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Could my dog's chicken and rice diet lead to urinary problems?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 8 years and 3 months old

What foods are contributors to urinary problems in dogs...I am feeding only chicken and rice

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Christie Long, DVM

Answered By Christie Long, DVM

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on March 4th, 2016

It depends on the type of urinary disease your dog has. If she's having recurrent urinary tract infections, to my knowledge there is no known association between food and that condition. If she's having urinary stones, then there are some foods that have been associated with causing or worsening this condition, and being able to advise you about that would require that we understand what kind of stones your dog is getting, because there are several kinds.

I am unaware of any stones or urinary tract problems that are worsened by feeding chicken and rice, however as pointed out in previous answers this is far from a balanced diet.

If you're interested in giving your dog a home-cooked diet, I'd recommend checking out this site: https://secure.balanceit.com/tools/ez2/. It's created by the vet school at the University of California, and it's great for helping you figure out how to cook for a pet with health issues. You'll need the assistance of your vet to get a final recipe, but it's a very helpful site.
Vote Icon26Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Chicken and rice is a very unbalanced diet that could potentially cause the urine Ph (acidity) to change, causing urinary problems. a more balanced diet could potentially prevent urinary conditions - most dry dog foods of high quality will be balanced and better for her health.

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    25Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Only chicken and rice is unfortunately not a complete dog food and should not be fed as a permanent feed, unless there is a health condition that mandates that (ie, your vet told you to feed this diet). If your dog has a urinary tract problem you should be feeding a special prescription food available from your veterinarian. This food will minimise the possibility of bladder stones and other sediment forming.

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    20Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Health & Wellness
Is boiled chicken and rice a complete and balanced diet for dogs?
No, this is not a complete and balanced diet for long-term feeding. It's fine to use for a few days here and there, especially if your dog has an upset stomach and needs something bland and tasty, but you should feed a commercial dog food or work with a veterinary nutritionist to put together a balanced home-cooked diet for the long term, if you prefer.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Dog won't eat vegetarian diet for bladder stones. Can I feed chicken?
I'm not sure why your vet put him on a vegetarian diet, i have never heard of such a preventive treatment for urinary stones. in my opinion you can give him chicken breast and this should not cause a problem, i would also recommend switching him to a prescription diet for urinary diseases, at least for a couple months.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My dog had urinary stones. Can I switch from costly prescription food?
I wouldn't recommend trying a home cooked diet without consulting your veterinarian first - many recipes online are not nutritionally balanced. Whether or not your dog can switch to a new diet depends on the type of stone - some are more likely than others to come back. Ask your veterinarian about other options, and be up front about the cost being an issue.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
How to make my allergic dog's homemade chicken & rice diet complete?
Home prepared diets can be very difficult to balance long term and I strongly recommend a consult with a specialist nutritionist such as through tuft clinical nutrition unit in order to ensure he is receiving all of the trace elements, vitamins, minerals and energy he requires. In food sensitivities, a hydrolyzed diet such as royal canin hypoallergenic can be very effective also. Chicken and rice is a very bland and effective diet in the short to medium term but would need supplemental feeding in the long term
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My dog has bladder stones. How much homemade food is safe to feed?
I personally would not recommend a home cooked diet for a dog with bladder stones. A therapeutic diet is probably best to prevent more stones from forming and the foods restrict minerals used to form stones, encourage water consumption so that water is dilute, and keeping the urine at an ideal pH. If it is very important to you to cook meals for Hades I’d recommend using a diet formulated by a nutritionist- the website BalanceIT is a good resource. www.balanceIT.com
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My dog eats high protein food. Can this cause UTIs or bladder stones?
Hi there. No, there is no evidence that a dog's susceptibility to UTIs would be influenced one way or the other by protein levels in the diet. High protein diets are often associated with more acidic urine, which can increase the risk for certain types of bladder stones - but not UTIs, directly.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My dog has IBD. Can I feed her plain chicken and rice for flare-ups?
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While you could do this longterm, it would have to be supplemented with a more balanced diet. For example, you could consider switching Izzy to a diet of chicken and white rice combined with a dry diet such as Hill's zd which would be good for inflammatory bowel disease. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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