Cheeze-Its are rectangular crackers made with vegetable oil, wheat flour, cheese, salt, and spices. Many love Cheeze-Its because they’re filling and conveniently available almost anywhere. These crackers also contain casein that releases casomorphins, which trigger the production of dopamine in your brain. This makes Cheeze-Its slightly addictive.
Pet owners commonly want to spoil their dogs — and that usually means sharing human foods with their fur babies. But are Cheeze-Its one of them? Are these crackers dog-friendly and safe for your pets to enjoy? This article will provide answers to these questions.
The short answer is: no, dogs should never eat Cheeze-Its. The ingredients in these crackers don’t have any nutritional value, which means that feeding them to your dogs will not improve their overall health. On the contrary, Cheeze-Its is harmful because of the following ingredients:
Wheat
Cheeze-Its is primarily made with enriched flour, which is composed of wheat flour. Canines who have wheat allergies can experience several symptoms after eating Cheeze-Its, namely itchy skin, bald spots in their bodies, inflamed paw pads, and gastrointestinal upset.
Soy
Cheeze-Its contain vegetable oil that has soybean. This can cause symptoms, such as bacterial infections in the ear, diarrhea, and hair loss in dogs who have soy allergies. In worse cases, soy allergies can lead to severe skin infections, which will require the use of antibiotics.
Lactose
Skim milk is heavily used in making Cheeze-Its. And while skim milk contains fewer calories than other types of milk, it’s still a dairy product that can flare up symptoms in canines. Dogs don’t have lactase enzymes in their bodies, making it difficult for them to digest dairy.
Aside from milk, Cheeze-Its also use cheese. This is another dairy product that contains sugars and fats that dogs can’t digest properly. Feeding any food that contains cheese can cause bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort in lactose-intolerant dogs.
Salt
One Cheeze-Its cracker contains about 9 mg of salt. This amount is harmless and safe for humans but not for canines. In fact, 9 mg of salt is already considered too much for dogs. That’s because your fur babies only require about 0.25 to 1.5 grams of salt for every 100 grams of their regular meals.
Dogs need sodium in their bodies, but their kibbles are enough to meet this nutritional requirement. Giving them any food with high salt content can lead to sodium poisoning and cause extreme thirst, headache, swollen tongue, vomiting, and upset stomach. In severe cases, sodium poisoning also triggers seizures, coma, and sudden death.
Annatto Extract Color
Annatto is a vegetable dye and additive used in making Cheeze-Its to give the crackers that orange color and signature cheese flavor. This ingredient has been shown to cause seizures among canines. This additive also doesn’t have any nutritional value.
Paprika
Although paprika isn’t toxic to dogs, giving your dogs foods with paprika can cause throat irritation, gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, and diarrhea. Dogs who are continually fed with foods that contain paprika will eventually develop gastritis.
Calories
Cheeze-Its are also high in calories — one serving (contains 27 crackers) also contains 210 calories. This amount isn’t toxic to dogs, but they’re empty calories, meaning they don’t positively impact your dogs’ diets or health.
Additionally, the calories in Cheeze-Its come from fat and dairy. Consuming foods that have these ingredients can trigger obesity, diabetes, and liver failure in canines. These are serious health conditions that are fatal to dogs.
What Should You Do When Your Dogs Eat Cheeze-Its?
If you notice your dogs ate Cheeze-Its, call your vet immediately. Let them know what happened and be ready to provide information about the situation, namely the amount of Cheeze-Its your dogs ate and if they’re manifesting any symptoms. Acting fast is crucial to ensure your dogs’ health and safety.
Are There Any Dog-Friendly Alternatives?
Yes, there are! If you want your fur babies to snack on something crispy and healthy, tick off Cheeze-Its from their diets and give them any of the following instead:
Apples
Apples are great additions to your dogs’ diets because they’re packed with dietary fiber and vitamins C and A. Chewing apples also keeps your dogs’ teeth clean and freshens their breath! Before feeding any apples to your fur babies, make sure to remove the core and seeds as these are poisonous.
Brocolli
Brocolli contains different important nutrients and vitamins, like potassium and vitamins C and K. These work together to improve and maintain your dogs’ cardiovascular health and keep their immune systems strong.
Carrots
Due to their unique texture, carrots make excellent edible chew toys. Letting your dogs chew on carrots can help improve their oral health and keep their weight in check. Carrots also have fiber, potassium, and vitamin A.
Talk To Your Vet
Because Cheeze-Its don’t have any nutritional value, it’s best not to introduce them to your dogs. These crackers will only make your dogs sick.
To ensure that your fur babies remain healthy for years, ask your vet about the best foods to give to them. Never give them any food just because they’re healthy or safe for you. Remember, your pets’ bodies are built differently and will react differently to human foods.