The New Chicken and Rice - Gastrointestinal Diets

Supporting your dogs' digestive health with veterinary nutrition

Digestive upset is one of the most common reasons dogs visit the vet. Vomiting, diarrhoea, gas and reduced appetite can be distressing for both dogs and their owners.

Traditionally, many people have been advised to feed chicken and rice when their dog has an upset stomach. While this approach can help in the short term, it is not designed to provide complete nutrition or longer term digestive support. For dogs with ongoing or recurrent gastrointestinal issues, a carefully formulated veterinary diet may be a better option.

Royal Canin’s Gastrointestinal range of diets are now available at our clinic and are designed to support digestive health through precise, veterinary recommended nutrition.

Why chicken and rice is not always enough

Home prepared chicken and rice is often easy on the stomach and may help during short episodes of mild digestive upset. However, these meals are not nutritionally complete and do not contain the balanced nutrients required for healing and recovery.

Dogs fed chicken and rice for more than a short period may be missing key vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. This can slow recovery and may contribute to ongoing digestive problems, especially in dogs that already have sensitive gastrointestinal systems.

For dogs with prolonged diarrhoea, vomiting or recurrent tummy issues, nutrition plays an important role in recovery and long term gut health.

What makes gastrointestinal diets different

Veterinary gastrointestinal diets are specifically formulated to support digestion and nutrient absorption. Royal Canin’s Gastrointestinal range is designed to provide complete and balanced nutrition while being gentle on the digestive system.

Key features of these diets include:

• Highly digestible ingredients to reduce the workload on the gut
• Carefully balanced fibre blends to support normal stool quality
• Added prebiotics to help support healthy gut bacteria
• Complete nutrition to support recovery and overall health

Because these diets are formulated with precision, they can be used safely for longer periods under veterinary guidance.

Supporting the gut microbiome

The gastrointestinal tract is home to a complex community of beneficial bacteria and other micro-organisms known as the microbiome. When this balance is disrupted, dogs may experience diarrhoea, gas or ongoing digestive discomfort.

Royal Canin Gastrointestinal diets include prebiotics such as fructooligosaccharides and mannanoligosaccharides. These help encourage the growth of beneficial gut bacteria while limiting the growth of less desirable bacteria, supporting a healthier digestive environment.

A balanced microbiome plays an important role in digestion, immunity and overall wellbeing.

Options tailored to your dog

Not all dogs experience digestive upset in the same way. Some may need a low fat diet, others benefit from increased fibre, and smaller dogs may require a different formulation again.

The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal range includes options tailored to different needs, including low fat diets, higher fibre diets and formulations designed specifically for small dogs.

Your veterinarian can help determine which option is most appropriate based on your dog’s symptoms, size and medical history.

When should you consider a gastrointestinal diet

A veterinary gastrointestinal diet may be recommended for dogs experiencing:

• Ongoing or recurrent diarrhoea
• Vomiting or nausea
• Poor appetite associated with digestive upset
• Recovery after gastrointestinal illness or surgery
• Chronic digestive conditions requiring long term support

It is important to seek veterinary advice before changing your dog’s diet, especially if symptoms are severe, persistent or worsening.

Our approach to digestive health

At GVG, we take digestive health seriously. Nutrition is an important part of managing gastrointestinal disease and supporting recovery. Veterinary-formulated diets allow us to provide targeted nutritional support rather than relying on incomplete home-prepared options.

If your dog is currently eating chicken and rice or continues to struggle with digestive issues, we recommend speaking with our team. We can help assess whether a Royal Canin Gastrointestinal diet may be a suitable option and guide you through the transition to ensure the best outcome.

You can read more about the Gastrointestinal range on the Royal Canin website here -  https://www.royalcanin.com/au/dogs/products/gastrointestinal-health