Miso soup is a Japanese delicacy. It may become too tempting to share human foods with your canine buddies. Not every human food is good for your furry friends. Naturally, you may ask, “Can dogs have miso soup?”
The answer is both “Yes” and “No.” Traditional miso soup is not a good option for your canine buddy. Traditional miso soup contains toxic ingredients for dogs. You can prepare miso soup for your family, but avoid feeding it to your dogs.
Miso Soup: Can Dogs Have It?
It is a tricky question because there is too much misinformation about miso soup for dogs. While traditionally prepared miso soup is not good for your doggy, you can prepare dog-safe miso soup.
Why is traditional miso soup not good for dogs? Two factors render traditional miso soup unsafe for dogs: Ingredients and Nutritional Value.
Traditionally prepared miso soup can contain onion and garlic. These are considered toxic to dogs. It may seem like bad news, but it is good news in the sense that you can now prepare dog-safe miso soup.
Miso soup recipes vary from region to region. Smart dog owners have listed common ingredients in all the miso soup recipes for dogs.
The ingredients in miso soup
There are different recipes for preparing miso soup. Common ingredients to prepare traditional miso soup are:
Dashi is the “Japanese Umami Soup Stock,” and Miso is the “Soybean Paste.” Umami can provide a meaty flavor to dogs. Artificial flavorings and preservatives are considered good for humans but not for dogs.
The benefits of miso soup for dogs
Aside from harmful ingredients, miso soup carries a lot of beneficial nutrients and minerals for dogs. Miso soup is a great source of Calcium, Iron, and Phosphorous for dogs.
Calcium in miso soup can play a vital role in bone growth and development in dogs. Iron in miso soup speeds up the process of oxygen transport in your dog’s blood. That’s because it affects hemoglobin and red blood cells in dogs.
Miso soup does not carry Trans Fat and Cholesterol for dogs. In other words, miso soup does not harm your dog’s heart health. Miso soup carries a valuable amount of vitamin K for dogs.
Miso soup can provide Manganese, Copper, and Zinc for dogs. Manganese affects enzymes in your dog’s body. Copper in miso soup also affects red blood cells in your dog’s body.
Miso soup is good for your dog’s immunity. Zinc in miso soup is good for your dog’s immunity and thyroid function. It also protects your dogs from zinc deficiency.
Risks and Precautions of Feeding Miso Soup to dogs
Miso soup can lead to the following dog health problems:
Sodium Toxicity
Miso soup contains a high sodium content that can lead to dehydration and, eventually, hypernatremia in dogs. Miso soup can cause polydipsia, coma, confusion, vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures in dogs.
Soy Allergy
Fermented soybean paste is one of the ingredients of miso soup. Dogs with soy allergies should not have miso soup.
Pancreatitis
Feeding miso soup over long time periods can lead to pancreatitis in dogs. Pancreatitis can occur due to fatty foods, but miso soup can also lead to pancreatitis in dogs.
Avoid feeding miso soup to your dogs. However, when it becomes necessary, you have to take the following precautions:
A dog-safe miso soup is, technically, not a miso soup. You should know that miso soup is not a balanced food for dogs. In other words, miso soup cannot help meet your dog’s nutritional needs.
Why is miso soup not a balanced food for dogs?
Miso soup does not carry essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for dogs. A nutritionally balanced, dog-safe miso soup should contain balanced levels of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals for dogs.
Fellow smart dog owners, you should take into account your dog’s health condition before trying to feed miso soup. You should consult your veterinary nutritionist before introducing miso soup to your dogs.
What happens when you prepare dog-safe miso soup?
Well, you have to make sure that you do not feed too much miso soup to your dogs. Too much dog-safe miso soup can be harmful to your dogs.
How much is miso soup good for my dog?
Well, it depends on the type and the recipe of your dog-safe miso soup. Generally, smart dog owners do not feed more than one or two tablespoons of miso soup per day to their dogs.
What happens if I get commercially-prepared dog-safe miso soup for my dogs?
Read the labels carefully while getting miso soup for dogs. Your store-bought miso soup should not contain onion, garlic, seasonings, salt, and spices.
You may get dog-safe miso soup, but the nutritional problem remains. Your veterinary nutritionist may help you get rid of this nutritional problem for dogs.
How to prepare Miso soup for your dog?
