Grits are coarsely ground corn that can be enjoyed as the chief component of porridge, cake, salad, fritters, hash browns, or ice cream.
If you’re a fur parent who loves grits, chances are you’ve considered giving your pooch some of this food. But can dogs eat grits?
Technically, dogs can eat grits. Grits aren’t toxic to canines and even boast a few nutritional benefits.
Unfortunately, several factors make grits a poor choice of breakfast food or snack for your pet. Therefore, we don’t recommend feeding dogs grits.
To know more about why dogs are better off not eating grits, read on!
Are grits bad for dogs?
They can be. True, grits aren’t toxic to dogs. However, in addition to being nutrient-poor, grit dishes usually contain ingredients that aren’t good for dogs, such as:
Butter
Butter is around 80% fat, and most of that fat is saturated (i.e. the bad kind of fat). This is why it’s never ideal to feed dogs butter or any food rich in butter.
Consuming fatty food, in general, can give your dog diarrhea. And because butter is dairy, it can also harm dogs that are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy.
Worse, if your dog eats buttery foods often, they can gain unnecessary weight and even grow obese. Obesity, in turn, increases the risk of many serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, pancreatitis, cancer, heatstroke, and osteoporosis.
Salt
Dogs only need a tiny amount of salt in their diet. In fact, excess salt can cause potentially lethal salt poisoning.
Salt poisoning can lead to severe dehydration, which affects the muscles to cause involuntary muscle spasms and incoordination. It destroys brain cells, resulting in confusion, headaches, and seizures. It can even cause the brain to swell and damage the liver and heart.
If left untreated, salt poisoning can kill a dog.
Bacon and ham
Some grit recipes contain bacon, ham, or bacon grease. Unfortunately for your dog, these edibles are high in fat and/or salt, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and indigestion.
These ingredients can even damage your dog’s pancreas, resulting in a dangerous condition known as pancreatitis.
Other additives
Grits are sometimes seasoned with garlic, onions, and other additives that can harm your dog.
Garlic is unlikely to kill a dog, but it can cause digestive problems, lethargy, dehydration, respiratory issues, and seizures.
Onion is far more dangerous. It can cause vomiting, lethargy, elevated heart rate, fainting, and even death.
Grits
Even if a grit recipe doesn’t contain any of the above ingredients, the grits themselves can be bad for your pooch.
Swallowed whole, grits can get lodged in a dog’s throat and choke them. So if your pet likes to gobble food up without chewing them first, don’t give them grits.
Some dogs are also allergic to corn. Corn allergy symptoms include skin irritation, itching, obsessive licking or biting of the paws, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. If an allergic dog experiences severe forms of these symptoms, they’ll need to be taken to the vet for treatment.
Are grits good for dogs?
There are a few good things about grits.
Grits contain protein, for example. This nutrient is vital for the building and repair of tissues and even keeps the immune system strong.
Grits have a fair amount of fiber, which allows the digestive system to stay in good health, thus preventing problems like diarrhea and constipation.
Grits contain vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), which helps create neurotransmitters, and vitamin B9 (folic acid), which plays a role in DNA synthesis.
Nevertheless, the cons of eating grits outweigh these pros.
Additionally, there are plenty of much healthier alternatives your dog can obtain the aforementioned nutrients from. So the next time you want your dog to enjoy a nutritious treat, don’t feed them grits; instead, give them beats, broccoli, carrots, celery, cucumbers, green beans, kale, or spinach.
Just make sure to talk to a vet before feeding your dog any new food.
FAQs: grits as food for dogs
Below, we answer more commonly asked questions about grits as food for dogs.
Can dogs eat cooked grits?
Grits should be cooked before giving them to your dog. They should also contain no ingredients or seasonings (such as salt, spices, herbs, dairy, fat, oil, etc.) as these can harm dogs.
Keep in mind that your dog won’t enjoy many nutritious benefits from eating grits. If you want to improve your pet’s health, give them healthier treats such as carrots, broccoli, or spinach.
Can dogs eat fried grits?
No. Fried foods are bad for dogs. They can cause digestive problems and weight gain. Long-term consumption of fried foods can result in obesity and related health risks such as pancreatitis, diabetes, and heart disease.
Can dogs eat uncooked grits?
Don’t give dogs uncooked grits. These are harder to digest than cooked grits and can give your dog digestive issues.
Can dogs eat dry grits?
Like uncooked grits, dry grits are harder to digest than cooked grits. Don’t give your dog any.
Can dogs eat plain grits?
Plain grits are the safest grits your dog can eat as they lack potentially harmful components such as salt or butter.
However, because plain grits are relatively nutrient-poor, we suggest feeding your pet healthier treats.
Can dogs eat corn grits?
Yes, as long as they’re cooked, unseasoned (no salt, sugar, etc.), and eaten in small quantities only. Ensure your dog isn’t allergic to corn.
Can dogs eat grain grits?
It’s not a good idea to feed dogs grain grits. The canine stomach has trouble handling whole grains, so your dog may end up suffering from digestive issues such as indigestion and vomiting.
Can dogs eat instant grits?
Technically, yes. However, we don’t recommend feeding dogs instant grits as they’re fattening and usually contain ingredients such as salt.
Can dogs eat hominy grits?
Hominy grits are grits that have been treated with an alkali such as lime. Said treatment doesn’t make grits any safer for dogs to eat. They can be eaten in moderation, but your dog is better off eating something else.
Can dogs eat white grits?
Only occasionally and as long as they’re cooked and unseasoned. As they’re not very nutrient-rich, however, we suggest giving your dog other foods.
Can dogs eat yellow grits?
Yes, but you should feed your pooch healthier foods. Yellow grits contain empty calories, which can cause your dog to gain unhealthy weight.
Can dogs eat sugar grits?
No. Sugar is bad for dogs. Eating sugar can lead to digestive concerns, weight gain, sugar addiction, and serious issues such as pancreatitis.
Can dogs eat cheese grits?
No. Cheese grits contain sugar and dairy, both of which can cause digestive problems and more serious issues if eaten regularly.
My dog ate grits. What should I do?
Stay calm. Determine how much your dog ate and what ingredients were used in the recipe. You should also consider your dog’s size and age; a few bites for a large dog may be too much for a puppy or tiny dog.
If your dog didn’t eat too much, there shouldn’t be any problems. Nevertheless, observe them for symptoms of digestive concerns, as these are usually the first signs of trouble.
Expect some issues if your dog ate more than a little. Grit dishes rarely contain enough harmful ingredients to put a dog in serious danger, but they can still make your dog uncomfortable.
If the dish contains a lot of salt, your dog is likely dehydrated, so give them lots of water. If your dog is vomiting, give them ice cubes or a few sips of water as too much water can cause the vomiting to reoccur. At any rate, you should contact a vet so they can give you specific instructions on how to help your dog.
Should severe symptoms manifest, take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
If no vets are available, those in North America can seek help from Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661.
Conclusion
Because grit dishes usually contain ingredients and seasonings that are unhealthy for canines, it’s best for your dog if they don’t eat grits.
If your dog steals a grit snack, don’t panic; there’s a good chance they’ll be okay. But do contact a vet for help if intense symptoms arise.