Sausages are an everyday treat in most households, making them a favorite snack for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner. Due to its widespread consumption, your canine friend may occasionally consume a few bites, raising the question, should dogs eat sausages? The article below dives into sausage consumption by dogs and what happens when they eat it.
Can Dogs Eat Sausages?
Dogs can eat sausages, with small amounts being a suitable occasional treat. This means that while this delicacy acts as an alternative meat source, it should still not be used as the primary source of their meat. Unfortunately, most sausages are low in protein, with many containing less than 50% meat.
Sausages also have processed meat, saturated fat, and salt that could potentially pose harm to your pet. Feeding your pet such processed foods will often compromise their health. Sometimes, regular consumption of sausages could be fatal for your dog.
In addition to this, various sausage brands will include varying nutritional content, spices, and different types of meat that your dog could be allergic to. Some examples of toxic spices include nutmeg, onions, and garlic. Besides, sausages boast significantly low amounts of healthy ingredients. As such, there is no direct health benefit gotten from this processed food.
Different state regulations also mean that various companies have contrasting labeling guidelines, increasing your dog’s risk of consuming unregulated products such as roadkill.
Can Dogs Eat Sausage Rolls?
There is barely any significant difference between sausages and sausage rolls. Both of them are processed foods, meaning that they are not suitable for your pet. Remember, sausage rolls come with an increased amount of salt, pastry, and fat, adding calories. While this sausage roll is not toxic, ensure that you do not feed it to your dog frequently. Instead, offer it as a treat.
Is Flavored Sausage Good For My Dog?
No. Flavored sausage is still a processed food. That means that besides the significant amount of fat and salt in it, it comes with extra spices to flavor it. As such, this sausage offers no meaningful health benefits to your pet.
Notably, some of the most common spices in these flavored sausages include garlic, nutmeg, and onions, which are unsuitable for dogs. These spices could cause stomach upsets, meaning that your dog could end up vomiting or diarrhea from time to time.
Is Sausage Grease Suitable for My Dog?
Sausage grease is unsuitable for your dog. This grease has high concentrations of fat and salt, which are unhealthy for your pet. Consuming these juices will considerably affect your dog, resulting in unexpected health issues.
Usually, sausage grease will shorten the lifespan of your dog. You can also expect multiple health complications, including muscular weakness, diarrhea, and vomiting. The extent of the health issues will depend on how much sausage grease the dog has taken.
What Happens if My Dog Eats Cooked Sausages?
Cooked sausage may help eliminate the risk of food poisoning and bacterial infections. However, it will still not eliminate the additives that sausages come with. A few of these harmful ingredients include the preservatives used, such as sulfite, which has been found to cause vitamin B1 deficiency.
Cooking sausages does also not reduce the amount of fat and salt. This means that if your dogs eat cooked sausages, they will still be exposed to health problems such as pancreatitis, anemia, and cardiac issues.
A few bites will not cause harm, but regular consumption of sausage will undoubtedly lead to long-term effects. Cooked sausage also leads to increased fat intake due to the oil and grease used in cooking. This only adds to the already high-fat content in sausages, leading to weight problems that affect your dog’s activity levels.
Two main issues could arise when your dog consumes too many sausages: diarrhea and vomiting. You could attribute these problems to the excess fat and salt in the sausage. The garlic in the sausage, especially in flavored sausages, could also prove toxic.
Sausages can also cause dehydration in dogs, thanks to the spices and preservatives in the sausage. In such instances, it would be best to restrict your dog from eating. Most experts recommend that you deny the dog food for approximately 24 hours. This period allows for its stomach to settle, reducing chances of diarrhea and vomiting too.
Once the 24 hours elapse, you could start feeding your dog bland food. It will ensure that the pet does not suffer any further stomach upsets. At the same time, providing your dog with enough water would be an excellent idea. This moe will help cushion the pet against significant dehydration.
You can also expect digestion issues after consuming sausages. Like all the other processed foods, sausages make the dog unable to digest various foods. This aspect could result in flatulence and stomach upsets. In addition, allergies and dry skin will be common aspects in any affected dog.
What Happens If My Dog Eats Raw Sausages?
Raw sausage meat differs slightly from cooked sausage, with the former often containing higher amounts of meat. Despite this increase in nutritional value, it is still worth doing away with any raw sausage consumption for your dog. Raw meat exposes your dog to pork that still packs a ton of fat and salt, with added flavorings that could negatively impact your dog’s health. Raw sulfite consumption could also lead to neurological disorders, causing facial paralysis and pain in their limbs. Raw meat could also expose your dog to infections such as Salmonella and E. Coli, diseases that could lead to gastroenteritis if not treated.
