Can Dogs Eat Teriyaki Chicken?

Teriyaki chicken is not a good food for dogs. Plain chicken is fine, but teriyaki sauce is salty and often made with garlic or onion. Both can make a dog sick. A tiny lick probably won’t hurt, but don’t feed it on purpose, and call your vet if your dog ate a lot.

Why is teriyaki chicken bad for dogs?

The chicken is not the problem. The sauce is. Teriyaki sauce is often made with soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and other flavorings. Recipes and store brands differ, so read the label or ask the cook. There are two main worries.

Garlic and onion

The ASPCA says onion and garlic can upset a dog’s stomach and damage red blood cells. That can lead to anemia, which means the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells.

The Merck Veterinary Manual says raw, cooked, dried, and powdered forms can all cause problems. It says garlic is about 3 to 5 times more toxic than onion. Dogs are less sensitive than cats, but they can still get sick.

Salt

Soy sauce is very salty. The AKC lists large amounts of soy sauce as one way dogs get salt poisoning. It says smaller dogs are at greater risk. The ASPCA also says too much salt can cause thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and seizures.

Signs to watch for

Salt problems and garlic or onion problems look different, and they show up at different times.

Too much salt, according to the AKC:

• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Not wanting to eat
• Low energy
• Wobbling or poor balance
• Drinking or peeing much more than usual
• Tremors or seizures

Garlic or onion, according to Merck:

• Weakness and low energy
• Not wanting to eat
• Pale gums, or gums and eyes that look yellow
• Fast breathing
• Dark or red pee
• Collapse

Merck says the red blood cell damage often shows up 3 to 5 days after eating. So a dog that looks fine on day one still needs a call to the vet if it ate a lot.

What about the fat and the fried bits?

Many takeout chicken dishes are cooked in oil or coated in batter. Merck lists eating trash or lots of table scraps as a common risk for pancreatitis in dogs. That is a painful swelling of the pancreas, an organ that helps digest food. Signs include vomiting, belly pain, and not wanting to eat.

What should I do if my dog ate teriyaki chicken?

1. Take away the rest and check how much your dog ate.
2. Read the ingredients or ask the cook. Look for garlic, onion, and their powders.
3. Call your vet or a poison hotline if your dog ate more than a small bite, or if your dog is small. Tell them your dog’s weight and what was in the sauce.
4. Offer fresh water. Don’t give salt, and don’t try to make your dog vomit.
5. Watch your dog for several days. Call your vet at once if you see any of the signs above.

Other kinds of sauced chicken

Can dogs eat orange chicken (like Panda Express)?

No, it is not a good choice. Restaurant orange chicken is usually fried and covered in a sweet, salty sauce. I could not find the exact recipe in a veterinary source, so I can’t say what is in it. Fried food can bother a dog’s stomach and raise the risk of pancreatitis. The sauce may also have garlic or onion. If your dog steals a piece, watch for the signs above. If it ate a lot, call your vet.

Can dogs eat fried chicken or chicken with other sauces?

The same rules apply. Fat, salt, and garlic or onion are the worries. See our guide on fried chicken for dogs for more.

What can my dog have instead?

Plain cooked chicken is the better choice. Take off the skin, remove all bones, and skip salt, oil, and seasoning. Our guide to chicken for dogs has the details. You can also read about the dangers of garlic and onions, or see the full list of foods that are toxic to dogs.

Treats, including plain chicken, should be no more than about 10% of your dog’s daily calories.