Chicken and rice has long been a go-to bland diet for pets with diarrhea, vomiting, or an upset stomach, but it isn’t the best choice for every dog or cat. A bland diet should be simple, easy to digest, and used only temporarily while the digestive system settles.
Bland diets are great to feed when your pets have gastrointestinal issues. They should only be fed for a short period of time (ideally 24-48 hours). If you need to feed it longer than that, please consult with your vet.
Many vets recommend a bland diet of chicken and rice. This recommendation is outdated.
Rice is difficult for the body to process. It is a carbohydrate (which pets do not need) and also has arsenic in it.
Chicken is a protein that many pets have intolerances or sensitivities to.
Gently cooked turkey or whitefish is a great bland diet.
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Chicken and rice has long been recommended as a bland diet for pets with diarrhea, vomiting, or an upset stomach. However, it may not be the best choice for every dog or cat. Dr. Karen Becker has discussed several reasons pet parents may want to consider alternatives rather than automatically reaching for chicken and rice.
Chicken is widely used in commercial pet foods, and some pets may not tolerate it well, particularly those with food sensitivities or chronic digestive issues. If chicken is already part of your pet’s regular diet, it may also be less useful when you are trying to simplify the diet and identify foods that could be contributing to digestive upset.
White rice is generally easy for many pets to digest, but it is high in starch and provides limited nutritional value. While rice is not inherently inflammatory for every dog or cat, some pets may do better with a different easily digestible food.
Instead of assuming chicken and rice is the best bland diet for every pet, we prefer an individualized approach. A lean, gently cooked protein your pet tolerates well, combined with an appropriate easily digestible whole food, may be a better short-term option.
Remember that a bland diet is intended for temporary digestive support and is not a complete and balanced long-term diet. Cats, kittens, puppies, and pets with conditions such as pancreatitis, kidney disease, or diabetes may have additional nutritional needs and should not be treated with a one-size-fits-all bland diet.
Rice is not considered inherently inflammatory for every dog or cat. Plain white rice is generally easy to digest, which is why it has traditionally been included in bland diets for pets with digestive upset.
However, rice is high in carbohydrates and starch and may not be the best choice for every pet. Dogs and cats with certain health conditions, food sensitivities, or chronic digestive issues may benefit from other easily digestible options.
Rather than automatically adding rice to every bland diet, we prefer choosing foods based on the individual pet’s needs and what they tolerate best.
When a dog or cat has mild digestive upset, we prefer a simple, moisture-rich meal made with an easily digestible animal protein the pet already tolerates rather than the traditional chicken-and-rice combination.
For dogs, consider lean turkey, lean beef, rabbit, or whitefish paired with a small amount of plain pumpkin or sweet potato, depending on the individual dog’s needs.
Cats are obligate carnivores and have different nutritional needs. A bland meal for a cat should focus primarily on gently cooked, easily digestible animal protein rather than rice or other carbohydrate-heavy foods.
Keep bland meals simple. Avoid oils, butter, seasonings, fatty meats, skin, rich treats, and unfamiliar ingredients while the digestive system settles.
Homemade bland diets are intended for short-term use only and are not complete and balanced for long-term feeding.
Pets with food sensitivities may need extra care when choosing a bland diet. Instead of automatically using chicken, choose a lean protein your dog or cat has eaten before and tolerates well.
Good options may include turkey, rabbit, lean beef, pork, or whitefish, depending on your pet’s individual needs. For dogs, a small amount of plain pumpkin or sweet potato can also be added if tolerated. For cats, we prefer keeping the meal primarily animal-protein based.
This is also a good time to keep things simple. Avoid introducing several new foods, treats, supplements, or toppers at once. The fewer ingredients you use, the easier it is to determine what your pet tolerates.
For pets with known food allergies or chronic digestive problems, choose ingredients that have worked well for them in the past rather than experimenting with a new protein during an upset stomach.
A vet-formulated, whole-food bland diet designed to provide gentle, easily digestible nutrition for dogs experiencing acute gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting or diarrhea. Intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.
Cats have very different nutritional needs from dogs and should not be fed a carbohydrate-heavy bland diet. Because cats are obligate carnivores, we prefer a simple bland meal centered around gently cooked, easily digestible animal protein that the cat already tolerates.
Options may include turkey, rabbit, lean beef, pork, or whitefish, depending on the individual cat. Keep the meal moist and simple, without seasonings, oils, butter, skin, or other high-fat additions.
Cats should not be fasted when they have digestive upset, and prolonged loss of appetite can become serious—particularly in overweight cats and young kittens. If your cat is refusing food, repeatedly vomiting, has persistent diarrhea, appears lethargic, or is showing signs of dehydration, contact your veterinarian.
Kittens have especially high nutritional requirements for growth, so a homemade bland diet should only be used very briefly and with veterinary guidance.
A bland diet is meant to provide short-term digestive support, not replace a complete and balanced diet. Once your pet’s vomiting or diarrhea has improved and they are feeling better, begin gradually transitioning back to their regular food.
Rather than making an abrupt change, slowly mix increasing amounts of the regular food into the bland diet over several meals. Pets with sensitive digestive systems may need a slower transition.
If vomiting or diarrhea continues, returns during the transition, or your pet develops blood in the stool, abdominal pain, lethargy, dehydration, or refuses food, contact your veterinarian rather than continuing a bland diet at home.
Instead of the traditional chicken-and-rice bland diet, Dr. Judy Morgan recommends a simple whole-food recipe using lean protein, ginger, fruit or pumpkin, and optional mushrooms. This recipe is intended for short-term digestive support while your dog’s stomach and stools return to normal.
Ingredients
Note: The mushrooms can be omitted if you don’t have them available. White or shiitake mushrooms may also be used.
Instructions
Mix all ingredients together and feed small amounts several times throughout the day until normal stools return. Serve the food warm rather than cold directly from the refrigerator.
Dr. Morgan’s original recipe recommends approximately 1 cup of food per 15–20 pounds of adult body weight per day.
For an easier preparation method, the raw ingredients can be placed in a slow cooker and cooked on low for 6–8 hours.
If your pet’s stool does not return to normal within a few days, symptoms worsen, or you notice blood in the stool, contact your veterinarian.
Simple Alternative: Gently cooked ground turkey (not lunch meat) or whitefish with plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) can also be used as a simple short-term bland meal.
Dr. Judy Morgan (2025 Holistic Veterinarian Of The Decade): “My Tummy Hurts! Caring For Your AilingPet.”
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