What goes into your mind when you hear the word “prosciutto”? A thin slice of cured ham for sure! But did you know that the word “prosciutto” actually refers to any type of ham in Italian?
Prosciutto is a dry-cured ham, usually made from a pig’s hind leg or thigh. The whole preparation and curing process of prosciutto can take up to 2 to 3 years, depending on the size of the meat.
The detailed curing process of prosciutto is also one of the factors why it’s expensive. People usually eat prosciutto, as appetizers or in sandwiches, during special occasions or holiday meals with the family. And as dog owners, we all consider our furry friends part of the family.
Sometimes, we get the fancy idea of treating our dogs to expensive and luxurious food, but have you ever wondered if dogs can eat prosciutto?
Let’s find out!
Can you let your dogs eat prosciutto?
If you are a pet owner who is eyeing to share a savory slice of prosciutto with your furry pal, well, you can go ahead and give them just a teeny tiny bit.
Dogs can eat prosciutto, but it’s not recommended as a regular component of their diet. Since prosciutto is a cured meat and is aged for a long time, it contains high amounts of salt. The salt prevents the meat from going bad as it draws out the moisture from the meat so that pathogenic microorganisms cannot thrive and spoil the meat.
Prosciutto isn’t exactly toxic for your dogs, but the high salt and fat content and possible presence of other ingredients like preservatives and spices can affect your dogs in the long run.
Health risks of eating prosciutto
Dehydration and Salt Poisoning
Because of the high salt content of prosciutto, your dogs can experience dehydration. If your dogs are dehydrated, they can experience weakness, vomiting, or shortness of breath.
Salt poisoning is another health risk to your dogs because of excessive sodium ions in their bodies. These are the symptoms of salt poisoning in dogs that you should look out for:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Seizures
If you think your dogs are experiencing salt poisoning, you should immediately contact your local vet.
Digestive and Heart Issues
Prosciutto is also high in fat and cholesterol. A small serving of prosciutto (30 grams) contains about 2.4 grams of total fat and 20 milligrams of cholesterol.
High fat intake can cause digestive issues to your dogs and can lead to pancreatitis. High fat and cholesterol are also linked to heart issues and other cardiovascular diseases.
Weight gain and obesity
High salt intake can also cause elevated blood pressure, weight gain, and obesity in dogs. So it is not ideal to give your dogs food with high salt content.
Potential Food Poisoning
If prosciutto is not processed properly, pathogenic microorganisms like Salmonella and Listeria. There have been reports of outbreaks caused by these microorganisms in improperly cured meat products.
Dogs infected with Salmonellosis can experience diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Listeriosis is an even more severe infection because worse cases can cause blood infection and meningitis, a condition where the brain membrane and surrounding fluids are inflamed.
Presence of spices and nitrates
Prosciutto, or any cured ham, can contain spices that are dangerous and toxic to dogs. These spices and ingredients to watch out for are:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Paprika
- Cayenne
Garlic and onion contain compounds that are toxic to dogs so it’s not recommended to feed them anything that contains these two ingredients. On the other hand, paprika and cayenne are two spices that you should avoid feeding to your dogs. Dogs can’t handle spicy food as much as we do because of their sensitive stomach. Giving them spicy food can only lead to stomach upset and other health problems.
Cured hams can also contain nitrates. Nitrates are widely used as a preservative to cure hams and other meat products. These nitrates can be converted into nitrites, which are more dangerous for your dog’s health.
Nitrites can cause damage to your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. Nitrates and nitrites can also be converted into nitrosamines inside your dog’s body, which is a carcinogenic compound that can cause cancer.
What happens if your dog accidentally eats prosciutto?
Eating prosciutto doesn’t have any immediate toxic effect on your dogs, but they may experience stomach issues, especially if they happen to ingest a large amount of the ham.
Just keep them under observation, and keep them hydrated. If you think there’s some serious problem or concern, don’t hesitate to contact your local vet.
Can dogs eat other cured meat?
As we’ve already established, cured meats contain large amounts of salt, and they’re usually high in fat too. The high sodium and fat content can pose long-term risks and affect your dog’s health.
So it’s not recommended to give them cured meat products regularly. If your dog happens to be a naughty one who tends to swipe some food off the counter, make sure to keep away these meat products to avoid such instances.
Alternative treats to prosciutto
Prosciutto isn’t the best meat to give to your dogs, especially if you’re after the protein component. Prosciutto is low in protein, so it’s better to stick to other protein-rich food.
Beef or lamb meat, in particular, are both excellent sources of protein. What’s great is they’re also great for your dogs! You can also give them beef jerky if you want to mimic or recreate the “cured meat” aesthetic of prosciutto.
Conclusion
Dogs can eat prosciutto, but it is not generally recommended. While eating prosciutto doesn’t have any immediate harmful effect on your dogs, there are a lot of long-term health effects that your dogs can suffer from in the future.
Prosciutto is high in salt and fat, which can lead to health problems. It may also contain preservatives and other ingredients that are considered toxic for your furry friends.
It’s better to stick to other meat-based treats because prosciutto doesn’t really offer any health benefits that your dogs can enjoy. And as always, consult your veterinarian before offering any new food to your dogs.
We hope that this article was able to answer all your questions related to dogs and prosciutto. For more pet care tips, check out our other posts in the blog.