Bourbon chicken, known for its sweet and savory glaze that stuns the taste buds, is a versatile and delicious food that we all love to consume regularly. While making some at home or while unboxing your take-out packs, the aroma is always guaranteed to get your pooch rushing to the scene with some puppy eyes, but is it okay for dogs to eat Bourbon chicken?
While dogs can safely have chicken as they provide protein and chicken necks are very effective in cleaning the mouth of a dog, chicken bourbon is packed with lots of ingredients that are not suitable for dogs in certain amounts. Here is everything you need to know about Bourbon chicken for dogs.
What is Bourbon Chicken?
This Southern-inspired dish is put together with tender boneless chicken pieces marinated, then cooked before the sauce (infused with whiskey) is drizzled graciously.
The spices used for the source share similarities with Cajun-like spices and are often touted to originate from Cajun. However, bourbon chicken can be found in almost all restaurants and food outlets in the US.
Can Dogs Eat Bourbon Chicken?
Dogs can safely have a small portion of bourbon chicken, but it is not recommended. The alcohol content evaporates as the chicken cooks in a sauce, making it less of a threat, but harmful ingredients like soy sauce, garlic, and onions, which can be toxic, are used, making Bourbon chicken not safe for dogs.
Usually, Chinese methods are used in marinating the chicken, dipping it in corn starch and egg whites, and then leaving it for a few hours or overnight. This prevents the chicken from drying out and also contributes to the flavor profile. This chicken, cooked, baked, or grilled, is safe for dogs to consume without the added cajun spice.
Soy sauce in a very small quantity may not be harmful to dogs, but in significant amounts, it could cause sodium poisoning. It is no secret that soy sauce contains lots of sodium in the form of salts, and it shouldn’t have any business with foods made for dogs.
Depending on the style of the chef, the alcohol is usually not a problem, as they usually get cooked with the sauce evaporating afterward.
Cajun spice for dogs is a no-no. While not harmful in very tiny quantities, you should understand that they contain powdered onions and garlic, which are more concentrated than their fresh counterparts, making the sauce potentially toxic to dogs.
Fresh garlic and, sometimes, onions are usually included in every chicken Bourbon sauce. This impacts the flavor of the dish positively, but is bad news for your pooch. Plants in the allium family, including onions, garlic, and leeks, contain disulfides and thiosulfinates, a compound that depletes the red blood cells, leading to anemia.
Looking at all these ingredients that are harmful to dogs and yet present in bourbon chicken, it is best not to give your dog some bourbon chicken, even though a little won’t hurt.
What Would Happen If My Dog Ate Bourbon Chicken?
If your dog ate little bourbon chicken, nothing is likely to happen, except if your dog has a sensitive stomach. Then you should consider a low-fat treat instead, as bourbon chicken could cause diarrhea and vomiting in dogs that have sensitive stomachs.
If your dog consumes significant amounts of Bourbon chicken, a whole lot could happen. Your dog could either experience sodium or onion and garlic toxicity, with visible symptoms like loss of appetite, tremors, muscle spasms, seizures, abdominal pain, pale gums, and even red-colored urine.
Always be cautious, and never allow your dog to have too much of what could potentially reduce the quality of their lives.
Alternatives to Bourbon Chicken for Dogs
Instead of making chicken bourbon for dogs, other better dog-safe alternatives are healthy and yet still loved by your pooch. Here are they:
Dog-safe lumpia
Traditional lumpia is not healthy for dogs as they are deep-fried. However, you could still make a dog-safe lumpia that contains steamed veggies, and protein of your choice and is wrapped in lettuce, which is highly beneficial for your dog.
Dog-safe Turon
This dog-safe turon comprises thinly sliced jackfruits and bananas wrapped in a banana wrap made from rolling and baking cooked mashed bananas, then glazed in peanut butter. A lovely treat that no dog can resist.
Panna cotta
Panna cotta dessert may just contain way too much dairy from cream and sugar from its caramelized top, but we curated a dog-safe panna cotta made with ingredients that are dog-friendly and yet delicious.
Can Dogs Have Bourbon Chicken?
Dogs can have an array of human foods in moderation, but that doesn’t mean they are all ideas for a dog. Human foods like bourbon chicken often contain ingredients that are not safe for dogs, like onions, garlic, and soy sauce, which is why they should not be given to dogs, but if you decide to let your dog have some, it should be very little and once in a blue moon.
