It’s the end of a long day. You’re chilling at home with your dog, eating popcorn, probably watching something from Netflix or reading a good book.
All of a sudden, your dog jumps into your lap, looking at you with those big beautiful sad, puppy dog eyes, begging for some popcorn. Is that okay? Can dogs eat popcorn?
Let’s take a look at the answer below.
Can Dogs Eat Popcorn?
Popcorn is not bad nor toxic for dogs. This is, however, if we are talking about just the popped corn kernels without any additives in them such as butter and/or other flavoring.
In fact, popped corn kernels contain several minerals that are crucial to canine nutrition like magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, fiber and other essential vitamins. However, when added with flavorings such as butter and salt, then that is a different story.
Beware of Flavorings… And More
Flavorings such as butter, salt and other powder flavors like cheese powder, sour cream, and etc. are not good for us or for our dogs.
These additional ingredients can cause several illnesses for our dogs such as gastrointestinal upset, obesity and other obesity-related problems.
So, if you’re thinking about feeding your dog flavored popcorn, don’t bother. We do have an interesting alternative for movie nights with your dogs, though.
When you’re making popcorn for a movie night, you can make a separate batch for your dogs that are plain and air-popped.
Also, when feeding popcorn to your dogs, it’s important to separate out any whole or only partially popped kernels. These may be a choking hazard, especially for small dogs.
And, as with any treat, we highly suggest feeding popcorn to your dogs in moderation. Remember that too much of anything can be a bad thing – especially for dogs who have a pre-existing medical conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
Learn More About What Human Foods Are Healthy or Harmful for Dogs
This article is part of our special series of articles about “What Human Foods Can Dogs Eat?”
Please check out other articles in the series including: Can Dogs Eat Pork?
