Sour, salty, and crunchy, pickles can be enjoyed straight out of the jar or as a component of other food such as sandwiches and hamburgers.
Pickles are nutritious treats for humans. But for dogs? That’s another story.
We don’t recommend feeding dogs pickles. While the average pickle isn’t toxic to dogs, it contains elements that in abundance can harm your dog. There are also pickle varieties that do have toxic ingredients, so it’s generally a good idea not to give dogs pickles.
Read on as we discuss how pickles can affect your dog!
Are pickles bad for dogs?
A pickle is a cucumber that has been marinated in a solution of salt and water. Said solution usually contains vinegar and other spices, as well.
Cucumber itself is good for dogs. Unfortunately, dogs can’t handle many of the solution’s components too well. As a result, a dog that eats pickles can end up experiencing the following issues:
Salt poisoning
Pickles are high in salt. Consuming excess salt can seriously harm a dog.
A medium-sized dog needs to eat around 100 mg of salt daily. However, 100 g of pickles can contain as much as 1,208 mg of salt. Take note that 100 g isn’t a lot (it’s as heavy as a palm-sized cut of steak). This means even a few bites of pickles can have your dog exceeding their required daily salt intake.
When a dog ingests salt, the cells in their body lose water to the salt in their bloodstream. This is a part of the process of normalizing the blood’s salt levels.
But if too much salt is consumed, these cells lose too much water too quickly, leading to the extreme dehydration that begins the cascade of events that can culminate in a dog’s death.
The symptoms of salt poisoning include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Weakness
- Reduced appetite
- Incoordination
- Extreme thirst, causing excessive drinking and urination
- Confusion
- Breathing difficulties
- Rapid heartbeat
- Muscle tremors
- Seizures
- Fainting
- Coma
- Death
Salt poisoning impacts the muscles, which explains issues such as lack of coordination and involuntary muscle tremors. It can destroy brain cells, leading to confusion, seizures, and fainting. It can also cause brain swelling (brain edema) and damage the heart and liver.
For these reasons, a dog that’s eaten many pickles and/or begins exhibiting any of the above symptoms needs to be taken to the vet as soon as possible. Salt toxicity is a serious problem requiring emergency treatment by trained professionals. A poisoned dog will also need to be hospitalized for observation and additional treatment.
Pickles can be extremely vinegary. While vinegar isn’t toxic to dogs, too much vinegar is bad for them.
Dogs that consume vinegar-rich food may experience gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea. If left untreated, these concerns can progress into dehydration.
Issues are more likely to occur in small dogs and dogs with a sensitive digestive system. Dogs with kidney disease are particularly susceptible, as vinegar can aggravate their body’s already impaired pH balance.
Garlic toxicity
Some pickle varieties contain garlic, which is toxic to dogs.
While garlic damages the red blood cells to cause anemia, garlic rarely kills dogs. Between 15 g and 30 g of garlic (or several garlic cloves) need to be ingested for a dog to be in any real danger, so taking a few bites out of a pickle is unlikely to seriously harm your pooch.
Depending on the number of pickles eaten and your dog’s age, health, allergies, and other factors, garlic poisoning symptoms can range in severity from mild to extreme. Symptoms include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Drooling
- Lethargy and weakness
- Yellow eyes and skin
- Bloody or brown urine
- Dehydration
- Breathing difficulties
- Elevated respiratory and heart rate
- Incoordination
- Abdominal cramping and tenderness
- Collapse
- Seizures
If your dog gobbles up an overabundance of garlic, they’ll need treatment for garlic toxicity, which usually involves fluid therapy, medication, and blood transfusions.
Onion toxicity
Some pickles also contain onion – another ingredient that’s toxic to dogs.
Like garlic, onion breaks down red blood cells to make a dog anemic. Onion toxicity can have fatal consequences.
Pickles may not have enough onions to kill a dog, but problems may still arise, especially if the dog is sensitive to onions.
