Most dog owners can agree: our furry friends are master manipulators.
Your dog will look at you with manipulative eyes when you are eating, and you might eventually be tempted to give him a piece.
Unfortunately, not every human food is safe for dog consumption.
Pork rinds are some of the snacks that you would want to share with your dog.
As delicious as the snack is, is it always safe for your dog? No, don’t feed your dog pork rinds.
Read on to understand more on whether dogs can eat pork rinds and if they are safe for them.
What Are Pork Rinds?
Pork rinds are pork skin.
Leftover pork skin from meat production is dried and processed to end up with the pork rinds.
The first process is boiling the skin to soften it and render it.
This leaves only the outer skin layer, which is cut into strips and dehydrated until it is brown and brittle.
Next, the dry pork skin is fried at about 4000°F (2204.4°C) to make it puffy and crispy.
It is then seasoned with pepper, vinegar, salt, garlic, and onion, among other spices.
Can Dogs Eat Pork Rinds?
Given the ingredients, it’s easy to see that pork rinds are unsafe for dogs.
Here are a couple of primary reasons why:
First, pork rinds are fried foods, which are always harmful to dogs.
Vets discourage dog owners from feeding fried food to their pets.
Additionally, pork rinds have salt, spices, and seasonings, which are also not safe for dogs.
These could cause your dog to have a sensitive stomach or have allergy reactions.
Why Are Pork Rinds Unsafe for Dogs?
Pork rinds are unsafe for dogs because of the ingredients that they contain.
Most pork rinds are fried and have salt and spices that are unsafe for dogs.
Commercial pork rinds may even be worse since they may contain additives and preservatives.
Read below for a deeper understanding of why pork rinds are unsafe for dogs.
Salt
Salt is dangerous for dogs since it increases the risk of salt poisoning.
Salt poisoning can damage the dog’s kidneys.
Additionally, the excess salt can cause dehydration which could have other adverse effects such as diarrhea, vomiting, frequent urination, depression, tremors, seizures, and high temperature.
In some extreme cases, excess salt could lead to death.
That’s why you should never feed your dog foods with high salt content.
Fried Foods
Fried food is dangerous for dogs since it can cause inflammation of the pancreas, a condition known as pancreatitis.
This causes the pancreas to fail to release the necessary digestive enzymes.
As a result, your dog will have problems such as severe vomiting, fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, and irregular heartbeat.
Fried food can also lead to obesity and diabetes for your dog, especially in the long term.
Spices
Spices, which are also a significant ingredient of pork rinds, can adversely affect your dog.
Some of the flavors humans love can have effects such as diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain, and vomiting for dogs.
Other spices, like garlic and onions, contain sulfoxide and disulfides, which may eventually lead to anemia.
These spices can have life-threatening effects on dogs, meaning that you should avoid them altogether.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Eats Pork Rinds?
Regardless of your effort to keep rinds away from your dog, your furry friend may find his way to them.
When this happens, don’t panic.
Dogs consuming rinds should not lead to any medical emergency.
However, there is a cause for alarm if your dog is allergic to pork.
Be on the lookout for any signs of illness.
If your dog is still okay after 24 hours, he is probably out of the woods.
Remember that regular intake of pork rinds could lead to problems.
Therefore, if your dog accidentally eats a pork rind, strive to ensure that this does not happen again.
The Recovery Process After Your Dog Eats Pork Rinds
Sure, it is normal for you to worry after your dog eats pork rinds.
However, there are high chances that there won’t be severe effects.
Here are the steps you should take after your dog has eaten pork rinds.
- Ensure that he takes a lot of fresh and clean water.
- Stick to his regular diet and avoid any human food.
- Avoid his exposure to extreme temperature.
- Limit his activities and encourage him to have enough rest.
- Feed him on plain white rice and boiled chicken for a while.
- If he shows signs of discomfort, please consult your vet to know whether you can administer any drugs to help ease his condition.
Can Dogs Eat Homemade Pork Rinds?
Homemade pork rinds can be better than commercial pork rinds.
This is because they contain fewer spices, salt, fat, and preservatives.
For this reason, homemade pork rinds are not harmful when dogs consume them.
However, there are rules to follow to avoid harmful effects on your dogs. They include:
Eliminate All Excess Fat
Suppose you are making pork rinds that you would love to share with your dog.
You should strain the excess fat from the pork skin.
If you notice that the pork rinds still have a lot of fat even after straining them, do not let your dog consume them.
Excess fat could lead to high blood pressure for your dog.
Avoid Spices
Pork rinds taste better when supplemented with spices and seasonings.
However, if you expect your dog to eat the pork rinds, avoid spices.
You can even prepare two batches of pork rinds and add spices to only those meant for you.
Can Dogs Eat Raw Pork Rinds?
Since the ingredients used to prepare pork rinds make them risky for dogs, you may consider feeding them raw rinds
. However, raw pork rinds are also likely to cause adverse effects.
First, the pork could have Trichinella Spiralis larvae, which is a larva that could cause infections.
Second, this parasite will have effects such as muscle inflammation, muscle pain, and muscle stiffness.
For the sake of safety, you should also avoid feeding your dog raw pork rinds.
Can Dogs Eat Pork Crackling?
Like pork rinds, pork cracklings contain salt, seasonings, oil, and spices like onions and garlic.
These ingredients will also negatively affect the dog.
Avoid feeding your dog pork cracklings and pork scratching as well.
What Can You Feed Your Dog in Place of Pork Rinds?
Do not feel guilty if you cannot give your dog pork rinds.
You can replace the pork rinds with plain pork meat, which is safe for dogs.
Otherwise, prepare homemade pork rinds for your dog by following the steps listed above for safety.
Do not assume that the pork rinds are safe for your dog if he shows no adverse effects after eating them once.
He could be hiding his pain, and the symptoms might show up when it is too late.
Conclusion
Dogs should not eat pork rinds since they consist of fats, salt, and spices, which are all harmful to dogs.
However, if your dog accidentally ate a piece of the pork rinds, do not panic.
There are high chances that your dog won’t get ill.
Nevertheless, keep an eye on him to avoid rushing to the veterinarian when it is already too late.