Dogs require a fair share of meat in their diets due to its protein content. It is essentially the building block for dogs.
Your pet may even like eating meat more than any other meal. Considering meat as a snack, beef jerky may seem like a good option. But can dogs eat beef jerky? Let’s find out.
Dogs can eat beef jerky as a snack to fulfill their protein requirement. However, beef jerky is a highly processed food and contains harmful additives such as salt, seasonings, and flavors.
Due to their nutritional content, it may not seem like a good option for your pet’s daily meals. If you overfeed them, you will risk your pet’s health and put your pet in severe discomfort.
In addition to this, there are multiple types of beef jerky, and only certain types are safe for your pet friend. Continue reading to find out more about this, and ensure your pet’s safety when feeding beef jerky.
Can I Feed Beef Jerky To My Dog?
Yes, you can feed your pet beef jerky. Before you go ahead and feed your pet beef jerky, there are certain factors that you need to consider. If you’re feeding your pet store-bought beef jerky, you need to ensure that it does not contain high concentrations of additives.
In contrast, if you’re feeding them homemade beef jerky, it should be made from a single source of meat, with no additives whatsoever.
Additives, even in smaller concentrations, can be harmful to your dog, so you need to keep the serving sizes small.
Here’s an insight into the additives in beef jerky and their effect on dogs.
Sodium Content:
The amount of sodium content that is considered safe for dogs is based on their weight. A 33 lb dog can only have 100 mg of sodium per day.
When it comes to sodium in, beef jerky, it contains over 590 mg of sodium per ounce. You can use the same relation to measure the amount of sodium your dog can have per day.
A good rule of thumb is to feed your pet 1 ounce or less than 1 ounce of beef jerky as a rare treat every two weeks.
Spices:
Beef jerky gets its flavor from the spices used in its production. These spices are what make beef jerky a favorite snack for us humans, but the same spices are harmful to dogs.
The spices that cause the most harm to your pet include onion and garlic.
Both these spices can cause significant damage to your pet, such as:
Due to this, you should never overfeed your pet beef jerky.
Keep in mind that if your pet accidentally overeats beef jerky, you need to take your pet to your local veterinarian as soon as possible.
Can dogs eat beef jerky? Why Do Some People Feed Their Dogs Beef Jerky?
People usually feed their dogs beef jerky as an alternative meat snack. This is because it can allow them to bring variety to their pet’s meals. It is also fed as a rare treat on special occasions when your pet accomplishes a certain task or does a new trick.
Different Types Of Beef Jerky: Which Ones Are Safe For Dogs?
Beef jerky is of different types, and each has a different composition of nutrients. This makes some types of beef jerky safer for your pet compared to others. Here’s an insight into the types of beef jerky and whether your pet can have it.
Can dogs eat beef jerky?
Can Dogs Eat Teriyaki Beef Jerky?
Unfortunately, dogs cannot have Teriyaki beef jerky. It has a relatively different composition of ingredients and has extra additives, including:
Teriyaki beef jerky for dogs is harmful! Your dog’s regular meals already contain a good amount of sugar and carbs.
Feeding them Teriyaki beef jerky will lead to an excess of these ingredients. As a result, it will lead to health complications like:
This is why you need to avoid feeding your pet friend Teriyaki beef jerky.
Can Dogs Eat Jack Link’s Beef Jerky?
Jack Link’s beef jerky has a high concentration of salt and spices –thus making it unsafe for your pet dog. It also has extra additives such as garlic powder, which is considered toxic for your pet.
It increases the risk of salt poisoning in your pet and should be avoided at all costs.
Can Dogs Eat Peppered Beef Jerky?
As the name suggests, peppered beef jerky has a relatively higher amount of pepper. Feeding your pet peppered beef jerky will lead to health complications, including:
Feeding your pet peppered beef jerky is certainly not worth the risk. So, it would be best if you never fed your pet peppered beef jerky.
Can Dogs Eat Pacific Gold Beef Jerky?
Your dog cannot have pacific gold beef jerky, not even in small concentrations. This is due to the fact that it contains a whopping 640 mg of sodium per ounce. This is way above the recommended and safe dosages for your furry pet, so it should be avoided at all costs.
Apart from sodium, it also contains an excess of onion and garlic powder. This makes it even more harmful for your dog. So, based on this, pacific gold beef jerky should not even be an option for dogs.
Can Dogs Eat Natural Beef Jerky?
Yes! Natural beef jerky is the only type of beef jerky considered safe for your pet. It contains no additives, such as seasonings, flavors, and even carbs. It also has a relatively safe amount of sodium –thus making it entirely safe for your furry friend.
But, similar to other treats, natural beef jerky is also to be fed in small amounts, or your pet will have to suffer the consequences of overfeeding.
Can Dogs Eat Spicy Beef Jerky?
Spicy food, in general, is harmful to dogs. The same goes for spicy beef jerky, which has a higher concentration of spices compared to regular beef jerky.
It causes severe digestive discomfort and leads to a burning sensation in your pet’s food pathways. No dog should suffer from this, which is why you should not feed them spicy beef jerky.
Human Beef Jerky Vs. Dog Jerky:
There is a specific type of beef jerky which is intended for dogs. Human beef jerky and dog beef jerky are different in terms of their nutritional content.
Due to this, dog beef jerky is comparatively safer for your dogs due to the lower amount of additives in them. This means the sodium and spice content is much smaller –thus making beef jerky safer for your dogs.
Make sure to go through the ingredients printed on the packaging of the dog beef jerky to find out how much you can feed your pet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Dog Jerky Kill Over 1000 Canines?
Yes! Unfortunately, this is a true story. Back in 2014, over 1000 dogs were killed after consuming beef jerky. This was because they suffered from kidney complications since the beef jerky was contaminated and was of low quality.
However, it can be avoided in two simple ways:
– By going through the ingredients printed on the packaging of the dog beef jerky.
– By getting dog beef jerky from well-known stores and making sure the treats are of good quality.
What Happens If You Feed Too Much Beef Jerky To Your Dog?
If your dog has too much beef jerky in a single serving or eats beef jerky on consecutive days, there are a number of health complications that your pet will suffer from.
These include:
– Irritation in the eyes, tongue, throat, and mouth.
– Be exposed to salt poisoning
– Digestive discomfort
– Burning sensations
– Diabetes
– Obesity
– Dental issues
What Is The Best Beef Jerky For Dogs?
The best beef jerky for dogs is natural beef jerky and dog beef jerky. However, just like any other treat, you need to feed them in moderation and never in excess.
What Are Some Effective Upset Stomach Remedies?
If your dog has an upset stomach, you don’t have to worry. There are simple remedies that will help treat your dog and ease its pain.
These include:
– Feeding your pet probiotics.
– Let your pet graze on the grass.
– Give your dog plenty of water to cope with the dehydration caused by the upset stomach.
If the symptoms do not improve in 24 – 48 hours, you need to take your dog to the vet for further investigation and treatment.
Conclusion: Can dogs eat beef Jerky?
Dogs can have beef jerky in moderation and as an occasional treat. It can provide your pet dog with protein which allows them to grow.
But unfortunately, it contains a significant amount of sodium and harmful additives such as spices and seasonings.
These additives in small amounts do not harm your dog’s health. It’s the excess of these additives that can make your dog sick. So, based on this, you can only feed small amounts of beef jerky to your pet.
