Dogs have become so much a part of our lives that we treat them as human friends or companions. They do everything with us. They sleep on our beds, cuddle with us on the couch and greet us with excitement when we arrive home. They take us on walks and explore the outside world with us. If we are doing gardening, they garden with us. They join in all our activities with exuberance. Because they have become so much a part of our lives, it can be difficult to deny our dogs a bite of whatever we are eating. They do everything else with us, so why not eat the same food as us? Can dogs eat pizza?
When we are eating, they look at us with those big round eyes, and it is difficult to deny our dogs a taste of human food. Pizza is food we all love, and our prized pooch will gobble it down with glee. But can a dog eat pizza? Your dog shouldn’t eat pizza or pizza crust.
Human food is not the best food for your dog; it is bad for dogs. Of course, they will not say no if you offer them a slice of pizza. They will devour it with delight. But pizza is not a good thing to have in their diet. Pizza is bad for dogs.
Why Isn’t Pizza Good For Your Dog?
If you look at your pizza, pizza crust, or pizza toppings, some may appear to be quite healthy, not just for humans but for your canine friend. There are probably some fresh ingredients on your pizza that would do no harm. However, there will be several process items, particularly meats, that will not be good for your dog’s health. Even the fresh, healthy items are now covered in tomato sauce and cheese and salt.
Processed Meats
Processed meats are not a healthy choice for your dog. They are high in fats and sodium and are known to cause health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and cancer in animals. So can dogs eat pepperoni? No dogs should not be given pepperoni or any processed meats and what is a pizza without pepperoni?
Pizza Crust
·Pizza crust is crunchy and not everyone’s favorite, so it can be seen as a great treat to throw the dog. The crust, like the pizza itself, is not suitable for your pooch. In the pizza crust, you find substantial salt and oil but no nutritional value. Oil causes inflammation in a dog’s pancreas. Inflammation from oil causes pancreatitis, which is a severe problem. The symptoms of this are fever, a quickened pulse rate, nausea and vomiting, and pain in the abdomen.
Cheese
Dogs may love cheese, but just because they like something does not mean it is good for them. You may be surprised to know that the majority of dogs are lactose intolerant or lactose resistant. This means the animal’s gut will have a difficult time digesting cheese.
Pizza is covered with large quantities of cheese, and the cheese used on pizzas is high in fat, as this makes it easier to melt.
Though a small amount of cheese may not make your dog visibly ill if they consume a lot, they will get gut issues, including diarrhea and vomiting.
Garlic and Onions
Onion, garlic, chives, and leeks are poisonous to your dog. These are key ingredients on a pizza as they add extra zing. They are great for our taste buds but toxic to our dogs. You should never give garlic or onions to your canine. These ingredients come from the Alliums plant family and contain thiosulphate. Thiosulphate reduces oxygen present in red blood cells. If your dog ingests toxic doses of garlic and onions, it will cause oxidative damage, making red blood cells more likely to rupture. It also causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
Giving even a small portion of garlic or onion will damage your dog’s health. It may only have a minimal upset to the stomach. Still, there are much worse case scenarios, including lethargy, an increase in the heart or respiratory rate, and intolerance to exercise.
Dogs can experience hemolytic anemia during the days that follow the poisoning. This is life-threatening. Signs of this are dehydration, lethargy, and labored breathing. If you do not have your dog treated, then it could fall into a coma or die.
So your dog is drooling as you eat your pizza. Don’t give in to the temptation. A slice of pizza or a pizza crust is not worth the health risks.
Sodium
Sodium tends to mean one thing for the human taste buds – flavor. For this reason, it is in many of the foods that we purchase. There are many ingredients that you put on your pizza or that come on a purchased pizza that are high in sodium. Any processed meat will have a high salt content as will pickled vegetables and tomato sauce. Even the tomato sauce that is spread liberally over the base will be laden with sodium.
· BEWARE – Salt can be deadly to dogs! Sodium builds up in the system and causes gastrointestinal issues. As in humans, it can also cause high blood pressure and lead to heart disease. Salt poisoning caused by ingesting too much salt over a short period will damage the dog’s kidneys. If this issue remains untreated, it is likely to result in the animal’s death.
High-Fat Content
Humans may enjoy foods with high-fat content. It is not necessarily good for them, and it certainly is not suitable for their dogs. Pizza is delicious, quick, and easy, but it also tends to be quite greasy and has high-fat content. Even the lower fat varieties of pizza still have fat in them.
A dog’s diet must have no more than 10 percent fat content in it. If they consume more, it will lead to obesity issues for the dog, and this directly impacts the health of the animal.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the sugars, starches, and fibers found in fruits, grains, vegetables, and milk products. All the crust of the pizza is carbohydrates. The crust seems like a natural and healthy treat for your dog as it doesn’t have any filling on it, but and although it won’t hurt them, you are giving them empty calories. Carbohydrates and salt make up the crust. There is no nutrition value for your dog in it. Even the pizza crust can make your dog more obese.
Health Issues For Dogs From Eating Pizza
Pizza is not a good food choice for dogs. It may seem a harmless treat, but it is not. It can lead to:
1. Lethargy
2. Weight gain
3. Gastrointestinal issues
4. Salt Poisoning and kidney damage
5. Pancreatitis
6. Kidney Damage
7. Death
The Dog Ate Pizza – Should I Panic
Our dog has been known to steal a little something off the kitchen bench when we have not been looking. The smell of pizza will certainly attract them. If they have consumed some pizza, sneakily, this is what you should do.
1. If they have only eaten a small amount of pizza, then you should observe them over the coming hours. They may be a little lethargic or have an upset stomach.
2. If they have eaten a large amount of pizza, then you need to call your vet. Before you do so, gather some information about what ingredients were on the pizza. This will help the vet to decide how to proceed.
From time to time, we will throw a leftover piece of pizza crust to our dog, but we should limit the times we do this. Pizza is not made considering the dietary needs of a canine. Pizza does not provide the fuel required for a dog to stay energetic and healthy. In fact, too much pizza will be detrimental to your dog’s health. There is no nutritional value in a pizza, only empty calories. So if you want to keep your best buddy healthy and happy, put the leftover pizza and pizza crusts in the bin and provide them with healthy dog food.
Do you want to give your dog a treat? Give them some peanut butter or honey or a well-balanced commercially made dog treat.
