There are several reasons why people love BBQ sauce. This ingredient is very versatile as you can add it to any dish or use it as a substitute for spaghetti sauce or ketchup. Adding a generous amount of BBQ sauce is enough to turn any dish from ordinary to extraordinary.
And while BBQ dishes are filling and satisfying to humans, it doesn’t have the same effect when fed to dogs. On the contrary, you should never give BBQ sauce or any meals with BBQ sauce to your dogs because it contains the following ingredients:
Vinegar
Vinegar is completely harmless to humans. However, because dogs’ bodies have slower metabolic processes, feeding them anything with vinegar can cause gastrointestinal upset.
Vinegar is one of the main ingredients of BBQ sauce. Dogs with sensitive stomachs will likely experience vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration once you give them BBQ sauce. These symptoms can be more severe for dogs with kidney diseases or stomach sensitivities.
Onion and Garlic Powder
Any forms and parts of onion and garlic are toxic to dogs. These ingredients can trigger serious medical problems in your four-legged friends, namely vomiting, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, irritation of the mouth, excessive drooling, and abdominal pain.
BBQ sauce contains a lot of onion and garlic powder, which is why you should never give any to your dogs. Aside from the mentioned symptoms, onion or garlic poisoning can be fatal to dogs, especially when not treated by a vet immediately.
Mustard
Some BBQ sauce also contains mustard. Mustard is another unhealthy ingredient for your dogs because it has spices, salt, vinegar, turmeric, and mustard seed. All of these are harmful to your furry friends.
Sweeteners
BBQ sauces have a sweet smokey flavor because it uses sweeteners. Some of the most common sweeteners used in BBQ sauces are molasses, corn syrup, brown sugar, and sucralose. But regardless of the form, all these sweeteners are harmful to your dogs.
Unlike humans, dogs don’t require any sugar in their diets. In fact, your pets receive sugar from the carbohydrates found in their kibbles. This means that feeding your dogs with food high in sugar can only do more harm than good as it can cause dental issues, weight gain, and pancreatitis.
Salt
According to experts, the recommended minimum amount of salt or sodium for dogs is about 100 milligrams for every 33-pound dog. This means that a small-sized dog (around 10 pounds) should only receive 30 milligrams of salt every day, and a medium-sized dog (about 75 pounds) should only consume 227 milligrams of salt every day.
Most of the BBQ sauces available in the market today have high salt content, making them very dangerous for your dogs. In fact, two tablespoons of BBQ sauce already contains 300 milligrams of salt — that’s way too much for your dogs’ daily nutritional needs.
Spices
BBQ sauce contains different spices, such as black pepper and chili pepper. These ingredients add an extra kick to your everyday dishes. However, these ingredients can have detrimental effects on your dogs’ health.
Dogs like their food bland, and feeding anything with too many spices can burn their lips, tongue, and mouth. In worse cases, feeding anything spicy to your dogs can cause stomach upset and severe diarrhea.
What Should You Do When Your Dogs Eat BBQ Sauce?
If your dogs ate BBQ sauce, take them to the vet immediately. Almost all of the ingredients in BBQ sauce are harmful to your dogs, which is why you should act immediately. The sooner you take your dogs to the vet, the easier it’ll be for the vet to recommend treatments. This will also increase your dogs’ chances of surviving.
What Foods Can You Feed Your Dogs While You Barbecue?
Not being able to share your meals with your dogs is heart-breaking to many pet owners. Fortunately, there are plenty of healthier and safer alternatives to BBQ sauce for your dogs. Instead of giving them BBQ sauce or meals coated with BBQ sauce, opt to feed them any of the following:
Lean Hamburger
Lean burgers made of beef, chicken, fish, or pork don’t contain too much fat, making them great options for dogs. Just make sure that you cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and remove the bones before feeding them to your dogs.
Fruits
Fruits contain essential vitamins and minerals necessary to keep your dogs healthy. Instead of giving barbecued meat to your dogs, give them fruits, such as bananas, apples, and blueberries. Strawberries and cantaloupes are also excellent options.
Vegetables
Your dogs need vegetables to stay healthy, so make sure to incorporate some into their diets. Grilled vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, bell peppers, or zucchinis, are better alternatives to BBQ sauce for dogs.
Talking To A Vet Helps
The bodies of humans and dogs are different, so always think twice before sharing any of your meals with your canine friends. Just because BBQ sauce is satisfying for you doesn’t mean that you should give some to your dogs.
If you want to change your dogs’ diet and incorporate more human foods, talk to your vet first. They can recommend the healthiest and safest foods for your dogs based on their breed, age, and dietary requirements.