Humans love pizza, it’s a trendy food for most of us, and there are lots of different types of it we enjoy. So, sometimes, it does sound like a good idea to offer a slice of pizza to your dog. But are dogs really allowed to eat pizza, or is it bad for their health? Let’s find out.
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Is pizza bad for dogs?
That all depends on the ingredients, you want to use for your pizza. The problem comes with you have pizza with onions or garlic on them. These are both part of the Allium genus flowering plants, and they have thiosulphate and n-propyl disulfide. Unfortunately, these compounds will make red blood cells break down in the case of a dog, and that will lead to anemia. This means your dog’s body will have less and less red blood cells, and that will make him less energetic and powerful. Also, the yeast in bread is unsafe as it will reach your dog’s gastrointestinal tract, and it will cause obstructions.
Is pizza good for dogs?
Pizza is not good, but also isn’t necessarily bad for dogs unless it has onions, garlic and other dog-toxic ingredients. Other toppings like bacon, cheese, chicken, ground beef, olives, pineapple, tomatoes, spinach, sausage, and others are more or less safe for your pup.
But let’s dig deeper.
According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Food Database, the 100g (a slice) serving of simple cheese pizza from Pizza Hut contains 280 calories, 11.73 g of protein, 29.93 g of carbs, including 1.7 g of fiber and 12.26g of fat, 21mg of cholesterol, 3.21g of sugars, and 624 mg of Sodium (too high for pups. It’s not recommended to consume more than 100mg per day for a medium-size dog).
On top of that, it surprisingly has a bunch of vitamins and minerals from Thiamin, Niacin, and Riboflavin to Vitamin B6, B12, E, A, etc.
The problem here is in all the fats and Sodium. As long as your dog eats a tiny serving of pizza without garlic and onions, he will be fine. Also, make sure that the pizza sauce has no onion in it, either. But it absolutely can not become a staple food for your four-legged friend.
Can puppies have pizza?
Technically puppies should be able to eat pizza, but only smaller slices if needed. (Although the situation where it’s absolutely necessary is hard to imagine). However, it’s an excellent idea not to feed a puppy pizza as this might cause gastrointestinal tract obstructions if the slices are too big. While you can feed puppies pizza, it’s recommended to keep this treat for when they get older.
Can dogs eat pepperoni from pizza?
Pepperoni isn’t recommended for dogs as it has a high amount of fat and Sodium. Even the seasonings are not safe for dogs. A one-time feast might be ok, but if your dog consumes a large amount of pepperoni, then the pet will risk digestive issues, pancreatitis, kidney damage, and salt poisoning. And if you’d like to learn more, you can check our related research about dogs and pepperoni, salami and other hams.
Can dogs eat pizza crust?
Pizza crust doesn’t have any nutritional value.
According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Food Database, the 100g serving of pizza crust contains 262 calories, 6,15 g of protein, 47.69 g of carbs, including 1.5 g of fiber and 3.86g of fat. On top of that, it has a surprising amount of vitamins and minerals, but also comes with sugars (6.15g) and Sodium (554mg)
The crust itself can have lots of unprocessed dough in it, and that can be toxic for your pet. Also, it can have traces of butter, garlic, and other compounds that are bad for your pet. The plain pizza crust is also high in carbs and Sodium, which might lead to weight gain and other health issues. And as time goes by, this will also bring in major health issues like liver disease, diabetes, and heart disease for dogs.
Can dogs eat pizza rolls?
Dogs shouldn’t really eat any kind of pizza rolls. While pizza rolls don’t seem dangerous at first, you have to keep in mind that they have a very high amount of carbs, cholesterol, and Sodium, just like regular pizza. The topping can also have lots of fat too, and that will be very bad for your pet. Also, pizza has cheese, and many dogs have problems with cheese too. And then there’s also the fact that seasonings such as onion or garlic are toxic for your dog.
My dog ate pizza. What should I do next?
The situation can be ignored, or it can be taken seriously depending on how much pizza was eaten by your dog. Usually, a slice is ok, although you should always keep the pizza consumption at a minimum. Offer your pet access to water in this case.
You could also go to the doctor, but that’s only when your pet shows any unusual signs of weakness. That can be a clear indication that your pet is not healthy and needs medical attention as quickly as possible.
Can dogs eat pizza? Summary
Technically a dog can eat pizza. And while regular pizza is not harmful, as long as it doesn’t contain clearly toxic ingredients, like garlic, grapes or onions, it’s still not the best food choice for dogs in general. So it’s probably a good idea to offer your dog healthy treats, not pizza slices! Or a pizza-shaped squeaky toy to make it fun.
Thanks for the blog graphics: Canva.com
