Can Dogs Eat Brown Rice Safely?

Read this before giving your dog brown rice 🍚

If you love having brown rice as a side for your dinner, you might be wondering if you can share some with your pup.

We reached out to Dr. Michelle Burch, a veterinarian at Paramount Pet Health, and Dr. Corinne Wigfall, a veterinarian working with SpiritDog Training, to find the answer to the question: Can dogs eat brown rice?

Is brown rice healthy for dogs?

Brown rice is a perfectly healthy source of carbohydrates for your pup to enjoy.

Not only is brown rice commonly found in commercial dog foods, but you can also feed it to your pup if she has an upset stomach since it’s an easily digestible source of carbohydrates (more on that below).

Benefits of brown rice for dogs

Brown rice contains an abundance of natural fiber (it actually contains more fiber than white rice does), and it’s an excellent source of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

“Vitamins D and B are found in brown rice, promoting a healthy heart,” Dr. Burch told The Dodo. “Calcium, iron and riboflavin are packed within a tiny grain of brown rice.”

What can brown rice help with?

Brown rice is used to create a balanced and complete diet for your dog since dogs need carbohydrates in their diets to survive.

With increased fiber, brown rice can also help with chronic gastrointestinal disease and help improve diarrhea, vomiting and constipation.

“Plain-boiled brown rice is often used in combination with a single protein source, such as boiled chicken or cottage cheese, to feed to dogs who have an upset tummy,” Dr. Wigfall told The Dodo.

The bland combination of brown rice and a protein is less likely to cause further irritation to your pup. “If your dog is still feeling unwell after 24 hours of feeding, you need to seek veterinary help,” Dr. Wigfall said.

Can dogs eat brown rice every day?

Dogs can eat brown rice daily in a complete and balanced diet — just make sure you feed it in moderation since too much brown rice (or any treat) can lead to extra weight gain.

“If adding brown rice as a treat to a dog’s daily diet, I recommend feeding less than 10 percent of their daily caloric intake,” Dr. Burch said.

The best way to feed brown rice to your pup is boiling it and serving it plain with no sauces, spices or other seasonings. “Sauces and spices can contain garlic and onion, which are toxic to dogs, and other ingredients added to rice mixes can cause gastrointestinal upset,” Dr. Wigfall said.

So if you ever find your pup stealing a little bit of plain brown rice from your plate, you can rest easy knowing she’s perfectly safe — and that you have a powerhouse food on your hands if you ever need to feed your dog a bland diet.