Welcome to our comprehensive guide on the intriguing topic of dogs and pretzels! If you’ve ever found yourself enjoying a salty pretzel snack and wondered whether your canine companion can partake in this crispy delight too, you’re in the right place. In this unique guide, we’ll explore the relationship between dogs and pretzels, shedding light on the safety, risks, and considerations associated with sharing this snack with your furry friend. Let’s embark on this flavorful journey to uncover the facts and myths surrounding canines and pretzels.
We always give ourselves some salty & delicious treats as snacks. In terms of doing that, we also offer our pets, especially dogs, those snacks. Pretzels nowadays are an excellent snack for binge eating. But while giving it to your dog, one might want to know that can dogs have pretzels?
Can dogs eat pretzels? The definite answer to this question is that, no, you cannot give pretzels to your dogs because they are very high in salt. If your dog consumes too much sodium, it will make them feel not good or boost their cholesterol level & blood pressure level to an extent level. This way, it can lead to salt poisoning if they consume too much sodium or too much pretzel.
There is a variety of pretzels that are available in the markets. We often experiment with our taste pallets & consume those various types of pretzels. A variant called onion & garlic flavoured pretzel may not be harmful to humans but harmful for dogs. So, if you are wondering, can dogs have pretzels?, the answer would be, ‘no.’Another variant is Choco coated pretzels which taste delicious but are a big no for dogs.
Before getting straight to the answer for ‘can dogs have pretzels’, let’s take a look at the disadvantages of feeding your dog pretzels.
The actual reason that you should never give pretzels to your dog is that pretzels are high in sodium, whether it is the traditional American type or the small baked type. For detailed inquiry, let’s go through how much sodium can a pretzel contain? As in a medium-sized pretzel, a decent pretzel has 1615 mg of salt (sodium), a daily sodium intake for an adult. A single pretzel contains 40 mg of salt (sodium), so you can pretty much assume how much sodium does a handful of pretzels contain. A dog should not eat more than 100 mg salt if its weight is more than 35 pounds.
What to do if your dog consumes too much pretzels contaning salt
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If your dog intakes too much pretzels containing salt, there is possibility of dehydration and salt poisioning.Consuming too much salt in a short time may release water from dogs’ bodies to balance out the sodium substances. This will cause severe dehydration as your dog’s body reduces water, which can destroy brain cells due to water shortages. It will cause some neurological effects such as headaches, dizziness & seizures.
Suppose your dogs are not able to hydrate themselves. In that case, it will make them fall seriously ill in such a short time like respiratory problems, fast heartbeats, fainting, dizziness, etc. Moreover, your dogs can suffer from salt poisoning.
Symptoms of salt poisoning
Salt poisoning symptoms can vary in different breeds of dogs. But in general, we can point out some signs which are the consequences of food poisoning. Here are some of them:
- Coma
- Convulsion
- Diarrhoea
- Thirst
- Fluid build-up
- Headache
- Fever
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Vomiting
- Weakness
Treatments for salt poisoning after eating pretzels
If your dog is suffering from too much salt intake after eating pretzels, immediately take them to the vet clinic where they can get treatments like oxygen supply, electrolytes, or fluids via IV. This treatment will slowly reduce sodium from your dog’s body. If you quickly lower sodium levels from their body, it will cause brain injury or heart attack. If your dog’s damage is severe due to too much sodium intake, your vet will suggest mannitol or dexamethasone.
Toxic ingredients in pretzels: Still want to know, ‘can dogs have pretzels?’ well, if you give your dog a couple of pretzels, it will probably not harm them. They can easily digest them by drinking water gradually. But when it comes to flavoured pretzels, then the ingredients that are very harmful to dogs, they should not consume these pretzels at all. In these cases, you should also be more conscious about the types of salt poisoning from eating pretzels.
Types of flavoured pretzels
- Onions & garlic flavoured: For humans, flavoured pretzels can be mouth-watering snacks, but for dogs, they can be harmful because onions & garlic are allium species that can be poisonous to dogs. It can also damage their blood cells & it can lead them to anaemia. So, can dogs eat pretzels that are flavoured? In short, no.
- Chocolate flavoured: First of all, chocolates are harmful to dogs because chocolates originate from a fruit called coca. Theobromine is a compound found in cocoa, which is toxic for dogs.
- Raisins: Raisins, nuts, cashews are very bad for dogs’ health and can cause kidney failures. So, if you want to take extra awareness for your dog’s health, you should not give it to your dog.
- Cheese flavoured: Dogs often have issues like lactose intolerant because they can’t digest dairy products due to the lack of enzymes in their bodies. So, can dogs eat pretzels that are cheese flavoured? Giving your dog cheese or cheese flavoured pretzels probably be a bad idea as it can influence them to have an upset stomach.
- Salt-free pretzels: Can dogs have pretzels that are salt-free? Salt-free pretzels may not contain sodium but are still harmful to your dog’s stomach cause pretzels are full of carbohydrates. A dog should only contain carbohydrates or calories coming from animal-based proteins. A dog should always consume fewer carbohydrates as they store the carbohydrate as fat.
Apart from pretzels, there are some high sodium-based snacks that you should avoid for your dog. These items are sourdough, French fries, instant noodles, pasta sauce, salad dressing sauce, tortilla chips, burgers, etc. these foods may be good & digestive for humans but very toxic & harmful for dogs. These foods are high in sodium & they can make your dog severely ill.
Paws for Thought: Navigating the Canine-Pretzel Conundrum
As we wrap up our exploration into the world of dogs and pretzels, it’s time to pause and reflect on the key takeaways. While pretzels may seem harmless and tempting, it’s crucial to remember that not all that glitters is gold – or, in this case, safe for your four-legged companion. In our unique guide, we’ve unraveled the complexities surrounding dogs and pretzels, emphasizing the importance of moderation and caution.
Ultimately, the decision to share pretzels with your dog requires careful consideration of their individual health, dietary needs, and potential allergies. So, before you toss that pretzel to your pup, take a moment to ponder the implications and, when in doubt, consult your veterinarian for tailored advice. The journey of understanding dogs and pretzels is indeed unique, and by staying informed, you can ensure that both you and your furry friend enjoy snack time without any ruff surprises!
In conclusion, to the answer of ‘can dogs eat pretzels,’ we can say that pretzels for dogs are a big no. It contains too much sodium, which can deteriorate your dog’s health & cause dehydration, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhoea, etc. If your dog accidentally ate the pretzels, carefully examine them if they show any allergies or symptoms. To ensure that your dog is entirely ok, take them to the vet for proper medication.
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