Tortillas. They are definitely a staple in many cuisines and cultures, particularly those in Latin American and Spanish speaking countries and regions. Tortillas are incredibly versatile. They are commonly enjoyed in their popular fried form, tortilla chips!
These snacks are commonly enjoyed in many settings. Now imagine you’re sitting down to watch TV, enjoying your tortilla chips and your dog is hoping to enjoy that snack with you. Should you give your hungry pooch some of your snack? Can dogs eat tortillas?
In this article, we will tell you whether tortillas are safe for dogs to eat. We will tell you if this food has health benefits or if it has harmful effects on our dogs.
We will also tell you a bit more about tortillas.
Can Dogs Eat Tortillas?
The short answer is a definite maybe. Dogs can eat tortillas. Tortillas are a safe and okay food for dogs. But at the same time, they can also be a harmful food. Let’s go into a little more details so you can decide if you want to give your dog tortillas or not.
More About Tortillas and Dogs
Tortillas are not necessarily a bad food for dogs. Yet they offer little nutritional values. Most of the time, tortillas only pose problems to dogs if they consume too much. Thus, eating a single piece of tortilla will not have any bad effects on your dog whatsoever.
Precautions To Take When It Comes To Dogs and Tortillas
Tortillas are high in carbs, and they can be bad for dogs who have conditions like diabetes or issues with obesity. Too many carbs can also increase the risk of heart disease for obese dogs.
It is also bad for dogs allergic to wheat and/or have gluten-intolerance. Especially wheat tortillas. It is also best to avoid feeding processed tortillas to our dogs. Some of these processed tortillas may have toxic ingredients like industrial-grade calcium hydroxide.
Some processed tortillas may also contain high amounts of salt. And too much salt is bad for dogs and can lead to salt poisoning. Some tortillas also have onion and garlic ingredients. Onions and garlic are a big no for our dogs and are toxic to them.
However, there are different types of tortillas. And ingredients differ with each type. Let us help you determine which are bad and good tortillas.
What are Good vs. Bad Tortillas for Dogs?
First, there are corn tortillas. Plain or raw corn tortillas are okay for dogs, so long as they are only given in small amounts. However, fried corn tortillas are not good for dogs. Much like with corn tortillas, flour tortillas are good if they are fed in small amounts. However, corn tortillas are more recommended than flour tortillas.
Another choice of an occasional treat for dogs are baked tortillas. But much like with other tortillas, the less they eat the better. Fresh and homemade tortillas can also be a once in a blue moon snack for our dogs. But only if it is not fried in grease.
So all in all, plain tortillas are not bad for dogs. But it should not be a daily treat either.
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?”
The next article in the series is about one of our favorite foods… Can Dogs Eat Steak?
