Pretzels make tasty snacks to munch on.
I like to have some pretzels with popcorn when enjoying a movie on my couch.
And, as always, my dog seems to be extremely interested in what I’m eating. So much so, that he makes a little puddle of drool!
As you may know, some common ‘people foods’ aren’t healthy for our furry friends to consume and can even be toxic to them!
So, it is a good idea to look a certain food up, before you feed it to your dog.
So, are pretzels safe for our dogs to consume?
In this article, I will answer the question, “Can dogs have pretzels?” in as much detail as I can.
Let’s begin.
Quick Answer: Can Dogs Eat Pretzels?
Pretzels are not toxic to dogs but, they aren’t necessarily good, either. Giving the salty treat to your dog is not recommended.
However, if your furry friend accidently had a pretzel or two, he won’t have any aversive reactions, either but, you should still call the vet to be on the safe side—especially if your furry friend is small in size.
Why Are Pretzel Not Recommended for Dogs?
It is true that pretzels aren’t necessarily bad for your dogs but, they are not the healthiest, either and not recommended.
So, why shouldn’t you let your dog munch on this salty treat with you?
Pretzels are essentially a bunch of pieces of bread but, they are sprinkled with little white elements and sometimes, are heavily coated. More often than not, this white substance is rock salt.
As you may already know, excess of salt is bad for your furry friend’s health.
Pretzels also have several other toppings—like chocolate covered pretzels—that aren’t safe for dogs.
So, look at the list of ingredients for things that may be toxic to your furry friend before you let him munch on some pretzels.
Pretzels and Possible Health Issues
Like I mentioned in the previous section, if your dog has excessive salt, he can go through some health problems—one of which is salt poisoning.
Salt poisoning is something scary and it affects humans as much as dogs but, since dogs are smaller than us, their threshold is also lower.
Having too much salt in your can cause a lot of complications.
Your furry friend is your responsibility. So, you need to make sure that he doesn’t face any harmful effects from the foods he eats.
As I mentioned before, dogs have smaller systems than us, and this means that they aren’t able to digest and process a significant amount of salt in their diet.
This can lead to sodium chloride poisoning which may eventually prove to be fatal.
How is Salt Poisoning Deadly?
When salt accumulate in your furry friend’s internal system, it begins to absorb water from the body in a large quantity.
This puts a lot of strain on your furry friend’s kidneys and circulatory system.
There are a lot of dangers associated with consumption of too much salt.
The symptoms of salt poisoning differ from dog to dog and are large in number.
These symptoms can, sometimes, be misleading as they’re disguised as an upset stomach.
Following are some of the common symptoms of salt or sodium chloride poisoning:
Excessive peeing
Vomiting
Disorientation
Swelling in some areas of the body
Diarrhea
Pronounced lethargy
Call the vet immediately if you see any of these symptoms.
Are Unsalted Pretzels Safe for My Dog?
While having too many salty pretzels can prove to be fatal for dogs, sweet pretzels aren’t necessarily the best for your doggy friend, either.
Sweet pretzels are not recommended for your furry friend.
Some brands of sweet pretzels contain raisins in the list of ingredients which is toxic to dogs and can have bad consequences, Sweet pretzels can also contain Xylitol which is an artificial sweetener and is also toxic to dogs.
If you do want to share a sweet pretzel or two with your furry friend, read through the list of ingredients and make sure that toxic ingredients aren’t used.
You can share a bit to sesame seeds pretzels with your furry friend. This seasoning is not toxic to dogs and can be given as an occasional treat.
Moderation is Key
Final Words: Can Dogs Have Pretzels?
Dogs can have the dough-based foods but, in moderation.
Just because a certain food is good for a dog to consume, doesn’t mean that your furry friend should have it.
Pretzels aren’t necessarily toxic to dogs or bad for them in any way but, they aren’t healthy either.
Yes, having a small quantity of pretzel now and again won’t really be a problem in the long run but, avoid it as much as you can.