Is rice healthy?

My brother has a dog, and he was very sick when he first purchased him. He would throw up all the time, and would have diarrhea. He relayed his notion of feeding him rice that humans eat mixed with his dog food. Initially, I didn't concern myself until he informed that he didn't consult with a physician prior to making this decision. I made several attempts to conduct a research online but the answers varied. Do any of you know for certain if this mixture is healthy for a dog?

 

I'm not sure why he's feeding him rice in addition to the dog food. What's his reasoning for it?

In general, the rice isn't *un*healthy necessarily. It's simply a filler. I put it in my homemade dog food. It mostly just stretches it and offers up a starch, but it's not really adding any additional nutrients.

 

Firstly I would be consulting a vet immediately.
I was told years ago that diarrhea in humans could be treated with only eating white rice and lemon juice. It is easy to digest and doesn't irritate the gut. Mixing with dog food maybe is not a good idea as fibrous fillers may irritate the system.

 

I agree that it is just a filler. It doesn't provide any value to the dog I don't think.
I would try to have him call a vet or do it yourself then you will know.

I don't have much in the way of offering any advice here on this topic, sorry.

Calling a vet is probably the best idea.

 

My brother read on a forum that it was best to feed the dog rice while the he has a stomach ache; his reasoning was to help soothe his stomach. He got back many different responses from his question, and I surmise he went with the one that he felt would help. I have spoken to him about it and he is now considering taking his dog to a vet--thank God. I was so concerned because he and I both have no knowledge of how to treat a sick animals. Thanks for all of your advice!

 

So did the dog end up feeling better with the rice at all? Or is he still sick?

Regardless, I'm glad he's going to take him to a vet. Even if he's feeling better, it's time to make sure he's okay and ask about dietary changes.

 

I think better to just give dogs rice alone or dog food alone. I do not think that combining those would taste better.
I also think that rice alone with some dishes is already healthy and tasty for the dog, maybe depending on the breed of the dog too.

 

This source indicates that feeding a dog rice is fine. There shouldn't be any problems. As far as the dog throwing up and diarrhea, it is best to take him to a vet.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/is-rice-good-for-dogs.html

 

I think it's a good idea to give cooked rice to a dog who is sick. Some time ago my Homer had eaten something - I'm not sure what - and he was vomiting after it. I was terrified and of course I rushed to the vet. He told me to feed Homer with rice for a day or two.

 

Ya know, I don't think any of the rest of us stated that it should be cooked, but that's really important to distinguish. Uncooked rice is find in small amounts (like if you drop it off the counter and he licks it up), but to feed a dog uncooked rice in larger quantities is bad for them.

 

Yes, I thought it's good to mention it, on the other hand, I'm pretty sure there isn't one dog who would like to eat uncooked rice. Even mine, who usually eats everything, probably would hesitate if I filled his bowl with it

 

I don't think mine would want to eat a bowl full.

At the same time, one of his favorite treats is dry pasta. He likes those little "nests" especially but will eat dry spaghetti, too. He may very well try to steal plain uncooked rice if he figures out that it's crunchy.

 

Here's the thing about rice. It's okay to feed dogs rice. In fact, rice can help in reducing plaque build up. HOWEVER, rice shouldn't be the main ingredient of any dog's diet. Dogs basically eat rice because that's one of the foods included in our main diet. Since they are born scavengers, it just makes sense that they eat what we eat.

Dogs need their protein, particularly the ones coming from meat because that's the kind of food they can digest better (compared to protein coming from plants).

If you're asking whether rice is okay and healthy, I'm a yes on this one. But if you're asking if it should be the main ingredient in the dog's diet, that's a DEFINITE no.

As for your brother's dog's upset stomach, it might be because of the dog food he is being fed of... or it could even be worms or it could even be environmental stress (to the new home). So I'm glad he brought the dog to the vet. Back when my dogs were sick, our vet advised us to include the recovery food (royal canin) to rice because it's bland.

 

He likes dry pasta? This is funny, maybe Homer would like it too . But is it healthy? Won't it harm him?

 

I saw a documentary once where the dog had stomach issues and the vet told the owner to just feed it rice for a couple of days. The vet did say that it was more to sooth the stomach of the dog and to make sure the dog had something in his stomach while recovering from an illness.

The doctor did ask the owner to gradually shift back to regular dog food once the dog's stomach issues had been healed. I suppose this is because rice, as experts have agreed is not nutritious enough to keep a dog healthy.

 

Yep, he does!

http://www.quirkycookery.com/2011/05/quirky-pets-dog-loves-tagliatelle-nests.html

^ Sorry, it's a photobucket video from back before I had a YouTube account, so I can't embed the video here unfortunately.

And I wouldn't call it as healthy as feeding him green beans, but it's not horrible for him either....not as an occasional treat anyway.

 

Lol, it's such an adorable video, thank you for sharing it! Your dog looked so happy when he realised that he'll get the pasta, he brightened up immediately

I think I'll let my Homer steal some pasta too

 

I think it's more a matter of conditioning. Here rice is part of the dog's staple diet. Just about all the dogs are fed rice, for generations. So they have no problem with rice. Not all dogs are lucky enough to get special food. Most of them just live and thrive on left-overs, which basically means rice and whatever is left from the table.