You can prepare dog-safe miso soup at your home. The dog-safe miso soup recipe is simple and easy. You will need a few things to prepare dog-safe miso soup. These are:
Step #1:
Pour water into your large pot. Use water cups to pour water into the pot. Add at least four cups of water.
Step #2:
Boil the water for at least two minutes.
Step #3:
Add miso soup to the boiling water and let it boil for two more minutes.
Step #4:
Add cooked chicken.
Step #5:
Add blanched green vegetables.
Step #6:
Add freeze-dried dog food.
Step #7:
Let it boil for a few minutes.
Step #8:
Your dog-safe miso soup is now ready to be served!
It should be noted that homemade dog-safe miso soup can be an addition to your dog food but cannot replace real dog food. Why do we add freeze-dried dog food to miso soup for dogs?
Smart dog owners know that miso soup does not contain balanced amounts of nutrients for dogs. That’s why they add small amounts of freeze-dried dog food to their miso soup for dogs.
Proper Serving Sizes of Miso Soup for Dogs
Miso soup might seem a good treat for your furry friends, but it should only be given in moderation. You should consult your veterinary nutritionist to suggest a suitable portion size of miso soup for your dogs.
Your veterinary nutritionist may consider your dog’s breed, weight, age, and size to recommend a suitable portion size for your canine friends. Your miso soup serving size must not make up more than 10% of your dog’s diet.
As mentioned before, miso soup contains a high sodium content. Feeding too much miso soup to dogs is a bad idea. That’s because it can easily lead to dehydration and hypernatremia in dogs.
Choosing the right portion size may become tricky when you get commercially produced miso soup for dogs. It happens because store-bought miso soup may not suit your dog.
Alternatives to feeding miso soup to dogs
Chicken Broth
You can feed chicken broth to your dogs. Your chicken broth for dogs should not contain any form of onion, garlic, seasonings, and spices. Plain chicken broth is a good and healthy alternative for dogs.
Stir-Fries:
You can feed veggie-based stir-fries to your dogs. Sautéing veggies preserves a high amount of nutrients for dogs. You can feed sautéed bell peppers and carrots to your dogs.
Quinoa:
You can feed cooked or sautéed quinoa to your dogs. Quinoa should make up the veggie part of your dog’s treat. It is a good alternative to miso soup for dogs.
Risotto:
It is an Italian dish for your canine buddy. However, you have to be careful about the harmful ingredients. Ensure that your risotto does not contain onion, garlic, salt, seasonings, spices, artificial flavorings, and preservatives for dogs.
Egg-Drop Soup:
The egg-drop soup contains three eggs, veggies, and broth for dogs. Your egg-drop soup should not contain harmful ingredients for your dogs. You can add chopped kale or spinach to your egg-drop soup for dogs.
Tips For Serving Miso Soup to Dogs
It is a good idea to start with small portion sizes. Check your dogs for symptoms of digestive upset and food allergies. These symptoms appear when your dog is allergic to miso soup or if your miso soup contains any harmful ingredients for dogs.
But they usually do not last for a long time. You should consult your vet if the symptoms persist for a long time.
Plain miso soup is a good option for your dogs because it lacks spices and seasonings. Some dog breeds, such as Boxers, cannot tolerate even a low level of spices and seasonings.
That’s why you have to limit the sodium content in your miso soup for dogs. In the end, make sure that you provide plenty of water to your canine friends. Water keeps them hydrated and helps prevent the risk of dehydration in dogs.
Also, avoid feeding miso soup to unhealthy dogs. That’s because you do not want to take further dog health risks.
Final Thought | Can Dogs Have Miso Soup?
Traditional miso soup is considered unhealthy and harmful for dogs. But you can prepare dog-safe miso soup at your home. Homemade miso soup is considered healthy because it does not contain onion, garlic, spices, and seasonings for dogs.
Traditional miso soup has a nutritional problem. While it is not considered good for dogs, homemade miso soup can contain valuable nutrients for dogs. That’s because you can add freeze-dried dog food to your homemade miso soup for dogs.
Some dog breeds, such as Boxers, have more sensitive stomachs than others. They may not tolerate ingredients in your homemade miso soup. That’s why you should consult your veterinary nutritionist before introducing miso soup to your pupper.
Dogs can have digestion problems, vomiting, and diarrhea after eating miso soup. These symptoms do not last for a long time. You should consult your vet if the symptoms persist even after 48 hours.
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