Chicken and rice ball treats are healthy snacks for your dog, whether you feed your dog homemade food exclusively or give him a break from commercial food from time to time. Because doggie digestive systems are different from ours, and can be sensitive to diets high in animal-based fats, it's important to use lean, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, brown or basmati rice and vegetables such as green beans, peas or carrots. Skip the salt, too, because it can make your dog excessively thirsty and may even lead to sodium ion poisoning.
Boil the chicken breasts in water until they are cooked all the way through, making sure they are no longer pink on the inside.
Remove the chicken breasts from the pot, and do not dump that water. That's chicken broth, and you will need it to form the chicken and rice balls later on. If you do dump the water, you can buy unsalted chicken broth at your grocery store.
Chop the chicken into small pieces. Those who prefer a finer texture can also use a food processor.
Boil the green beans or the peas in carrots in the reserved chicken broth.
Combine the chopped chicken, boiled vegetables and a cup of brown or basmati rice together in a large bowl with the olive oil, stirring until everything is blended. Set aside to cool.
Add the cottage cheese to the mixture once it is sufficiently cool, stirring until everything is well blended. The cheese will help the chicken and rice balls hold their shape.
Add a few tablespoons of chicken as you begin forming the chicken and rice balls, again to help everything stick together and hold its shape. The treats are ready to eat.
Tips
Store whatever your dog doesn't eat in an airtight container and refrigerate for no more than three days. After three days, discard whatever remains.
Warnings
Lactose-intolerant dogs cannot consume dairy, so for such a dog you will have to use only chicken broth to get your ingredients to stick. Do not use cottage cheese.
An occasional piece of cheese will not harm dogs that are not lactose-intolerant, but too much cheese, even in dogs that can handle it, may cause diarrhea.
Dogs with digestive disorders such as colitis might have an easier time digesting basmati rice rather than brown rice.
Any time you cook for your dog, avoid salt.
Be aware of the foods that are toxic to your four-legged pal.
Warnings
Lactose-intolerant dogs cannot consume dairy, so for such a dog you will have to use only chicken broth to get your ingredients to stick. Do not use cottage cheese.
An occasional piece of cheese will not harm dogs that are not lactose-intolerant, but too much cheese, even in dogs that can handle it, may cause diarrhea.
Dogs with digestive disorders such as colitis might have an easier time digesting basmati rice rather than brown rice.
Any time you cook for your dog, avoid salt.
Be aware of the foods that are toxic to your four-legged pal.
Tips
Store whatever your dog doesn't eat in an airtight container and refrigerate for no more than three days. After three days, discard whatever remains.
Items You Will Need
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 cup brown or basmati rice, cooked
- 1 cup frozen green beans or peas and carrots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup cottage cheese
References
Resources
Tips
- Store whatever your dog doesn't eat in an airtight container and refrigerate for no more than three days. After three days, discard whatever remains.
Warnings
- Lactose-intolerant dogs cannot consume dairy, so for such a dog you will have to use only chicken broth to get your ingredients to stick. Do not use cottage cheese.
- An occasional piece of cheese will not harm dogs that are not lactose-intolerant, but too much cheese, even in dogs that can handle it, may cause diarrhea.
- Dogs with digestive disorders such as colitis might have an easier time digesting basmati rice rather than brown rice.
- Any time you cook for your dog, avoid salt.
- Be aware of the foods that are toxic to your four-legged pal.
Writer Bio
Vivian Gomez contributes to Retailing Today, the Daily Puppy, Paw Nation and other websites. She's covered the New York Comic Con for NonProductive since 2009 and writes about everything from responsible pet ownership to comic books to the manner in which smart phones are changing the way people shop. Gomez received her Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Pace University.