“Rice is great if you’re hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.” That’s a favorite joke of mine by the late, great comedian, Mitch Hedberg. And if you ever find your pup staring at you longingly while you’re eating two thousand little pieces of rice, you might wonder, “Can dogs eat rice?”
Well, yes, your pup certainly can chow down on some yummy rice.
Why Can Dogs Eat Rice?
Rice, like many other human foods, makes a great little snack or dog food topper. In fact, rice seems to always be leftover after a meal.
So, just bunch some of that rice into some tiny rice balls and, voila! You’ve got yourself some mini rice ball snacks for your next trip to the dog park or stroll around the neighborhood.
Your fur baby can eat rice because it’s safe and very rare for your dog to have an allergy.
A lot of carbohydrate heavy foods tend to also contain a lot of salt and fats, as well. Lucky for your pup, rice is a great source of carbs without any added sodium, cholesterol, or harmful fats.
Also, rice provides a wide array of beneficial nutrients:
- Niacin: aids in lowering cholesterol levels
- Vitamin D: promotes bone health and growth
- Iron: supports health of red blood cells
- Riboflavin: produces energy by helping break down fats
- Thiamine: enables the body to convert carbs into energy
- Fiber: helps with bowel movements
- Calcium: builds strong bones and aids heart function
- Starch: helps useful bacteria grow in the digestive system
Isn’t it amazing how a little grain of food packs so much nutritional punch?
Can Dogs Eat Rice Raw?
No, the small, hard pieces of rice pose a choking risk and are also difficult for your pup to digest. Besides, no wants to eat hard chunks of rice, right?
The Type Of Rice To Feed Your Pup
Either brown, whole grain rice or plain white rice make a perfect snack for your pup. However, consider feeding your pup brown rice because it contains more beneficial nutrients.
The high amounts of insoluble fibers in brown rice not only help your dog’s digestive system, but they also help prevent cancer. Also, PetsWorld explains that rice is the best food to feed a dog with high blood pressure because of its low sodium.
Brown rice also provides nutrients that aid in the prevention of doggy Alzheimer’s, a brain disease that affects older pups.
So, while you can feed your dog white or brown rice, consider feeding them brown rice. Because it’s got a ton of health benefits.
Upset Tummy?
Allow me to cue you in on a dog owner secret: if your pup ever experiences an upset tummy, there’s a trick. Boil up some rice and chicken and feed it to your pup for dinner.
White rice and chicken are considered the best home remedy for a fur baby with an upset tummy. If you don’t believe me, try it out the next time your furry friend has a stomach issue.
Rice To Meet You
So, can dogs eat rice? You betcha!
Also, look for other healthy human foods to feed your pup, here.
Whenever that pup of yours is hungry and wants to eat two thousand of something, give them some rice! It’ll make Mitch Hedberg proud.
