefit of some whole foods each day. It only takes a few minutes and costs a couple bucks per week. They aren't the only ones who love it; I find joy in the extra tail wagging and woofing at breakfast and dinner.
So the photos aren't beautiful. <shrug> My pups are healthy and happy, and that's what counts.
If your pup loves this recipe, he or she may also enjoy our Chicken, Barley & Veggies for Dogs recipe. Give it a try, too!
Chicken & Rice for Dogs
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups whole grain brown rice, See notes below for using white rice.
- 5 oz BONELESS chicken breast, fresh or frozen; NEVER give chicken bones to dogs!
- 1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen; Also see notes below for safe veggies for dogs.
Instructions
- Bring water to boil over medium-high heat.
- Stir in rice. Place chicken breast and vegetables on top.
- Cover and simmer on low 40-50 minutes or just until rice has absorbed all the water and steam holes are present.
- Using kitchen/poultry shears, cut chicken and vegetables into small pieces. Stir to combine.
- Place in container and create a hole in the middle; refrigerate for four hours then cover. (This step is for food safety, so it cools adequately before covering.) Keep refrigerated; good for seven days.
- Add two tablespoons of chicken & rice to each cup of your dog's kibble at meal times. We always add a little warm water to lightly moisten as well. Stir and watch them enjoy! A-rooo!
Mikayla says
How much do I get my dog at a time? My dog is about 80lbs
Kim says
Hi, Mikayla! We use this as a supplement to their regular kibble. Our Colby is a shepherd-husky mix who goes about 70 pounds. He used to get about 1 1/4 cups of kibble twice/day for breakfast and dinner. Now he gets a little less than 1 cup of kibble and about 1/3 cup of the chicken & rice mixture. We stir in a few tablespoons of warm water to make it more like sludge, and he gobbles it up!
The key is to make sure that your pup is getting enough calories but not too much. When we add these supplements, we give less kibble. I hope this helps you gage how much to give your pup! Keep me posted on what you do and discover - I'd love to hear it!
Please accept my apology for the delay in replying. This whole past year has been a time. We moved into our new house over the last 30 days, and I've been offline. It's been wild and exhausting; I'm finally getting back into the groove. The dogs adapted better than we did, I think! 🙂
Enjoy your day! ☀️
Jean Ann Spillman says
In step number six you say add two tablespoons and some warm water. Is that 2 tbl of water or something else?
Kim says
Hi, Jean Ann! Thank you so much for your question about the directions. I'm sorry they were a little unclear. It's been changed now to say add two tablespoons of the chicken & rice to each cup of your dog's kibble. We always add a little warm water, too. This is just a guideline for using the chicken & rice to supplement your pup's regular meals. Thanks again for reading and have a terrific day!