Can Dogs Eat Pizza? Well…
Have you ever had a slice of pizza in your hand, looked over at your dog and thought, can dogs eat pizza?
We love our pets, we definitely want them to have the best of everything in life.
We want them to enjoy the things we enjoy, and therefore have no trouble sharing what we have with them.
I mean pizza is delicious, so how could it not be something my dog can eat and love too?
So let’s dive in… Can dogs eat pizza?
The Answer Is…
It is probably best to avoid giving any amounts of pizza to your dog in order to stay on the safe side.
It is a good idea to avoid all human food when it comes to our pets, to ensure they continue to be healthy.
High quality dog food will always provide whatever it is that your dog needs in their diet to avoid health problems.
Why is Pizza Bad for Dogs?
A lot of pizzas have garlic and onion on them, or in the crusts; these ingredients can irritate your dog’s tummy.
Like humans, dogs can also have sensitivities or allergies to certain food ingredients.
It can be common that your dog will have issues with gluten, or be lactose intolerant.
These intolerances alone can cause a whole set of digestion issues that could cause long term issues for your dog.
Pizza is also not very nutritionally healthy for dogs, or humans for that matter, and provides a lot of empty calories.
Given the high number of calories in pizza this can easily cause weight gain, even if the dogs eat pizza crusts alone.
The Worst Ingredients
The biggest concern is in giving your dog raw, uncooked pizza dough, which contains yeast.
Unbaked yeast can cause your dog’s stomach to bloat to dangerous levels, and may even lead to death.
Any pizza dough that is flavored with onion or garlic can be particularly upsetting for your dog’s stomach.
Cheese is another problematic ingredient given the levels of lactose that can adversely affect your dog’s digestion.
The gluten in the flour is another one that can have long term negative implications for the digestive tract.
Dogs eating onions can cause damage to the red blood cells, maybe leading to anemia.
To a lesser effect the tomato sauce could have minor issues given the acidity in the tomatoes.
Healthy Dog-Friendly Snacks
There are so many healthy dog-friendly snacks out there right under our noses, that we may never have considered.
Fruits and vegetables of all sorts can not only be a great snack option for your dog, but also nutritious ones.
Carrots are a very good option that a lot of dogs love, and some love frozen carrots even more.
Apple slices, green beans, watermelon, green peas, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli to name just a few.
Just be sure to give small amounts to begin with to ensure that your dog does not have particular issues with certain foods.
Other healthy snacks of human foods are things like little bits of chicken, little bits of fish, or even peanut butter.
And of course there are nutritional snacks on the market manufactured by reputable companies that are good for your dog as well.
Foods Never to Feed your Dog
Coffee, caffeine or chocolate are highly toxic to dogs and should be avoided at all costs.
Avocado, raisins, grapes, and macadamia nuts are poisonous to dogs, and can cause death.
Alcohol is another thing that you should keep away from dogs, it can cause dangerous complications including death.
What if My Dog Ate Pizza?
A little bit of pizza is probably ok on the very rare occasion, which will most likely result in some bloating or diarrhea.
If you suspect that your dog has eaten large amounts of pizza, then it’s probably a good idea to monitor your dog.
There may be vomiting, lethargy, and avoidance of food due to the inflammation of the stomach and intestines.
In these cases you should withhold food for 12 hours and reintroduce bland foods such as rice or boiled chicken.
When to See a Veterinarian
It is a good idea to call your vet should your dog become lethargic, and begin to vomit with diarrhea.
It’s also best to contact a vet whenever you feel your dog is not acting his or her normal self.
Better safe than sorry by finding your nearest vet and giving them a call to ensure the health of your best friend.
