Can Dogs Eat Orange Chicken? 6 Dangers (We Asked A Vet)

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Chicken is a popular type of lean protein to feed dogs because it’s relatively cheap and comes in various forms.

Dogs can eat chicken thighs, chick breasts, rotisserie chicken, and various chicken dishes.

However, some chicken dishes are canine-friendly, while others are not. So what about orange chicken?

Can dogs eat orange chicken? Is this a safe dish for dogs to enjoy?

In short, no, dogs should not eat orange chicken. While chicken is great for dogs to eat, the orange chicken dish is deep-fried with breading, salt, spices, sugar, and other harmful ingredients. The ingredients and the manner it’s prepared is not dog friendly and damaging to their health.

In this article, you’ll discover:

Why dogs should avoid eating orange chicken
The dangers of dogs eating orange chicken
What to do if your dog accidentally eats orange chicken

Let’s dive in.

Table of Contents

What Is Orange Chicken

To determine whether or not dogs can eat orange chicken, we first need to identify what it actually is and then break down its ingredients.

Orange chicken is a popular dish believed to have originated in America by the founder of Panda Express.

It’s made by breading and deep-frying chicken and then coating them in a sweet, tangy orange sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Per 1 serving size (142 grams): 400 calories, Fat 21.1 g, Cholesterol 69.8 mg, Sodium 668.1 mg, carbohydrates 37.2 g (fiber 1.7 g, sugar 16.5 g), protein 16.9 g.

Nutrition source.

Ingredients

Dark meat chicken, water, sugar, distilled vinegar, modified food starch, corn starch, potato starch, contains less than 2% of: wheat, orange extract, caramel color, salt, garlic, phosphoric acid, rice, and sesame oil.

Ingredients source.

Can Dogs Eat Orange Chicken?

I contacted our veterinary consultant and some animal nutritionists to see what they had to say.

The verdict.

Dogs should not eat orange chicken.

Even though chicken is the main ingredient in many dog foods, how orange chicken is prepared and the ingredients in the sauce used is very unhealthy for dogs.

Orange chicken is made with a breading that’s deep-fried. After deep frying, a sauce full of sugars, spices, and other harmful ingredients is added.

The high fat and sugar contents in the orange chicken are damaging to a dog’s health. The orange sauce alone is full of sugar, salt, and spices.

These ingredients can cause stomach upset and other health problems in dogs.

In addition, the orange chicken is made using dark meat chicken.

While white chicken meat is lean and a good source of protein for dogs, dark meat chicken is higher in fat.

While this is not a problem in itself, when you combine the dark meat, deep-frying, and orange sauce, you create a dish that is extremely high in fat and not canine-friendly.

All the fat adds up to a very delicious but unhealthy meal for dogs.

As a rule of thumb, steer clear of feeding dogs deep-fried foods, and always be careful with “sauces”.

6 Dangers Of Dogs Eating Orange Chicken

Now let’s take a look at some of the dangers associated with feeding your dog chicken.

1. Allergies

Some dogs can be allergic to chicken or other ingredients in orange chicken. Of course, not all dogs will have an allergy to chicken, but you should be aware of it.

Suppose your dog does have an allergy to chicken or any ingredient in orange chicken. In that case, they may experience symptoms such as itching, swelling, redness, and difficulty breathing.

2. Orange Sauce

The orange sauce is made with sugar, salt, orange juice, ginger, garlic, and spices like chili flakes. These ingredients can cause stomach upset in dogs.

In addition, the orange sauce is high in sugar. Too much sugar can lead to weight gain and other health problems like diabetes.

The high salt content in the sauce can also cause problems for dogs. It can lead to dehydration and even sodium ion poisoning.

One serving of orange chicken contains 668.1 mg of salt.

Salt is horrible for dogs. A dog’s body is not designed to tolerate the large amounts of salt in orange chicken.

A 33-pound dog’s recommended daily sodium intake is less than 100mg.

That should put things into perspective.

3. Hormones & Antibiotics

Everyone knows that the food industry artificially promotes growth in chickens by using hormones and antibiotics. Unfortunately, these harmful chemicals can be passed on to your dog (and you) when meat is consumed, causing health problems later.

The importance of organic and free-range food sources is widely preached.

When orange chicken is bought from grocery stores or fast-food restaurants, the chicken is probably not the best.

Combine that with all the unhealthy ingredients in orange chicken, and you have a poor food choice for dogs.

4. Deep-Fried Food

Deep-fried food is not good for anyone, let alone dogs.

When food is deep-fried, it’s cooked in oil at high temperatures.

Fried foods are high in saturated and trans fats, which promote inflammation and plaque build-up in arteries.

Inflammation is the root cause of many diseases like cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

Plaque build-up in arteries can put dogs at risk for heart issues like coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

5. Dark Meat Chicken

Dark chicken meat is higher in fat than white chicken meat.

While a little bit of fat is good for dogs, too much can lead to weight gain and other health problems.

While dark chicken meat is very healthy for dogs, combining it with orange sauce and wrapping it in breading before deep-frying it, the fat adds up.

Orange chicken has 21.1 g of fat for one serving. This is way too much fat for a dog.

Food like orange chicken can lead to health problems such as diabetes, joint pains, heart disease, and pancreatitis.

6. Chicken Bones

Some orange chicken may contain bones. Chicken bones can be very dangerous for dogs.

They can splinter and cause internal injuries or cause your dog to choke.

While raw bones are fine for dogs, cooked bones are brittle and easily splinter.

Signs of bowel obstruction in dogs include:

Vomiting (repeatedly)
Diarrhea
Loss of appetite
Lethargy
Weakness
Stomach irritation
Abdominal pain
Bloat
Crying/Whining
Hunching

Related Reading: Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken Gizzards? Benefits & Dangers

What To Do If Your Dog Eats Accidentally Eats Orange Chicken?

If your dog eats orange chicken, here are some steps you should take:

Determine If They Ate A Toxic Amount

They will be fine if your dog only ate a few bites of orange chicken. But if they ate a lot, you must pay close attention to how they respond over the next few hours.

The amount of orange chicken considered toxic depends on the size of your dog. Even an amount you’d consider small can be very dangerous for a small dog. Large dogs would have to eat a lot more to be at risk.

Watch For Symptoms

When it comes to orange chicken, the biggest risk to a dog is pancreatitis, salt poisoning, and bloat. These can all develop from overeating, so checking for symptoms is essential.

Dogs that overeat may experience gastrointestinal upsets like vomiting and diarrhea. They may also be lethargic, lose their appetite, and drink more water than usual.

Minor symptoms will usually go away within 24-48 hours when the food has been digested. However, more severe symptoms will persist. You know your dog best, so if you notice anything off, it’s best to contact your veterinarian.

Get Help

Suppose your dog ate a lot of orange chicken and shows no signs of illness. In that case, it’s best to contact your veterinarian right away. Even if they don’t seem sick, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. This is especially true if you have no idea how much they ate.

In addition, if you have a tiny dog, they have the most risk of getting sick from orange chicken. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much for them to get sick, so it’s always best to get help from a professional.