We can’t forget pizza on our weekends. Also, we see our furry friends going baffled by smelling the pizza, and then they beg for a bite from it. But can dogs have pizza?
Unfortunately, you can’t share your pizza with your dog. You’re eating it on the weekend because it adds calories. Moreover, it has a flavorful taste because of the onion, sauce, garlic, cheese, processed meat, etc. All these items can pose health hazards to mammals. Hence, pizza is a no-no for dogs.
This article has more to say about why this dish is not so good for our furry friends. Stay tuned.
Table of Contents
Can Dogs Have Pizza?
Dogs cannot have pizza, as it has almost everything that they shouldn’t eat. For example, dogs are not allowed to eat any vegetables that belong to the allium family. Meanwhile, dogs have onions and garlic that belong to the allium family.
Some dogs are allergic to cheese because of lactose intolerance. And pizza is loaded with cheese.
Dogs should eat cooked meat with no salt, spices, or seasonings. The meat pizza is full of salt, spices, and seasonings.
In short, pizza is an unsafe choice for dogs to eat. Keep this treat away from your pet if you care for him.
Why Dogs Shouldn’t Have Pizza?
Pizza is one of our favourite foods because of its flavorful taste. Why is it flavorful? It is because of the ingredients and toppings we use in it. They are the main reason why pizza becomes a threat to dogs. Let’s dig deeper into it.
Has Processed Meat
We usually offer chicken, beef, fish, and other meats to pets after cooking them with no ingredients. It is because the ingredients are the reason to disrupt their health, not the meat. Unfortunately, pizza contains processed meat that our furry friends can’t eat. It is because the processed meat used as pizza toppings is high in sodium and fat due to lots of spices.
Has Tomato Sauce
The sauce present in pizza has a mixture of many harmful ingredients, such as onion, garlic, sugar, artificial sweetener, and so on. Onion and garlic belong to the allium family. The vegetables in this family are harmful to them. These can lower the red blood cells in mammals and cause anaemia.
The sugar in the sauce of pizza can be responsible for a spike in your dog’s blood sugar levels. Also, it can promote weight gain, obesity, and diabetes.
The artificial sweeteners in marinara and ketchup are more dangerous than sugar. This can cause toxicity and poisoning in dogs’ bodies, resulting in gastrointestinal upset.
Some tomato sauces have a mixture of the green parts of tomatoes. Those green parts have tomatine and solanine, which are toxic to dogs. In such cases, pizza can be a threat to them because of its sauce.
Has Cheese
Like sauce, cheese in pizza can pose health threats to a dog’s body. Most dogs are so lactose-intolerant that they can’t handle dairy products either. If your dog falls into the same category, pizza cannot be his best friend.
Let’s say your pet can withstand dairy products, yet the cheese can be harmful to him. Cheese is high in fat, which can inflame the pancreas. Besides, dogs who have pancreatitis shall not eat cheese, even in the slightest amount.
Has Dough
Most vets restrict dogs from eating dough because it expands when it goes into the stomach. Pets cannot handle this expansion, and this has to deal with tissue tearing, difficulty breathing, and so on. If it is raw bread dough, the outcomes can be more hazardous as it can inflict a dog’s body.
Has Toppings
We are not saying pizza toppings are harmful for dogs. It is the item used as its topping. We often see sardines, pepperoni, and sausage on pizza, which fall into the category of processed meat. They are high in salt, which can raise dogs’ blood pressure levels.
What Happens When A Dog Eats Pizza?
We know why pizza is not a safe food for dogs; it is simply because of its ingredients. Our four-legged friends are curious; they may eat a bite of it discreetly. In that case, what will their symptoms be? Well, the initial symptoms could be vomiting, drooling, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, etc.
Fat is high in pizza, while vets restrict dogs from having too much fat. This is because fats can inflame the pancreas, resulting in pancreatitis. If your dog is already dealing with pancreatitis, pizza can worsen his condition. This fat content can also increase their weight and lead to obesity.
The severity of your dog’s reaction will depend on the amount of pizza he ingested. If he eats more of it, he can show severe symptoms. such as lethargy, difficulty breathing, tremors, collapse, etc.
Can Dogs Have Pizza Sometimes?
Only eating the pizza crust can’t save your dog from the side effects of pizza. It does have lingering cheese, onions, garlic, and other items. Hence, the amount of crust should be small. German Shepherds and other large dogs may eat the pizza crust easily. But the meaty part of pizza won’t show mercy to any mammals. This can pose health threats to everyone.
We should also consider the size of our dog. For example, a large breed and a small breed eat 2 pounds of pizza crust. The large breed may not show any unwanted symptoms, but the small breed will start throwing up. That’s why you shouldn’t let your small dog have more than one bite of the pizza crust. Meanwhile, the large dog can take three to four bites of it easily.
Alternatives To Pizza For Dogs
It’s hard to see our paw friends begging for a pizza bite when we can’t offer them. Don’t worry; you can go with an alternative.
Since pizza mainly consists of bread and meat, you can use these ingredients. Slice the bread and add boneless chicken to it as a topping. The chicken should be cooked with no ingredients, and it should be small in pieces. Then you can add cottage cheese or yoghurt on top of it. Trust me, your dog will enjoy this treat, thinking of pizza.
Frequently Asked Questions: Can Dogs Have Pizza?
Is pizza harmful to all pets?
Onion, garlic, cheese, processed meat, salt, and spice present in pizza are harmful to all animals. This means no pet should taste even one bite of pizza.
Do dogs like pizza?
The meaty texture of pizza can attract any dog. Besides, they are fond of the cheese that pizza can offer them. So yeah, this treat is a favourite of most dogs.
Can dogs have a bread crust?
The bread crust may not pose any health threats to dogs if taken in small amounts. Just make sure it doesn’t have any harmful items, like cheese, processed meat, sauce, salt, spice, etc.
What should you do after your dog eats pizza?
Your first job is to stay calm and monitor your dog’s symptoms. Also, let him drink some water to calm down. After that, inform his vet and tell him about the symptoms accordingly. He may prescribe some medications that you need to feed your dog.
Final Thoughts
After learning about the downsides of pizza, we may think, Can dogs have pizza? The answer is always no. Pizza is high in fats, sodium, spices, etc. and can disrupt any dog’s health. Besides, eating this dish can make them vomit, drool, have diarrhoea, high blood pressure, pancreatitis, and so on.
Let’s say you drop a small piece of pizza on the floor, and your canine friend licks it. This may not give him any side effects, especially if he is a large dog. Yet, you must monitor his symptoms and behaviour and tell his vet about it.
