Can dogs eat Cornish hen? Discover the safe way to prepare Cornish hen for dogs at home.
Making a Treat: My Dog Tried Cornish Hen
Okay, so I decided to try something a little different for my dog's dinner treat the other night. I was at the grocery store and saw those little Cornish game hens. They looked like the perfect size, not too big like a full chicken.
Got one home and unwrapped it. First thing, I gave it a good rinse under cold running water, inside and out. Got rid of any little icy bits or whatever. I patted it dry with some paper towels afterwards.
Prep was super simple. I didn't add anything at all. No salt, no pepper, no garlic powder, nothing. Just the plain bird. Dogs don't need all that extra stuff, and some of it's bad for them anyway.
I thought about the best way to cook it. Boiling seemed easy, but I figured baking would be less messy and maybe keep more flavor in, even without seasoning. So, I preheated my oven, maybe around 375 degrees Fahrenheit? Something like that. Put the hen in a small baking dish. Didn't even add oil or anything.
I let it bake for, I don’t know, maybe an hour or so? I checked on it a few times. The main thing was making sure it was cooked all the way through. Juices gotta run clear, you know? No pink bits near the bone. I used a meat thermometer just to be safe, aimed for that safe internal temperature, like 165 F.
Cooling down is key. Once it was definitely cooked, I took it out of the oven and let it sit on the counter for ages. Had to be completely cool before giving any to my dog. Hot food is a no-go.
After it cooled down, I started pulling the meat off the bones. It was pretty tender, so it came off easily. I shredded it into small, bite-sized pieces. I decided to skip giving the bones this time, even though some people do with raw feeding. Since I cooked it, the bones get brittle, so I tossed those out. Didn't want to risk any choking or splintering issues.
- Rinsed the hen.
- Baked it plain until fully cooked.
- Let it cool completely.
- Shredded the meat, discarded bones.
Then came the moment of truth. I put a small pile of the shredded Cornish hen meat in his bowl, separate from his usual kibble just to see his reaction. Oh man, he sniffed it once and basically inhaled it! Tail was going like crazy. He definitely approved.
Checked on him later, no upset stomach or anything weird, which was good. It was a success! Definitely felt like a nice, special treat for him. Probably won't do it every day, but it was easy enough for a special occasion thing.
