People love to eat ramen for different reasons. Some love ramen because of its unique combination of flavors — the chewy noodles, warm broth, and the different toppings that complement its taste, while others love it because it’s cheap and easy to prepare.
But no matter how flavorful or convenient, you should think twice before sharing any with your dogs. Remember, canines’ bodies are built differently, and food that is harmless to humans is not always harmless to them. Some human foods might even be unhealthy or toxic to dogs.
You should never feed your dogs with ramen, especially those added with the seasoning packet. The seasoning packet contains several harmful ingredients that can take a toll on your dogs’ health. These ingredients include:
Garlic or Onion Powder
Garlic and onion in any form are toxic to canines. Giving any food that contains these ingredients can trigger anemia in dogs, accompanied by different symptoms, such as lethargy, black stools, rapid breathing, and pale gums, eyes, or ears. Anemia is a serious medical condition that causes death in 75% of affected animals.
High Salt Content
On average, one packet of ramen noodle seasoning contains around 1.5 to 2 grams of sodium. Dogs require sodium to function properly but only in very small amounts. Canines only require 100 mg of sodium per 30 pounds of body weight. The salt content of a ramen seasoning packet is 20 times the daily intake requirement of most dogs.
Giving your dogs a high sodium diet can lead to health complications, such as dehydration and kidney failure. This can also put your dogs at higher risk of salt poisoning, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, and incoordination. In extreme cases, salt poisoning can also cause tremors, death, coma, and even sudden death.
Preservatives
To increase its shelf life, ramen noodles and its seasoning packets contain excessive artificial flavorings. Over time, these preservatives can take a toll on your dogs’ health, leading to depression, irregular bowel movements, and poor skin and coat health.
Herbs
Ramen noodles contain several herbs, but the one you should have to worry about is thyme. This is a common ingredient added in many ramen noodle seasoning packets because of its unique flavor and aroma. Dogs can’t easily and fully digest thyme, especially when it’s in its dried version, and can cause several symptoms, such as diarrhea, bloating, constipation, and general discomfort.
Chili Powder or Paste
Your ramen will not be complete without a dash of chili powder or paste. And while this level of spiciness satisfies humans’ cravings for flavor, it’s never the same for dogs. Anything that’s spicy can cause digestive irritation among canines.
If your dogs consume too much chili powder or paste in one sitting, they’ll end up suffering from extreme health complications, like ulceration of the digestive tract, excessive thirst, and other gastrointestinal issues, such as gas, bloody diarrhea, and inflammation-related pain.
What Happens if Dogs Eat Ramen?
If your dogs eat ramen, their bodies will adversely react to the toxic ingredients found in the product or the ingredients that they’re allergic to. Some of the side effects of eating ramen are immediate, while others take weeks or months before they manifest.
Gastrointestinal Irritation
Gastrointestinal irritation in canines is triggered by toxic ingredients, namely artificial preservatives, herbs, and spices. Depending on the amount of ramen consumed by your fur babies, the effects could be mild, but they can also be severe enough to trigger life-threatening health issues.
Hypernatremia
Because of its high salt content, dogs can also suffer from hypernatremia when they consume ramen. Hypernatremia is a health condition caused by excessive levels of salt in a dog’s body. Some of the most common symptoms of this condition are increased thirst, confusion, disorientation, seizures, and high water loss through urine.
Kidney Failure
Kidney failure after dogs eat ramen usually happens as a result of dehydration from the high sodium intake. In some cases, kidney failure can also be triggered by toxicity from different ingredients, including preservatives and additives.
The symptoms of kidney failure among dogs will occur within days or years, depending on the amount your dogs have consumed and how their bodies tolerate the ingredients.
Can Dogs Eat Ramen Without the Seasoning?
No, because the plain noodles might be infused with the same ingredients found in the seasoning packets. Many ramen brands use the same ingredients in their seasoning packets and ramen noodles to ensure that the product is flavorful. Some plain ramen noodles might even contain high amounts of preservatives, artificial flavors, and salt, garlic, and onion powder.
Can Dogs Eat Raw Ramen Noodles?
Yes, as long as the noodles are free from color or flavor additives and preservatives. This only applies to noodles that come pre-fried for preservation as these types aren’t dry. Make sure to break the noodles into small bite-sized pieces, so your dogs won’t choke on them.
Reach Out to a Vet When Needed
Ramen noodles are a no-no for your fur babies, so make sure not to give them any. If your dogs were able to steal some of your ramen noodles behind your back, reach out to your vet immediately. All of the ingredients found in one pack of ramen noodles are harmful to your dogs, which is why you should act immediately to prevent symptoms from getting worse.