Can Dogs Eat Pickles?

Nowadays, dogs are not anymore caged, but they are rather allowed to roam around with their captains inside the house. They have succeeded in securing a space to occupy in houses just like other family members. They are often allowed to share our beds and food bowls. Dogs may demand to be fed while you are eating your meal. And yes, we all love to eat pickles and is often a regular ingredient in our plates. But, you might have wondered whether it is safe for dogs to eat pickles.

Pickles are not too dangerous for dogs. They aren’t safe or healthy as well. There exist no problem when you occasionally feed pickles to your dogs. However, pickles can be a cause for many health issues if overfed of fed frequently. You can make healthy pickles for your dogs if they are too much fond of it.

This article will let you be aware of the benefits as well as drawbacks of feeding pickles to your dogs. You will also get to know some healthy alternatives for pickles that are safe for your doggies.

Are Pickles Safe For Your Dogs?

Dogs would love to get a piece of food from their captain’s share. No matter how properly and fully your dog is fed. They would come near you and stare passionately wagging their tails, expecting a treat from you. And most commonly, this situation recurs every day, not because they are really hungry. But, as they crave for some love and attention from you. It is just an act of love from their behalf.

And quite obviously you may feed them pickles. Because they are pretty much easy to find from your platter as well as easy to feed. Have you ever thought how safe it is to feed pickles to your dogs?

Not all pickles cause harm to your dogs. Pickles can be nutritive if you are feeding it to a dog with low sodium levels. Pickles are rich in sodium content and can work as a great sodium supplement.

We can only say whether a pickle is safe for your dog by looking up at the ingredients with which it is made. Many varieties of pickles are present in the market. Pickles can be sweet, sour, as well as spicy. However, the major ingredients used in most of the pickles are saltwater and vinegar. Actually, anything from vegetables to meat can be pickled.

Pickles are actually neither too healthy nor very dangerous for dogs. However, it would be better not to introduce pickles to your dogs if they are not already fond of it. Because the crunchiness and salty-sour taste of pickles are very addictive, and your dog may drive crazy for it in the future. Therefore, better to keep a safe distance between the jars of pickles and your dog.

However, don’t go crazy if your child has fed your dog with some pickle. Pickles doesn’t do much harm to your dog when it is fed in a small quantity. And definitely, it is not too dangerous. It is ok for your dog to eat pickles in small quantities. But don’t take this statement as a grant and feed your dog pickles regularly. And also, dogs don’t show any symptoms of disease immediately or the next day you feed pickle. On the other hand, pickles can eventually be a cause for kidney diseases.

Which Ingredients Of Pickles Are Safe For Dogs And Which Are Not?

Pickles heavily seasoned with spices and herbs are toxic to dogs and may make their stomach upset. Vegetable pickles are often believed to be highly nutritious for dogs, but they are not.

Do you think that your dogs get all the benefits of vegetables if you serve them pickled? Actually, vegetables may lose all their nutrients through the pickling process. However, vegetables pickled in just saline solution contains Vitamin A & K, Iron, Minerals, and Antioxidants.

Saline solution is one of the essential components of pickles. The sodium levels of saline solution are relatively higher, and your dog actually doesn’t need extra sodium in its diet as almost all dog food contains sodium in the required levels for dogs. So, higher sodium levels of pickles can be toxic to the health of your dog. However, there is no harm in feeding a slice of pickle to your dog once in a while.

Excess salt and sodium in the diet of your dog can cause Hypernatremia. The symptoms of Hypernatremia include diarrhea, seizures, vomiting, and increased thirst. Excess salt can also cause high blood pressure in dogs, which would eventually be a reason for heart attack.

Onions are really toxic to your dogs. Never take a chance by feeding your dog with pickles containing onion. Onion damages the hemoglobin content in the blood of your dogs and leads to a condition called Hemolytic anemia. This condition would in turn cut short the life expectancy of your dog.

Certain other ingredients of pickles can also be a reason for the anemic conditions seen in dogs. They include Fava beans, Garlic, Oak, Turnips, and Red maples. The symptoms of Hemolytic anemia are loss of appetite, weakness, enlarged liver, and heart murmurs.

Nutmegs are also pickled and popularly used in houses. It would be better not to feed your dog with nutmeg pickles. Nutmeg contains a substance called Myristicin, which is found to be very toxic for dogs.

Most pickles are added with vinegar for better longevity. But vinegar can cause many health issues in dogs. They are not recommended if you really want to maintain a good fur coat for your doggie.

Vinegar disturbs the pH balance of your dog’s skin and will make its coat look unhealthy. The pH of your dog’s stomach can also be affected by vinegar and may lead to diarrhea. Vinegar also can cause damages to the kidneys of your dog. But Apple Cider Vinegar doesn’t cause much harm to dogs.

Sweetened pickles may contain sugar. Sugar is really bad for the health of dogs. It may lead to weight gain, cavities, and diabetes. Therefore, sweetened pickles are definitely not a good option for your doggie.

Now let us look at the advantages of some ingredients commonly used in pickles.

Pickle of cucumbers can do benefits to your dogs. Cucumber contains Vitamin A, C & K, Magnesium, Manganese, and Phosphoros. Magnesium in Cucumber fights against deficiencies that may weaken the heart of your dog.

Dill is a herb that is usually pickled and stored in many houses. Dill has a lot of health benefits for dogs. It acts against the stomach upset of dogs. You can use dill to cure nausea, cramps, gas, and indigestion of dogs. Dill is rich in anti-oxidants and can fight against free-radical damages that may affect dogs. It also soothes your dog’s breath.

Cinnamon and Cloves used in pickles are relatively safer for dogs.

Alternative For Pickles

Although some of the ingredients used in pickles are said to be safe for dogs, the pickling process would obviously diminish their nutritional benefits. Therefore, it would be far better if you could give these ingredients as raw it is.

Or you can make a pickle for your dog separately. Pickle the beneficial ingredients in Apple cider vinegar rather than white vinegar. You can add cucumbers, carrots, cinnamons, and cloves. Remember to skip onions, garlic, nutmegs, and other ingredients that are toxic to dogs. Also, reduce the concentration of saline solution you add. This would be a far healthy and better option than commercial pickles you have at home.

You can also give raw vegetables and fruits as snacks for dogs rather than relying upon pickles.

Conclusion

It would be better not to introduce pickles to your dog. The higher sodium levels of pickle will make them crave for more. But it will lead to serious health issues in the long run if you are regularly feeding pickles to your dogs.