That hot and tingling sensation on your tongue when consuming spicy food is the stuff of dreams. Holla if you agree!
Let’s face it, spicy food never gets boring, and it isn’t for the faint of heart.
A day may come when you, as an avid spicy food consumer, will inevitably have a jar of hot peppers in your hands and a very hungry dog dying to have a taste.
Depending on how you raised your dog, your first instinct might be to let your dog have a bite. What could go wrong?
In this article, we’ll tell you if dogs can eat spicy food!
Can Dogs Eat Spicy Food?
The answer is a plain and simple NO. Dogs can’t eat spicy food. Spicy food has proven to be healthy for us humans. It carries numerous health benefits like weight loss, heart health, cancer prevention, to name just a few.
This does not apply to our dogs.
It’s an urban myth that dogs can eat whatever we do. Even though we share some similarities, like the fact that we’re both omnivorous, we’re vastly different in most respects.
This is what we’ll focus on next.
Why Dogs Can’t Eat Spicy Food?
Sense Of Smell
Dogs’ sense of smell can be from around 10.000 to up to 100.000 times stronger than ours.
That is a pretty sizable difference.
For comparison, if you could smell a tablespoon of cinnamon in one glass of water, a dog would be able to smell it in an Olympic pool.
That being said, besides having a very strong taste, spicy food has an incredibly powerful smell.
The pungent odor that spicy food is known for can be unbearable for our pups and we might end up hurting them.
Sense Of Taste
Dogs don’t have the same sense of taste as we do.
We both have the same taste receptors that tell us if something is salty, bitter, sour, or sweet.
However, we, unlike dogs, can feel the difference between similar foods.
The reason for that is that dogs have around 1700 taste buds. We, humans, have around 9000 taste buds, that is one of the reasons we like food so much.
So there’s no reason to feel sorry for your dog that they’re not enjoying in the same spice of heaven you are. It is physically incapable.
Stomach Issues
Just like us, dogs can differ from one another. One dog may be more tolerant to one type of food than the other.
If your dog is experiencing: stomach pains, diarrhea, gas, or excessive thirst, it means it’s definitely not responding well to that food. In that case, you should take it to a vet.
This doesn’t apply to just spicy food but every type of food. Monitoring your pup’s behavior, especially after you’ve given them something new to eat, is a responsible thing to do.
What To Do If Your Dog Accidentally Had Some Spicy Food?
My mom regularly gives our dog leftovers from lunch. It’s a good way to save some money on dog food, and not waste food in general.
She’s very careful about how she portions the food and what she gives him.
That being said, I can completely understand if someone accidentally gives their pup something that they’re not supposed to eat.
It’s a very common occurrence and a normal part of any dog owner’s life.
If your dog accidentally had something they weren’t supposed to, there are a few options:
- Wait it out; if you realize your dog ate something spicy and it’s acting unusually after a while, you’re probably good, just be more careful next time.
- If it’s showing some mild signs of discomfort, give it plenty of water. Spicy food can cause dehydration in dogs. Wait for an hour or two; if everything is back to normal, apologize to your pup and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
- If your dog is experiencing: stomach pains, diarrhea, gas, or excessive thirst, it’s not responding well to that food. You should take it to a vet.
- This is the scenario we mentioned at the beginning, where your dog could potentially suffer long-term consequences.
The Final Word
Dogs can’t eat spicy food. Often we forget that just because we enjoy a certain type of food it doesn’t mean that our pups will enjoy it as well.
Even though we’re always one click away from knowledge, making conscious decisions about what we eat is still a struggle.
But acting this way towards our faithful companions is unfair and irresponsible. Our dogs trust us to take care of them and that includes not giving them food that will certainly hurt them.
Spicy food is exclusive to our diet and should stay that way. Dogs should stick to dog food and stay away from spicy stuff.
If your dog eats something spicy by an accident, never hesitate to call a veterinarian.
Learn More: What Can Dogs Eat? A Comprehensive List Of Dog-safe Foods
