Can Dogs Eat Spicy Food? – Ultimate Guide From Smart Dog Mom

A lot of people love to eat spicy foods and they also wonder if they can share these foods with their dogs. The answer is NO NO NO!! This article will explain why dogs can’t eat spicy foods.

Spicy food is toxic and causes stomach issues like gas, pain, or diarrhea as well as it could make your dog throw up and additionally get very thirsty due to dehydration. IF they are suffering from dehydration from eating spicy foods they may show a lack of energy, panting, dry eyes, and a dry nose.

In reality, your dog is not missing out on taste, because while humans have about 9,000 tastebuds, your dog only has about 1,700 tastebuds. That means spicy stuff doesn’t really taste that much different to a dog.

Additionally, dogs do have a much better sense of smell than humans, and most dogs don’t like the smell of something spicy. They have about 125 million nasal sensory glands versus people only having around five or ten million. For our dogs, spicy foods may taste sour or bitter due to this and that makes them usually not like it.

Risk for your dog when he eats something spicy:

1. Could bring on gastric issues: Dogs can get diarrhea, throw up, extreme gas, stomach pain, or extreme thirst whenever eating something which is spicy. That’s because they are not supposed to eat this normally. For instance, capsaicin (which is a natural chemical in chili peppers) within the spice irritates their digestive system.

2. Risks of acquiring pancreatitis: A dog can get canine pancreatitis if they eat spicy foods. If food is extremely high in spices or fats, it may make their pancreas go into overdrive, thus producing digestive enzymes too soon. This could cause them to be hospitalized and permanently require a low fat diet if their pancreas is damaged.

Why spicy food harmful for Dog:

Here is some info on specific spices and why they are bad for canines:

Chili Powder: This causes the dog to get an upset stomach, as well as throw up or get diarrhea and become dehydrated. Chili powder has onion and garlic in it and both of these are poisonous so dogs can’t have it.

Chili Flakes: These have capsaicin in it. This irritates the dog’s digestive system. It can also cause a tummy ache, throwing up, or diarrhea.

Cayenne Pepper: Actually a dog can eat a small bit of this and a few brands of dog food has it in it. It may aid in circulation or digestion but you must talk to your veterinarian to see if it is ok for your dog. If your dog has any problems with their digestive, kidneys, or heart then they ought to not consume cayenne pepper.

Turmeric: Some dogs may benefit from turmeric if they suffer from arthritis, stomach issues, diabetes, stomach issues, or some types of cancer. That is because turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, and that can assist dogs if they have inflammatory diseases. But a dog can’t digest this product unless you mix it with some sort of paste or oil in small amounts. However, ask your veterinarian first before feeding it to your pup.

Cumin: A dog can have a little bit of either it in powder form or in a few seeds.

Paprika: Dogs cannot have this! It irritates their digestive system, eyes, skin, and nose and if they inhale it, paprika damages the lungs.

Black Pepper: Dogs cannot have black pepper. It will hurt their stomach.

Garlic Powder: Definitely not! It is poisonous and very dangerous to dogs. Powdered garlic is even worse than fresh garlic. Both onions and garlic have thiosulfate, and this causes hemolytic anemia. It is an emergency if a dog eats this so call your veterinarian at once.

Oregano: Dogs can eat a little of this spice. It is thought to aid in their digestive system but if they eat a lot if causes damage to kidneys or liver so don’t feed them a lot.

Nutmeg: Dogs can’t have nutmeg because a substance called myristicin in it is poisonous to them. It will cause disorientation, seizures, and high blood pressure.

Cinnamon: Dogs can eat cinnamon, but don’t let plain cinnamon touch their skin or mouth as it may cause irritation.

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Some foods with spices dogs ought to not consume:

Curry: Curry has way too many spices, for instance it contains onions, which aren’t a good thing for a dog.

Chili Con Carne: A few dogs can eat this, but some may get upset stomach and if you put garlic or onions in your chili, then NO, your dog cannot eat this chili.

Hot Wings: These are bad for dogs due to not just the spices, but cooked chicken bones are bad because dogs can chock due to the bones splintering.

Wasabi: Dogs can’t eat this because it will burn their mouth as well as upset their stomach and cause bloating and gas.

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Dog trainer, Author & Life coach at SmartDogMom.com

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