Did feeding chicken and rice make my dog sick or cause her death?

I am so sorry for your loss of Lilly!! Losing a pet suddenly is never easy. Without seeing her it is hard to say what happened. She could have had something stuck in her intestinal tract which caused a rupture, or a parasite, or something more serious like cancer. If you need an answer, a necropsy would be the only way to diagnose the cause, but if this was several days ago, this would be hard to tell. I'm sorry I can't give you a better answer. Please know my thoughts are with you!

Food intolerances are not very common for dogs to get and it would be even more rare for rice to be the cause. Food intolerances are due to certain proteins which are usually animal proteins (beef, pork, dairy, etc.). To find the actual protein Max is allergic to, you would have to do an elimination trial. Here is a link to a good article that explains how to do the diet: http://communityvet.net/2010/03/diy-elimination-diet-for-the-dog-an-cat/ Keep in mind that your diet trial will cease to work if he is getting any treats or table scraps. Make sure that there is no possibility of this happening - especially if there are kids in the house. As always, it's best to do these things in consultation with your vet. They can also ensure that nothing else is responsible for the diarrhea. It is definitely possible that the vomiting and diarrhea is due to a long-standing infection. If Max has any of the following, the he should see a vet as soon as possible: 1) Blood in diarrhea 2) Very watery diarrhea 3) Dog starts acting very depressed 4) Dog stops eating or drinking for longer than 24 hours. I hope that helps and Max gets better soon.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Copper. The goal of feeding chicken and rice is that it is a bland diet. This can help to settle a dog's stomach. It is not absolutely necessary though. I typically have the owner withhold food for 24hours if the dog is otherwise healthy. This will accomplish the same goal of resting the GI tract. If this does not resolve his symptoms, then he will need to see his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Here is a guide on feeding a bland diet. I would feed this until at least 3 days have passed beyond the resolution of the diarrhea and feed the diet twice daily. If there is no improvement, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Lucky so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This may be a dietary indiscretion. I would recommend transitioning her to a different food and consider adding in a probiotic such as Purina Fortiflora. I would try 2-3 different foods and see if that makes a difference. If there is no improvement, then I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Yoda. Plain chicken and rice is sometimes fed as bland diet to below to help with gastrointestinal upset. This is fine to feed short term. Grain-free dog food diets are not current being recommended to feed longterm as they have been associated with heart disease in dogs. I hope this information helps!

Yes, it is likely the chicken that caused these symptoms in Sandi. Fatty foods are not tolerated well by dogs, and can lead to vomiting and diarrhea. It can also cause pancreatitis, which is life threatening. I'm not sure what medication you are giving her, but I would not recommend giving her any medication that has not been prescribed by a vet. I would take her into a vet for an exam to be safe, if she hasn't seen a vet already.