Is Chicken Good for Dogs? You Might Not Want to Feed Chicken to Your Dogs After You Read This

Unfortunately, today chicken is cheap. It's literally everywhere. And because of that, it’s completely overused by the pet food industry — stuffed into kibble, treats, toppers, and even so-called “limited ingredient” diets. Most dog parents don’t think twice about it. But here’s the thing: when one protein is used this heavily, day in and day out, it creates the perfect storm for food sensitivities and chronic inflammation.

Especially when that protein is factory-farmed chicken.

The Problem With How Chicken Is Raised Today

Modern chicken isn’t what it used to be. Most of the chicken used in commercial dog food comes from industrial farming operations, where birds are genetically selected to grow abnormally fast. So fast, that if they lived for longer than six weeks, their legs would break because of poor bone development and unnatural growth rates. They literally can't hold their own weight, and it's just sad that humans are doing this to animals.

That alone should raise red flags. But there’s more.

Factory-farmed chicken is also extremely high in omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids aren’t “bad” on their own — dogs need them in moderation — but the issue is balance. Dogs need a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. When that balance tips too far in the direction of omega-6, it promotes inflammation, not wellness.

What That Inflammation Actually Does

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a silent driver of so many of the issues we see in modern dogs:

Skin itching and hot spots
Gut dysbiosis and poor digestion
Autoimmune issues
Joint stiffness
Immune dysfunction

And when you feed a protein like chicken, over and over, from questionable sources, you’re not nourishing your dog. You're feeding inflammation.

Why GoodForDogs.com Doesn't Rely On Industrial Farmed Chicken

At GoodForDogs.com, we don't believe in defaulting to cheap proteins just because everyone else does. We stick with clean, species-appropriate, thoughtfully sourced ingredients. We vet every product we carry — and if we wouldn’t feed it to our own dogs, it won’t be on our site.

That’s why you won’t see a ton of chicken-based foods on our site. Not because chicken is inherently evil — but because the way it’s raised and overused today simply doesn’t support long-term health. Also because it's difficult to find high-quality, pasture raised sources of it. Our goal is to help your dog thrive, not just survive.

And when it comes to protein? Quality — and rotation — matter more than convenience.

When Chicken Can Be Good

That said, not all chicken is created equal. Truly pasture-raised birds — raised slowly, ethically, and on a diverse, natural diet — offer a very different nutritional profile. These birds have a healthier omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, cleaner muscle tissue, and far fewer inflammatory byproducts.

If you can source chicken that’s humanely raised, free of antibiotics and hormones, and allowed to live a natural life, it can be a nutritious option for your dog, especially when rotated with other proteins. The problem? That kind of chicken is rare, and it's almost never what you’ll find in conventional pet food.

References

Robinson, T. P., et al. (2011). Global Livestock Production Systems. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Simopoulos, A. P. (2002). The importance of the omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio in cardiovascular disease and inflammatory conditions. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 226(6), 674–688.
Volkman, J., et al. (2021). Omega fatty acid imbalances in dogs and their link to dermatological issues. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition.
Compassion in World Farming. (2020). The Welfare of Broiler Chickens in Intensive Systems.