There’s nothing like settling down for your favorite show with a bag of BBQ potato chips in hand. It’s not the healthiest habit, but it sure is a fun way to spoil yourself. Your pet may even want to join in on the fun and ask for some of those chips.
Should you give in and offer some BBQ chips to your pet or is that a bad idea? Learn the answer to that question and other important topics by continuing with the rest of this article.
Can Dogs Eat BBQ Chips?
Potato chips are delicious treats. A lot of people probably wouldn’t mind carving out more room in their diet for potato chips if they were healthier.
Unfortunately, potato chips are not good for us. They should only be enjoyed in moderation.
Since potato chips are bad for us, does that mean that they are unhealthy treats for our pets as well? As you’ve probably guessed, potato chips are indeed bad for dogs. Barbeque-flavored chips, in particular, can pose a lot of complications for our four-legged friends.
The reasons detailed below explain why BBQ-flavored potato chips are terrible treats for dogs.
Potato Chips Contain a Lot of Carbohydrates
Potatoes are known for being great sources of carbohydrates. Those carbs help fill us up and they offer nice energy boosts as well.
However, consuming too many carbohydrates can cause us to gain weight. The same thing can happen to our dogs.
If you give your dog potato chips regularly, it won’t be long before they start packing on the pounds. You can always put them on a diet and get them on an exercise regimen so they can shed those pounds, but preventing them from being overweight in the first place would be ideal.
Potato Chips Contain Artificial Ingredients
Look at the ingredients list for just about any mass-produced bag of potato chips and you’ll notice that they contain more than just salt and fried potatoes. Many manufacturers also add artificial ingredients to their potato chips. Some of those ingredients are meant to add flavor, while others are supposed to maintain the quality of the chips themselves.
Those artificial ingredients are not good for us, but we can handle them. The same may not hold true for your dog. They could get sick from consuming too many of those artificial ingredients.
Potato Chips Are Oily
Oily foods and dogs don’t mix. Feed your pet something oily and it won’t be long before they start having problems.
Since potato chips are known for being oily, it would be best not to give them to your dog. Choose a healthy, baked item instead if you want to give your dog something healthy to munch on.
BBQ Potato Chips Contain Garlic and Onion Powders
There is one additional reason why BBQ-flavored potato chips are bad treats for dogs. You see, many manufacturers use different spices to achieve that distinct barbeque flavor in their chips. Among the spices they may use are garlic and onion powders.
For those who may be unaware, garlic and onion are commonly used ingredients that are toxic to dogs. Consuming an excessive amount of garlic and onion can cause your pet to develop a case of allium poisoning.
You obviously don’t want your pet getting sick from the treats you gave them. That’s why you should always keep your BBQ-flavored chips to yourself.
What Happens if My Dog Eats BBQ Chips?
We’ve established that BBQ-flavored potato chips are bad for dogs, but what exactly will happen if your pet happens to eat some? Let’s discuss the potential outcomes below.
Your Dog Will Turn Out Fine
We caution against feeding your dog chocolates, raisins, and BBQ chips because those items could poison your pet. However, the worst-case scenario is not always the most likely one.
In many cases, dogs won’t eat enough of the food that’s bad for them to truly get sick. They may throw up the chips and look uncomfortable for a while, but they should turn out fine not long after.
Your Dog Gets an Upset Stomach
It may take consuming a lot of BBQ chips for your dog to get allium poisoning, but the oil from those treats can still cause some problems. To be more specific, the excessive oil coating the chips could upset your dog’s stomach.
Not long after eating some BBQ chips, your dog may experience a bout of vomiting and/or diarrhea. That’s the reaction caused by the oily chips. Watch out for potential dehydration if your pet starts exhibiting those symptoms.
Your Dog Develops a Case of Allium Poisoning
A dog developing a case of allium poisoning from eating BBQ-flavored potato chips is rare, but it can happen. For instance, something like that could occur if your small dog got into a big bag of BBQ chips.
The symptoms of allium poisoning can be very troubling. Apart from vomiting and diarrhea, dogs experiencing allium poisoning may also grow weaker and more lethargic.
In severe cases, dogs afflicted with allium poisoning may experience great difficulty with breathing. Allium poisoning can also cause red blood cells to burst. If your pet’s red blood cell count drops below a certain threshold, they may experience anemia along with the symptoms attached to that.
What to Do if My Dog Eats BBQ Chips?
What is the recommended course of action if your dog ate some BBQ chips? We’ve elaborated on that matter below so feel free to check out our recommendations.
Step 1: Check How Many BBQ Chips Your Dog Ate
The first thing you want to do is to check how many BBQ chips your dog ate. As we’ve already discussed, the number of chips your dog ate could determine how severe the ramifications are for them.
Hopefully, your dog only ate a few chips and you can stop worrying about this matter as much.
Step 2: Watch over Your Pet
Even if your dog only ate a handful of chips, you should still watch over them. Stay on the lookout for any unusual changes in your dog’s behavior.
Vomiting and diarrhea are expected if your dog ate BBQ chips, but that should be it. If their symptoms get any worse, you should proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Bring Your Dog to the Veterinarian
Taking your dog to the veterinarian is a must if they’re acting weird after eating the chips. You should also go to the vet immediately if you saw that your pet ate a lot of those potentially toxic potato treats.
It’s worth mentioning as well that the symptoms of allium poisoning may take days to present themselves. Even if a few days have passed since your pet ate the chips, you should still take them to the vet if they start acting strangely.