Onion toxicity symptoms include:
- Vomiting
- Panting
- Poor appetite
- Weakness
- Lethargy
- Reddish urine
- Pale gums
- Rapid heart rate
- Fainting
If your dog experiences any of these symptoms after eating onions, bring them to the vet immediately. Treatment may include induced vomiting, supportive care, and blood transfusions.
Other problems
Other types of pickles use ingredients that are unhealthy for dogs.
For instance, some pickles are high in sugar, which can cause your dog digestive problems. Frequent consumption of sugary food can even lead to tooth decay, sugar addiction, high blood sugar levels (which can lead to pancreatitis), and obesity (which is linked to heart disease, diabetes, and other problems).
Some pickles have horseradish, which can irritate your dog’s nose, tongue, throat, digestive system, and urinary tract.
Others include mustard, which contains toxins that can cause digestive issues.
FAQs about pickles for dogs
Here are more commonly asked questions about pickles for dogs.
My dog ate a pickle. What should I do?
Don’t panic. Find out how much your dog ate and check the food label. You should also consider your dog’s size and age. A few bites for a big dog may be too many for a small dog. Puppies and senior dogs are also more sensitive to toxicity.
If your dog ate only a few bites, they’ll likely be fine but thirstier than usual. Help them hydrate by giving them lots of water and expect frequent (and possibly inappropriate) urination. Keep an eye on them; if they exhibit salt poisoning symptoms, contact a pet clinic or pet emergency hotline for help.
If a pickle containing toxic ingredients (e.g. garlic) was consumed, call a vet for advice. A small amount is unlikely to hurt a dog, but it depends on your dog’s size, health, and toxin tolerance.
Ingesting heaps of pickles can lead to serious problems. Contact a vet and follow their instructions. You’ll likely need to bring your pet to the clinic or hospital for emergency salt poisoning treatment.
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.
Are pickles good for dogs?
Pickles boast nutrients dogs can benefit from. They’re high in vitamins and minerals, for example. They also contain antioxidants that boost your dog’s immune system, helping them ward off diseases and illnesses.
However, because a dog that eats pickles absorbs an unhealthy excess of salt, vinegar, and other potentially dangerous substances, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. If you want your dog to enjoy a nutritious treat, there are superior alternatives to pickles, including carrots, broccoli, kale, and spinach.
Or just feed your dog plain cucumbers, which contain the same essential nutrients as pickles minus all the harmful stuff!
Can dogs eat brined pickles?
Brined pickles are soaked in a solution of water and salt only. While a few bites won’t put your dog in grave danger, we still don’t suggest giving dogs brined pickles due to their high salt content.
Some brined pickles even contain spices that are toxic to dogs.
Can dogs eat dill pickles?
Dill is an herb that’s generally safe and even nutritious for dogs. However, dill pickles contain salt and usually loads of garlic, making them unhealthy for dogs.
Can dogs eat bread-and-butter pickles?
It’s not a good idea to feed dogs bread-and-butter pickles. These are soaked in sugar, vinegar, and spices, which may cause digestive issues if eaten in small quantities and serious illness if eaten generously.
Can dogs eat sweet pickles?
Sweet pickles are marinated in brine that contains vinegar and loads of sugar. Some also include onions. In other words, they’re unhealthy for dogs.
Can dogs eat gherkin pickles or cornichons?
Gherkins (a.k.a. cornichons) are small “baby” cucumbers. In addition to being salty and vinegary, gherkin pickles contain tarragon, which is mildly toxic to dogs. Some also use sugar. We don’t suggest feeding dogs gherkin pickles.
Are there pickle varieties dogs can safely eat?
Again, we don’t recommend feeding dogs pickles as they’re high in salt. However, a dog can eat a few small bites once or twice a week as long as the pickle doesn’t contain toxic substances such as onion and garlic.
Read the food labels before giving your dog pickles. More importantly, ask your vet if your pooch should be eating pickles in the first place.
Conclusion
Pickles, in general, have too much salt to be healthy for dogs. Some varieties also contain additional substances that can cause illness in your pooch. For these reasons, dogs are better off not eating pickles.
If you want to give your dog a healthy treat, give them cucumbers, instead. And don’t forget to consult a vet if your dog gets sick after eating pickles!