A hotdog may seem like the perfect treat for a dog. This snack is juicy, meaty and as loved by human carnivores as it is by canine ones. But the truth is that you should avoid giving your dogs hot-dogs if you can and in this short guide to why dogs shouldn’t eat hotdogs we will tell you why.
Can Dogs at Hotdogs?
The answer is a “no”, but perhaps not in the way that you might think.
There are foods out there that can be very dangerous for your dog, causing instant digestive distress and even death. Such is the case with fruits that contain trace amounts of poisons; chocolate, which can cause heart problems; and much more. Hotdogs are not necessarily on this list, but you should still avoid giving them to your dog.
Why Hotdogs Are Bad for Dogs
Hotdogs contain very little actual meat. Most hotdogs are made using cheap fillers and cheap “meat”, which is often mechanically reclaimed meat such as chicken or pork. Even the so-called “premium” hotdogs are stuffed with filler to ensure it binds and forms into the shape we all know and to make sure it stays that way throughout cooking.
Dogs need a diet that is high in protein and much of that should come from meat. Hotdogs, with their preservatives, salt, additives and a meat that mostly consists of cartilage, cheap cuts and collagen, there is nothing there for them.
If you’re having a barbecue and your dog is licking his or her lips in anticipation, by all means give him or her a pork chop, a bit of chicken or a little steak, but don’t give them any of the hotdogs. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t be eating them either, but our bodies are a little more resilient and better equipped to deal with this sort of food.
Other Reasons Why Dogs Shouldn’t Eat Hotdogs
When we feed dogs hotdogs it’s rare that we do it straight from the grill or the pan. They usually give us the puppy-dog eyes when we’re sitting and eating, so we end up picking the meat out of the bun and giving that to them. We may even just give them a chunk of the bread with the bun.
But this is where this foodstuff can cross a line from “unhealthy” to “dangerous”. Dogs can suffer serious adverse effects from the consumption of onion and garlic, the former of which is often thrown in with the hotdog and the latter of which can be used in the cooking process or in sauces and relishes.
Add the increased carbs, sugars and additives from sauces, bread and any other topping that you use and you have something that could cause a lot of harm in the right amount.
There is probably nothing to worry about if they have a little, whether because you gave it to them without realizing or because they stole it. However, if they consume a lot of an onion/garlic containing hotdog then you should monitor them and in all cases you should avoid being the one to feed them this in the first place.