Can Maltipoos eat Chicken? [Preparation Guide]

Wondering whether your pet Maltipoo can enjoy chicken with you, read on to learn how to prepare chicken for the maltipoo, its benefits, and what type of chicken to avoid feeding them.

Can Maltipoos eat chicken?

Maltipoos can eat chicken. Make sure that the chicken is cooked and unseasoned, it can be roasted, grilled, poached, or baked, but should not contain herbs or spices. You can offer chicken with your dog’s favorite vegetables or grain or use it as a treat, especially during training.

Chicken is a great source of protein and omega-6 fatty acids. Never serve your Maltipoo raw chicken to avoid salmonella or bacterial infections or chicken bone to avoid choking.

Is Chicken Good for Maltipoo?

Chicken is good and beneficial to Maltipoos, it serves as a good source of protein and fatty acids. In fact, most dog food companies use chicken as one of their ingredients.

Maltipoo is a crossbreed between Maltese and Poodle, therefore its diet is closely related to both of its original breeds.

Most dog foods have chicken as one of the ingredients, all dogs need a balanced diet on a daily basis so as to maintain optimal health.

Feeding chickens to Maltipoos will provide them with the following health benefits.

Source of Protein

Maltipoos need enough protein intake on a daily basis so as to maintain optimal health. Proteins are made of amino acids which are the building blocks of tissues.

In the body of a Maltipoo, proteins serve as the structural component of nails and skin, connective tissue, and hair.

Protein is also responsible for the development and maintenance of the immune system and musculoskeletal systems.

Proteins are also responsible for maintaining acid-base balance and promoting enzyme activity.

Protein is needed for dogs’ skin health and hair, and it is very important for dogs that are constantly shedding.

However, Maltipoos sheds very little hair, actually, one of the main reasons that Maltipoo was developed was to cater to dog lovers who are allergic.

Being a crossbreed between a Maltese and a poodle, Maltipoo sheds very very little hair. But even for dogs that are marked as shedding very little, they will still need proteins for the maintenance of their hair.

If you are looking to maintain the beautifully smooth and shiny hair of your Maltipoo then you must ensure that they get enough proteins in their diet.

The hair of a dog contains about 65 to 95% protein in its structure, making protein very important for the overall beauty of your dog.

Feeding chicken to your Maltipoo can help fix brittle and dry fur, and hair loss patches in its skin.

A dog’s delicate skin as a result of fur loss can lead to a weakened ability to fight infections.

Some of the signs of protein deficiency in any dog will be the darkening of the skin or depigmentation of the fur.

Given the active and playful nature of Maltipoos getting enough proteins in their diet is very important in their diet.

Source of Fatty Acids

Chickens are a great source of fatty acids especially omega-6 fatty acids for dogs.

All dogs require omega 3 and 6 fatty acids in their diet since their bodies cannot produce them, Omega 6 fatty acids are also known as linoleic acids.

Fats are also important in a dog’s body since they facilitate the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, K, D, and E.

For highly active dogs fats should be an important part of the diet and given that a Maltipoo falls in this category giving your Maltipoo a piece of chicken is a good idea.

Omega 6 fatty acids also plays an important role towards the maintenance of the Maltipoo’s digestive and immune system.

Just like proteins, if you are looking for healthy dog fur that is smooth and shiny, then feeding chicken will get you halfway to your goals.

Sebum oil produced from the dog’s skin is responsible for the shiny color of your dog. Sebum oil prevents the matting of your dog’s fur and increases its elasticity. Omega 6 fatty acids are one of the components used in the production of sebum oil.

If you identify these symptoms then your Maltipoo is suffering from a lack of enough Fatty acids specifically omega 3 and omega 6.

• hair loss
• Dry flaky skin
• dermatitis
• Dull coat

The table below shows the nutritional value of 100 grams of different parts of boneless chicken meat.

Part	Proteins	Fats	Calories
chicken breast	31 grams	3.6 grams	165
Chicken thigh	26 grams	10.9 grams	209
chicken wing	30.5 grams	8.1 grams	203

How Much Chicken Can Maltipoo Eat daily?

Chicken should not substitute your Maltipoo’s commercial food, it should only serve as a part of your Maltipoo’s balanced diet.

As a rule of thumb, any treat you give your dog as a part of a balanced diet should not exceed 10% of your dog’s daily calorie intake.

For instance, an adult, Maltipoo weighing about 10 pounds will need 400 calories per day.

If you choose to use chicken as a treat for the day this means that of the 400 calories required only 40 calories should come from the days treat in this case chicken.

This means about 24 grams of chicken breast for your Maltipoo, note that this alone will be able to provide the daily requirement Maltipoo’s calorie intake derived from the treats.

The remaining 376 calories should come from the Maltipoo’s diet, and not from the treats. Giving your dog too many calories on a daily basis will result in weight gain. That can have detrimental health effects on your dog.

So, in summary, a Maltipoo weighing 10 pounds requiring 400 calories a day should eat 24 grams of chicken breast with no other treats.

What Are the Risks of Feeding Maltipoo Chicken?

One might be tempted to give their Maltipoo raw chicken, after all in the natural world that what they would take.

However, this should not be the case, feeding your Maltipoo raw chicken will expose it to bacteria and Salmonella infections.

Secondly, when preparing raw chicken for your Maltipoo and any dog for that matter, make sure not to season or use any herb or spice.

The best way to prepare chicken for your dog is via baking, poaching, grilling, or roasting.

The best way to ensure that all bacteria and Salmonella are eliminated is to ensure that the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Caution: Remember to remove the chicken skin and excess fat before preparing your chicken. The best part is the wings and breasts keep off drumsticks as they have more fats, with chicken breasts being ideal.

Excess fats can cause a disease known as Pancreatitis which is a life-threatening disease as it leads to the swelling and inflammation of the pancreas.

Lastly, avoid feeding chicken bones to your Maltipoo, chicken bone splint easily and may choke your dog, and all-cause intestine puncture, therefore it is recommended you avoid them at all costs.

Chicken is also marked as the third most cause of allergic reactions in dogs. While it is a common ingredient in the most dog food you should always be careful when feeding chicken to your Maltipoo.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to feed Chicken to Maltipoo? The best time to feed chicken to Maltipoo is during training as a reward or as a treat. However, these should be kept at a minimum since your dog may become addicted to chicken and may not get your commands unless offered chicken treats.

Can Maltipoo eat chicken daily? Given that chicken should only serve as part of a balanced diet, it would be unwise to feed chicken to Maltipoo on a daily basis.

Conclusion

Chicken is a great source of proteins and fatty acids that are needed for the growth and development of all dogs. Proteins and fatty acids play a very important role in a dog’s fur and skin health plus boosting and maintaining the immune system of a dog.

Most dog food manufacturers understand these facts very well and always include chicken as part of the ingredients of their dog foods.

You can, therefore, feed chicken to Maltipoo dogs, but you have to ensure it is well cooked to avoid Salmonella and bacterial infection.

Chicken breast is the most recommended since it has less fat which when fed in excess can lead to health issues such as pancreatitis. Always remember to remove the chicken skin and excess fats.

Lastly, the chicken should only be part of the Maltipoo’s balanced diet and not a staple diet, do not substitute your Maltipoo’s food with chicken.