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Can Dogs Eat Rice?

Plain cooked rice can be a small extra for most healthy dogs. White vs brown, how much to give, the arsenic question, and its place in a bland diet.

Choolip Team28 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

A beagle sitting politely as its owner sets down a bowl of kibble topped with a small spoonful of plain cooked white rice, beside a bowl of fresh water

Can dogs eat rice? Merck's veterinary manual names rice in an example bland diet for dogs, and a University of Illinois study notes grains make up 30 to 60% of many pet foods. Plain, cooked rice can be a small extra for most healthy dogs.

The WSAVA keeps all extras under 10% of daily calories and lists onion and garlic as toxic to dogs. So serve rice unseasoned, and skip fried rice or anything cooked with onion or garlic.

Can dogs eat rice safely?

Here's the surprising part. A 2013 study in Nature compared the genomes of dogs and wolves. It found that genes involved in starch digestion were among those that changed during domestication, giving dogs an increased ability to digest starch compared with wolves.

In the University of Illinois feeding study, dogs fed cooked dry diets built on rice or other grain flours digested more than 99% of the starch in them.

With grains making up 30 to 60% of the dry matter in many pet foods, per that same paper, you may find rice already on your dog's food label.

The key word is plain. A scoop of rice from your own dinner may have butter, salt, soy sauce, onion or garlic in it, and the WSAVA lists onion and garlic as toxic to dogs.

White rice or brown rice: which is better for dogs?

The USDA's FoodData Central database, a federal food composition source, shows how the two compare.

Per 100 g, cooked	White rice (long-grain, enriched)	Brown rice (long-grain)
Calories	130 kcal	123 kcal
Fiber	0.4 g	1.6 g
Protein	2.7 g	2.7 g

Brown rice keeps its bran. By our arithmetic from the USDA figures, that gives it about four times the fiber of white rice for roughly the same calories.

The ASPCA notes that rice bran is a moderately fermentable fiber, the kind it describes as best for promoting a healthy gut. It also notes that high-fiber foods aren't ideal for young, growing dogs or those with high energy needs.

White rice has very little fiber. Which suits your dog is a good question for your vet, and the bland diet section below explains where rice comes in.

Is the arsenic in rice a problem for dogs?

It's a fair question. The research here is on rice as human food, not on dogs.

A 2018 review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health explains that rice, grown in flooded fields, takes up more arsenic than grains such as wheat and barley.

A 2023 review in Frontiers in Nutrition, drawing on FDA testing data, reports average inorganic arsenic of 92 parts per billion in white rice and 154 in brown. Arsenic collects in the bran and germ, which milling removes.

FDA scientists tested one kitchen method. They found that cooking rice in plenty of extra water, then draining it like pasta, cut inorganic arsenic by about 40% in white rice, 50% in brown and 60% in parboiled.

There's a trade-off. The same study found this washes out 50 to 70% of the added iron, folate, thiamin and niacin in enriched white rice. Brown rice, which isn't enriched, lost much less.

No dog-specific arsenic guidance turned up in our research. If rice is a regular part of your dog's food, ask your vet whether these findings matter for your dog.

How much rice can I give my dog?

As an extra, keep it small. WSAVA advises that treats and extras, including food from your kitchen, should make up less than 10% of a dog's daily calories.

Rice adds up faster than it looks. One cup of cooked white rice is about 205 calories, by our arithmetic from the USDA figures. Ask your vet how much fits within your dog's daily calories.

WSAVA also says extras should never replace a meal. Every dog needs a complete and balanced diet, and plain rice on its own is not one.

Some ways to serve it that stay within those guidelines:

Plain, as a small topper on the usual food, counted toward the 10% limit.
With a little lean cooked meat. The ASPCA says small amounts of lean cooked chicken, turkey, beef or pork, free of bones and seasoning, are okay. Our guide on can dogs eat eggs covers cooked egg.
Cooked in plain water. Broth can contain onion or garlic, which the WSAVA lists as toxic.

If your dog is on a veterinary diet or has a medical condition, WSAVA advises checking with your vet before adding any extras.

What kinds of rice should dogs avoid?

With rice, what's cooked with it is the main thing to check.

Fried rice, pilafs and seasoned rice mixes, which often contain onion, garlic or chives. WSAVA lists all three as toxic to dogs. Our guide to can dogs eat garlic explains why even powdered forms count.
Rice dishes with raisins, which WSAVA also lists as toxic.
Rice heavy with butter, oil or salt. WSAVA notes that table scraps can be unhealthy for dogs.
Uncooked rice. The digestibility research above used cooked grain, so ask your vet before offering rice any other way.

Is rice good for a dog with an upset stomach?

Merck's owner guide gives cottage cheese and rice as one example of a bland diet, fed in small, frequent amounts. Use it with your vet's guidance rather than on your own.

The Antioxidants review of acute diarrhea in dogs describes the goal as a highly digestible, low-residue diet with moderate fat, and a quality protein such as meat or egg.

Ask your vet whether white rice suits your dog, how much to give, and for a balanced recipe if it will be fed for more than a day or two.

Some signs mean rice isn't the answer at all. Our guide to dog diarrhea explains which ones need a vet the same day.

Call your vet promptly if your dog:

is a puppy with loose stool or vomiting, both early signs Merck lists for parvovirus
has blood in the stool, or black, tarry stool, which Merck notes may be a sign of bleeding in the stomach or small intestine
is vomiting, especially with blood or belly discomfort
ate a rice dish containing onion, garlic, chives or raisins, all on the WSAVA's toxic list

Questions dog parents ask

Can dogs eat rice every day?

The WSAVA keeps all extras under 10% of daily calories and says they should never replace a meal. Within that, a small amount of plain rice can fit. Ask your vet if you plan to give it daily.

Can dogs eat rice and chicken?

The ASPCA lists small amounts of lean cooked chicken, free of bones and seasoning, as okay to share. As a meal, chicken and rice is not complete and balanced on its own, so ask your vet first.

Can puppies eat rice?

Ask your vet first. Puppies need a complete growth food, and the ASPCA notes high-fiber foods aren't ideal for young, growing dogs. White rice has less fiber than brown.

Is jasmine or basmati rice OK for dogs?

The sources here don't test jasmine or basmati separately. The same cautions apply: plain, cooked, without salt, butter, onion or garlic, and within the 10% limit.

Sources

This article is for general information and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your own dog — they know the animal in front of them.

Choolip products are food supplements, not medicine. They are not intended to diagnose or manage any medical condition. If your dog has been diagnosed with a condition, their diet should be set by your vet.

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