Is Sausage Bad for Dogs?
A few sausage treats are not bad for your dog. However, regular consumption can be detrimental due to processed meat, fat, and additives that could cause long-term health complications. If, for instance, your dog requires only about 600 calories per day, sausage intake will likely exceed this amount. A single sausage can contain up to 100 calories, meaning several of these will increase your dog’s calorie intake. If not well monitored, your dog could become obese.
Exposure to Harmful Ingredients
Your dog could also be exposed to harmful ingredients such as nutmeg, a common spice used by numerous sausage manufacturers. Nutmeg is one of the most toxic spices to pets. Due to the presence of the compound myristicin, your dog could experience nausea and dehydration. Ingesting it can also cause severe stomach upsets, nervous system issues, and respiratory harm.
Spices such as leeks and garlic are other ingredients in sausages that are toxic to your dog. While consuming these in small amounts will not cause immediate harm, regular consumption still poses a severe risk of developing anemia. Anemic dogs will tire quickly, have labored breathing, and have reduced appetite, leading to weight loss.
Too Much Salt Intake
The increased salt intake from sausages could also pose health hazards. The recommended salt intake for your dog is about 200 milligrams per day. This is in comparison to about 400 milligrams, which is found in every sausage. With this in mind, you could likely expose your dog to high blood pressure, kidney failure, and cardiac diseases with regular sausage consumption.
Additionally, your dog could also suffer from hypernatremia, resulting in shriveled and stiff muscles due to water loss. This could lead to constant jerking, further causing seizures and tremors along with vomiting and diarrhea. Due to this, too much salt will cause toxicity in your dogs. This is especially the case for dogs with existing kidney, heart, and liver issues. If your dog has any of these health problems, consider avoiding sausage consumption entirely.
Exposure to Carcinogens
Processed meats have also been linked to cancer, not just in humans but in dogs as well. The average sausage contains high amounts of carcinogens in its processed meat, making this another concern for your pet. If you are looking for ways to keep your dog healthy for the long run, avoiding sausage will help you reduce this risk significantly.
Excess Calories
Most dogs need between 640 and 800 calories per day on average. However, some neutered pets might need much less than this. Unfortunately, processed meats come with excess calories. Each piece of sausage boasts between 111 and 180 calories. This number of calories will be too much for your dog, especially if consumed in large numbers.
Preservatives
Various preservatives, including sulfite, are used on sausages. Yet, such elements could be toxic to dogs. Usually, these preservatives result in the deficiency of various minerals and vitamins, including thiamine. Insufficient thiamine could make the dog suffer from neuromuscular weakness, weight loss, and a lack of appetite. In certain cases, the dog could suffer a fatality.
What To Do if My Dog Eats Sausages?
Generally, small amounts of sausage will not be fatal to your dog. If, however, they consume too much sausage, this will require you to watch them for symptoms such as nausea or vomiting. If any of these occur, give them water to help them reduce the lost water and ensure that they remain hydrated.
Your vet’s help will come in handy here. That is because a medical check-up allows your dog to get immediate care to counteract any harm caused by the significant sausage intake. Same-day consultations will be your go-to, as too much fat and salt intake could lead to pancreatitis, which could be fatal or lead to long-term health and dietary issues.
Substituting Sausages
To substitute your dog’s sausage intake, consider switching it with lean meat. This could mean introducing meats such as fish, chicken, and turkey to their food. These contain more protein, allowing your pet to get the most out of their food. Make it a point to limit the number of spices used while cooking the above-listed meat, keeping in mind the amount of salt and fat used. Other healthy treats to consider feeding your dog include celery, carrots, green beans, and beets.
Suppose you want to give your dog a sausage as a treat. In this case, it would be best to substitute it with other healthier options. For instance, peanut butter will be an excellent option if you need to give your dog more proteins. It also provides vitamins B and E, niacin, and healthy fats.
You could also consider cooked chicken. Such chicken provides an excellent source of vitamins and proteins. You are also sure that your dog will love this food.
Baby carrots will also come in handy. These carrots boast a relatively low amount of calories, making them a healthy choice for your pet. You could offer them as either cooked or raw, depending on your preferences.
Your dog should focus on healthy foods. Bones, vegetable ingredients, fat, and meat will be excellent choices for your pet. However, you could offer this dog small portions of sausages whenever necessary.