If you’re enjoying some tasty Indian food or some exceptionally spicy Thai food, then you might be tempted to share it with your doggo.
But should you? Is it even safe for dogs to eat spicy foods?
Can dogs even taste the spicy hotness?
No, dogs cannot eat spicy foods. Below we’ll explain this to you in more detail.
Can Dogs Eat Hot Chili Peppers, Sriracha, and Other Spicy Foods?
No, despite how interested in your spicy meal your pupper seems to be, you can’t share that spicy dinner with him.
And definitely don’t feed your dog anything with hot sauce on it.
The truth is that spicy foods are not good for dogs, and they may even be toxic to your pup.
Are Spicy Foods Safe for Dogs?
While most human food that is spicy won’t kill a dog, there are instance where it can be toxic to the pup.
With that in mind, you should consider spicy foods as unsafe for doggos and make sure not to feed your dog anything spicy.
It will likely make your dog sick, and you don’t want to be cleaning up doggy poop everywhere, do you?
Spicy foods definitely give dogs tummy troubles.
What Should I Do If My Dog Ate Some Spicy Food?
First, don’t panic because there may be no reason to do so.
But do expect to deal with some problems with your dog.
Make sure there are no other spicy foods that your dog can get access to and eat.
And you may need to check ingredients if your dog ate something like bottled salsa to make sure nothing toxic is in it, like garlic.
You’ll want to keep a watchful eye on the dog to determine if you can wait it out at home or if you need to go the animal hospital.
The most common side effects your dog will experience are:
- tummy pain
- diarrhea
- gas
It’s also possible that your dog will start vomiting because some spicy food causes excessive thirst in dogs.
In some instances, spicy food may cause long-term health problems for your dog, such as canine pancreatitis.
Can Dogs Taste Spicy Foods?
Did you know that dogs don’t have as many taste buds as humans? That means they can’t taste all the same flavors that we can.
Humans have something like 9,000 varying taste buds while dogs only have around 1,700 different taste buds.
Dogs just aren’t sensitive to as many flavors as humans, and they can’t taste anything spicy as being hot.
When a dog tastes something spicy, it takes a moment for the flavor to reach the appropriate taste buds and it comes across as a bitter flavor.
Final Word
As your dog’s human it is up to you to make good nutritional choices when it comes to meals and snacks. Spicy foods are not a good choice.
Spicy food and sauces can lead to intestinal distress. If those spicy foods are part of something like salsa with garlic and onions, they can also be toxic.
There are many safe choices in fresh fruits and vegetables to reach for instead. Your dog might want to munch on a radish or relish a cold kiwi.
Those kinds of snacks are nutritious and delicious. And much safer than a spicy hot chili pepper for your doggo.