Plain Poached Chicken Shreds

A small moment, made simply.

1. Use separate clean utensils for raw poultry. Put the chicken in a saucepan and cover it with plain water. Do not add stock, seasoning or salt.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until a clean digital food thermometer reads at least 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part. Time and colour alone do not confirm safe cooking.
3. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate. Let it cool enough to handle, then shred it finely, checking for any hard pieces.
4. Offer only a tiny, cooled amount that fits your pet's treat allowance. Save the rest of the batch separately; a whole breast is not a pet serving.

Offer a little, not the whole batch

Start with a very small taste, not a bowlful. All treats, toppers and other extras combined should stay below 10% of daily calories; this is a ceiling, not a target. A teaspoon is not a universal portion. Use your veterinary team’s individual calorie allowance and the exact ingredient’s nutrition information. If you do not know the allowance, ask before feeding more.

Keep the rest safely

Keep raw animal ingredients separate from ready-to-eat food, and wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling them. Use a thermometer for animal-ingredient recipes. Cool the small amount you offer so it is not hot. Refrigerate the remaining cooked batch promptly in a clean shallow container, within two hours, at 4°C or colder; use within 2–3 days or freeze separately. Do not leave a pet bowl out all day or put food licked by your pet back into the stored batch. Discard cooked food left at room temperature for more than two hours. These are general food-handling precautions, not validated shelf-life testing for these recipes.

Leave these out

No bones, skin, deli meat, rotisserie chicken, gravy or seasoned broth. Avoid if chicken is not appropriate for your pet's diet. Chicken alone is not nutritionally complete for a dog or cat.