Chicken Fat in dog and cat food

Is it OK for dogs and cats?

Dogs

Chicken fat is a highly digestible fat source: in one study, dogs digested 99.3% of poultry fat. The cited sources identify no concern with it in complete dog foods. Total fat matters for some dogs: Merck advises a low-fat diet for dogs being treated for pancreatitis, so ask your vet if your dog has this condition.

Cats

Chicken fat supplies arachidonic acid, a fatty acid cats must get from food. It is found in poultry fat but not in vegetable oils, and cats digest chicken fat well. The cited sources identify no concern with it in complete cat foods. For cats with pancreatitis, Merck recommends a moderately fat-restricted diet.

How settled this is: No known concern at the amounts used in complete foods

What chicken fat is

Chicken fat is fat from chicken tissue. It can be produced by rendering. In rendering, heat and pressure remove most of the water and fat from animal tissue, leaving a protein-rich meal (for chicken, chicken meal). The name tells you the species. AAFCO's consumer guidance says a poultry ingredient from one bird species may use that bird's common name, such as chicken or turkey. Names such as 'poultry fat' or 'animal fat' do not name one species. Pet foods use antioxidants such as mixed tocopherols to keep fat from oxidizing and going rancid.

Why it is in pet food

AAFCO notes that animal fat is commonly used to supply additional nutrients and flavor to pet food. Fat has a high energy content and can add considerably more calories to a food. Varying the fat level lets foods meet different energy needs, such as work, growth or nursing. Dietary fat also helps the body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and it supplies essential fatty acids.

What it does in the food

As a fat, chicken fat mainly supplies energy. Dogs and cats both need linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, in their diet. Cats also need arachidonic acid, another omega-6 fatty acid. It is absent from vegetable oils but found in fat from meat, poultry and eggs. Unlike dogs, cats cannot readily convert linoleic acid into arachidonic acid. Most commercial adult dog foods contain 5–15% fat on a dry-matter basis. Cat diets with 8–40% fat have been fed successfully, and up to 60% of a cat's calories may come from fat. Digestibility is high in both species. In one study, dogs digested 99.3% of poultry fat. In a 1981 study, cats digested about 98.6% of the fat in a diet made with 25% chicken fat. In that study, cats preferred a purified diet made with bleached tallow over one made with chicken fat.

Safety and limits

The cited sources set no specific limit for chicken fat. Essential fatty acid deficiencies are extremely rare in dogs and cats fed properly preserved, complete and balanced diets. Fat can oxidize and go rancid, which is why antioxidants such as mixed tocopherols are used. Pancreatitis: dietary indiscretion is believed to be a common risk factor in dogs. For dogs being treated, a low-fat diet (under 20 g fat per 1,000 kcal) is crucial for treatment success. For cats, a moderately fat-restricted diet is recommended, though dietary fat may matter less in cats than in dogs. Allergy: chicken is one of the food allergens most often reported in dogs and cats with food allergies. In the reviewed studies it was reported in about 15% of 297 food-allergic dogs and about 5% of 78 food-allergic cats. Those studies were not designed to measure how common each allergy really is. The cited sources do not say whether chicken fat triggers reactions in chicken-allergic pets.

What depends on the amount and the recipe

Total fat: for dogs being treated for pancreatitis, the advice concerns the food's total fat level (under 20 g per 1,000 kcal), so ask your vet. Allergy: if your pet has a diagnosed chicken allergy, ask your vet whether foods with chicken fat are suitable. The cited sources do not settle this. Quality: the fat must be kept from oxidizing, which antioxidants help with. Species: cats need arachidonic acid from animal fats such as poultry fat, while dogs can make it from linoleic acid. Taste: in one small 1981 study using purified diets, cats preferred a tallow-based diet over a chicken-fat diet.

Not the same as

• Animal fat — A general name that does not tell you which species the fat came from.
• Poultry fat — Fat from poultry without naming the bird. 'Chicken fat' names the species.
• Chicken — Chicken flesh and skin (with or without bone), used mainly as a protein ingredient.
• Chicken meal — Rendered, dried chicken with most of the water and fat removed. It is a concentrated protein and mineral ingredient.
• Fish oil — An oil from oily fish, used mainly as a source of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.

Sources

1. What's in the Ingredients List? — Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Animal fat is commonly used to supply nutrients and flavor. Rendering uses heat and pressure to remove most of the water and fat, leaving protein and minerals. For the poultry ingredient, the common species name, such as chicken or turkey, may be used. Poultry meal is rendered poultry with most of the water and fat removed. Mixed tocopherols are listed as a preservative.
2. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals (Merck Veterinary Manual, professional version; full review Nov 2023, updated Sept 2024) — Merck & Co. (Merck Veterinary Manual), 2024. Fat adds calories and helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Dogs and cats need linoleic acid. Cats also need arachidonic acid, which is found in poultry fat but not in vegetable oils, and cannot readily make it. Typical fat levels in dog and cat diets. Essential fatty acid deficiency is extremely rare. Mixed tocopherols prevent fat rancidity. EPA and DHA come from oily fish.
3. Endogenous fat loss and true total tract digestibility of poultry fat in adult dogs (Marx et al., J Anim Sci 95(7):2928–2935) — Journal of Animal Science (American Society of Animal Science), 2017. Poultry fat was 99.3% digestible for adult dogs. Fat has high digestibility and high energy content.
4. Acceptability and digestibility by adult cats of diets made with various sources and levels of fat (Kane, Morris & Rogers, J Anim Sci 53(6):1516–1523) — Journal of Animal Science (American Society of Animal Science), 1981. Cats digested about 98.6% of the fat in a purified diet with 25% chicken fat. In two-choice tests, cats preferred a bleached-tallow diet over a chicken-fat diet.
5. Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats (Merck Veterinary Manual, professional version; full review Sept 2025) — Merck & Co. (Merck Veterinary Manual), 2025. Dietary indiscretion is believed to be a common risk factor in dogs. A low-fat diet (under 20 g fat per 1,000 kcal) is crucial for treatment success in dogs. A moderately fat-restricted diet is recommended for cats, where dietary fat may be less important than in dogs.
6. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats (Mueller, Olivry & Prélaud, BMC Vet Res 12:9) — BMC Veterinary Research, via PubMed Central, 2016. Chicken was reported in 45 of 297 dogs (15%) and 4 of 78 cats (5%) with adverse food reactions, and is among the most common food allergens in both species. The included studies were not designed to estimate true prevalence.

Checked against these sources on 2026-10-15. Definitions are in our own words. This is a reading aid, not veterinary advice: a vet who knows your animal comes first.