Chorizo is a food that some people love and others are not so keen about. It is a spicy Spanish sausage and is a common snack food in the Iberian peninsula. It is also quite tasty in dishes like paella, and jambalaya.
And, as you probably know, dogs love their meat, especially when it’s flavorful. The next time you pull out the chorizo, you might wonder if you can share it with your pet. So, “Can dogs eat chorizo?”
This article will explore the answer to this question in plain, clear English.
Can Dogs Eat Chorizo?
The short answer to that is no. Chorizo is not an ideal food or source of protein for our furry little pups.
Typically, chorizo is high in fat and salt. These are two major components you don’t want your furbabies to eat. Especially if they have health problems or if you’re trying to keep them on a healthy diet.
Remember that chorizo is processed meat and made with seasonings that are not safe for your dog.
How is Chorizo Harmful to Dogs
While chorizo is not a toxic food for our furry best friends, overconsumption of it may lead to serious health problems such as:
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Kidney failure,
- And more.
In addition to that, if your dog eats undercooked or contaminated chorizo, it can also result in a parasite infection for them. This parasite infection is called Trichinosis, or roundworms.
Trichinosis can cause the following symptoms:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Upset Stomach
- Vomiting
If your dog exhibits any of these symptoms after eating chorizo, it is best to call your veterinarian immediately.
If the symptoms are severe, we highly recommend bringing your dog to the emergency vet.
What Parts of Chorizo Flavoring Hurts Dogs
Most chorizos are also flavored with garlic, onions, or even just garlic and onion powder.
These ingredients are toxic to your dog and may cause poisoning if consumed in large amounts. Here are some harmful ingredients in chorizo that are harmful to your dogs:
Salt
Salt can cause your canine companion’s blood pressure to rise, which can have a negative impact on your dog’s heart and kidney functions.
It has been shown that excessive salt consumption in older dogs can exacerbate the symptoms of other diseases. It is possible that your dog will die if he consumes too much salt in the worst-case scenario.
Onion
When dogs consume onions, they may develop a medical condition known as Heinz body anemia, which is caused by the presence of thiosulphate in the onion. This disease has the potential to destroy your dog’s blood cells and cause him or her to become ill.
Garlic
Garlic is a member of the Allium family (which also includes onion, chives, leeks, and chives) which is poisonous for our furry little pets. In comparison to onions and leeks, garlic is considered to be approximately 5-times more potent.
Garlic in toxic doses can cause damage to red blood cells (making them more prone to rupture), which can result in anemia (low red blood cell count).
It can also upset the GI tract and cause nausea, drooling, abdominal pain, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
In addition to these symptoms, anemia can cause lethargy, pale gums, increased heart rate and respiratory rate, weakness, exercise intolerance, and collapse, among other things. Garlic poisoning can manifest itself in a delayed manner and may not be noticed for several days.
While small amounts of these foods in some pets, particularly dogs, may be safe, large amounts of these foods can be extremely toxic to them.
Paprika
Paprika causes skin irritation in dogs. Canine gastrointestinal irritation, stomach problems, and even diarrhea have also been reported after consuming paprika and other spicy foods.
In effect, you can see that ingesting chorizo can have mild to severe consequences for your dogs. There are much safer alternative foods for them to enjoy, like meat sticks that are made for dogs.
They should be healthier and have the potential to cause much fewer bad health problems than chorizo.
Learn More About What Human Foods Are Healthy or Harmful for Dogs
This article is a part of our special series of articles about “What Human Foods Can Dogs Eat?”
In the next article, find out “Can dogs eat sourdough bread”?
