Also known as Spanish rice or red rice, Mexican rice is a popular side dish made from white rice, tomato, and different spices. Mexican rice is often served and eaten to complement other dishes, such as carne asada, refried beans, fried chicken, or vegetable soup.
Mexican rice is easy to prepare, which is why countless homes worldwide often serve the dish during regular meals and even get-togethers. And if you’re a pet owner, you might be thinking of sharing some with your fur babies. But is this appropriate? Is Mexican rice dog-friendly?
You should never feed your dogs Mexican rice because it contains the following ingredients:
Garlic
Garlic is one of the most toxic ingredients to dogs because it contains compounds that cause anemia. Anemic dogs have little energy and stamina, so they get tired easily. Other symptoms of anemia include signs of blood loss (blood in urine, stool, or vomit, and bloody nose), excessive weight loss, labored breathing, faster heart rate, and loss of appetite.
Onion
Onion belongs to the same family as garlic and is just as toxic. Giving your dogs food that contains onion can cause damage to their red blood cells, resulting in anemia. Aside from the symptoms associated with the health condition, anemia can also cause death, especially when more than a third of your dog’s blood is lost and not replaced immediately.
Spices
Spices, such as pepper and cumin, are added to Mexican rice to make the dish more flavorful. Large quantities of any spices can cause stomach upset in dogs and trigger several symptoms, like diarrhea and vomiting. Continually feeding your dogs with foods that contain spices can lead to skin and eye irritations.
Salt
Mexican rice also uses a lot of salt. And while dogs need salt to survive, their kibbles are enough to meet this dietary requirement. A high-salt diet can cause your dogs to become seriously thirsty and can lead to sodium poisoning. Some of the most common symptoms of sodium poisoning are seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and high temperature.
Lard or Cooking Oil
To prepare Mexican rice, white rice is toasted with fat, like lard or cooking oil. Lard and cooking oil are highly caloric and have a high-fat content. These ingredients can negatively impact canine nutrition and trigger pancreatitis, obesity, and diabetes.
What Should You Do When Dogs Eat Mexican Rice?
If your dogs snuck behind your back and ate Mexican rice, call your vet immediately. Depending on the age of your dogs and the amount of Mexican rice they eat, they might suffer from fatal consequences. Share to your vet the details of what happened, especially the symptoms your dogs manifest (if there are any) after eating Mexican rice.
Can Dogs Eat Brown Rice?
No, you should never feed your dogs brown rice as it can cause gastrointestinal issues, such as gas, diarrhea, and bloating. Brown rice is also harder to digest and can cause constipation, especially when fed to puppies.
Can Dogs Eat White Rice?
Yes, dogs can eat white rice but in moderation. White rice is an excellent source of carbohydrates for dogs and can soothe an upset stomach. But because white rice has a higher glycemic index than most types of rice, it’s crucial to limit your dogs’ consumption.
Are There Any Dog-Friendly Alternatives?
Yes, there are! Instead of giving Mexican rice to your fur babies (and worrying about possible symptoms), roll up your sleeves and prepare the following:
Dog-Friendly Fried Rice
Mix cooked long grain rice (best if the rice was cooked the day before and was refrigerated overnight), lean ground turkey meat, two large eggs, and frozen mixed vegetables, and cook everything on medium heat. Avoid adding any type of spices, such as pepper and salt to the mix to keep the recipe safe, healthy, and dog-friendly.
Lamb and Rice
For this recipe, cut carrots and green beans into small bite-sized pieces. In a large pan, cook the ground lamb using coconut oil. Once the meat is cooked, add the veggies, rice, and water. Bring the ingredients to a boil and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. You can serve the dish to your fur babies once it’s completely cool.
Chicken and Rice
This recipe only requires water, whole grain brown rice, boneless chicken breast, and one cup of green beans. Cook the rice in boiling water and put the chicken breast and vegetables next. You can serve this dish as is or add them on top of your dogs’ regular kibbles.
How Much Rice Should Your Dogs Eat?
Although rice is generally healthy and is an excellent source of carbohydrates, it’s still important to control the amount you give to your dogs. Ideally, rice meals should be no more than 10% of your dogs’ diets. Feeding your dogs more can put them at risk for obesity and diabetes.
Avoid Feeding Your Dogs With Mexican Rice
Mexican Rice should never be a part of your dogs’ diets. Due to the ingredients used, Mexican rice is unhealthy and harmful for your fur babies. Introducing this dish to your pets will take a toll on their health, making them susceptible to different health problems.