Originating in Italy, the preserved, cured sausage known as salami is now enjoyed the world over, usually as a component of other food such as pizzas and sandwiches.
We humans love sharing our favorite foods with our pets. So can dogs eat salami, too?
The short answer is no, you shouldn’t feed dogs salami. Salami is high in salt and fat, which are never good for dogs. Some types of salami also contain ingredients that can seriously harm a dog.
Interested to know more about why you shouldn’t feed dogs salami? Then read on!
Why is salami bad for dogs?
While a tiny slice of salami likely won’t cause considerable harm to your doggo, it could give them digestive problems such as gas, diarrhea, and vomiting. The more salami a dog eats, the worse their suffering.
Below are the issues a dog can experience if they’re fed salami:
Salt poisoning
A dog that consumes too much salt can end up with potentially lethal salt poisoning. And salami just so happens to be rich in salt.
A dog weighing 33 pounds needs only 100 mg of salt daily. A 100 g of salami contains around 1,740 mg of salt. This means a single slice could have as much as 214 mg of salt – more than twice the amount of salt the average dog needs per day!
Eating a lot of salami therefore results in the rapid dehydration of the cells in a dog’s body. This affects the muscles, leading to stiffness and involuntary muscle spasms. Worse, it can destroy brain cells to cause confusion, seizures, fainting, a rapid heart rate, and breathing difficulties. If left untreated, these issues can kill a dog.
For your quick reference, here are the symptoms of salt poisoning:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Weakness
- Reduced appetite
- Incoordination
- Extreme thirst, causing excessing drinking and urination
- Confusion
- Respiratory problems
- Rapid heartbeat
- Muscle tremors
- Seizures
- Fainting
- Coma
- Death
If your dog has several bites of salami, they may start showing the above symptoms within a few hours. Take them to the vet as soon as possible. Make sure they have water to drink along the way as it can help fight salt toxicity.
Vets use fluid therapy and other techniques to treat salt poisoning in dogs. As salt poisoning can also damage organs such as the liver, heart, and brain, affected dogs need to be hospitalized for a couple of days for observation and additional treatment.
Obesity and associated health risks
Salami is high in fat, so feeding a few slices to your dog several times a week can result in unnecessary weight gain. Over time, your dog can become obese.
Obesity harms a dog’s quality of life and can even cut their life short. This is because the condition increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, heatstroke, osteoporosis and joint pain, and other serious issues.
Due to the discomfort obese dogs experience whenever they move around, they’re also less likely to participate in physical activities, which means they rarely get the exercise they need to lose weight. The result? They pack on even more pounds and grow increasingly unhealthy.
Garlic poisoning
Some salami varieties contain garlic, which is toxic to dogs.
True, a dog needs to eat huge quantities of garlic to become severely ill, and most cases of garlic poisoning in canines don’t result in death. Nevertheless, a dog that’s eaten salami containing garlic may end up experiencing some discomfort.
Some of the more common garlic poisoning symptoms are:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Drooling
- Lethargy and weakness
- Yellow eyes and skin
- Bloody or brown urine
- Anemia
- Dehydration
- Breathing difficulties
- Elevated respiratory and heart rate
- Incoordination
- Abdominal cramping and tenderness
- Collapse
- Seizures
Any dog that has ingested a great amount of garlic needs veterinary care. Treatment may involve fluid therapy, medication, and blood transfusions.
Alcohol poisoning
Some types of salami contain wine. Unfortunately, even a small amount of alcohol could cause toxicity in your pet.
Symptoms of alcohol poisoning in dogs include:
- Vomiting
- Excessive panting
- High or low body temperature
- Decreased respiratory rate
- Disorientation
- Restlessness
- Muscle tremors
- Collapse
- Seizures
- Organ failure leading to death
While a thin slice of salami may not contain enough alcohol to cause death, it may induce milder symptoms that will leave them feeling uncomfortable and unhappy. At any rate, it’s always a good idea to call a vet so they can determine whether or not your pooch needs emergency treatment.
Other problems
Depending on the type of salami you purchase, it may contain spices and herbs that can make a dog ill. For instance, turmeric can damage your dog’s skin, while rosemary is dangerous for dogs with epilepsy.
Salami can even contain onion and mustard seeds, which are both potentially dangerous to dogs.
FAQs about salami for dogs
Here are more commonly asked questions about salami for dogs.
My dog ate salami. What should I do?
Stay calm and determine how much your dog ate. Check the food label, too.
There’s a good chance your dog will be fine if only a tiny slice of salami was eaten. Just give them lots of water so they can hydrate, and expect frequent urination. Also, monitor them for problems, and call up the vet if you want to be 100% sure about your pet’s safety.
If your dog ate more than a little; ate salami containing garlic, wine, or spices; and/or starts showing signs of illness, contact a vet or pet emergency hotline so they can tell you what to do next. If they want you to bring your dog to a clinic or hospital, do so immediately. Poisoning requires emergency professional treatment. If you wait, your dog could perish.
Also, consider your dog’s size and age. A tiny portion of salami may be large enough to poison a small-breed dog. Puppies and senior dogs are more likely to experience digestive concerns and succumb to poisoning after eating salami.
If no vets are available during a crisis, those in North America can instead call the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 or Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 for help.
Can dogs eat salami slices?
A tiny slice of plain salami is unlikely to cause a dog harm, so you may give them the occasional slice. However, as this food is unhealthy for dogs, we don’t recommend feeding dogs salami slices. Your pooch is better off eating safer, healthier snacks, such as blueberries or carrots.
Can dogs eat uncured salami?
Uncured salami contains less salt than your typical salami, so a dog may be able to eat a small portion once in a while. Just ensure you examine its ingredients for anything that can cause toxicity. Also, keep in mind that uncured salami is fatty and thus unhealthy for dogs.
Can dogs eat dry/hard salami?
Technically, yes, as long as the salami is plain (i.e. it doesn’t contain garlic, wine, spices, or herbs). We still don’t recommend feeding your pooch dry/hard salami as it’s unhealthy for them.
Can dogs eat salami sticks?
It’s not a good idea to feed dogs salami sticks. A dog could end up eating an entire stick and absorb more salt than necessary, leading to salt poisoning.
Can dogs eat spicy salami?
No. Spicy food can upset a dog’s stomach. It can even cause toxicity.
Can dogs eat turkey salami?
Turkey salami is less fattening than beef or pork salami, so it can be eaten by dogs. Nevertheless, its salt content makes it a food that’s best consumed as rarely as possible. If it contains other harmful ingredients, it’s best avoided altogether.
Can dogs eat Genoa Salami?
Nope! In addition to being salty, Genoa Salami contains wine and is exceptionally fatty. A small, thin slice may not seriously harm your dog, but it’s still unhealthy.
Can dogs eat Felino Salami?
No. Felino Salami contains salt, wine, garlic, cane sugar, and spices – an extremely unhealthy combination!
Can dogs eat chorizos?
Chorizos contain salt, sugar, spices, and garlic, making them bad for dogs.
Can dogs eat soppressata?
It’s a bad idea to give dogs soppressata, as its ingredients include salt, sugar, spices, and garlic.
Can puppies eat salami?
No. The puppy’s digestive system is extremely sensitive. Puppies also have different nutritional requirements than adult dogs, so even a tiny slice can result in the excess absorption of unnecessary substances. A puppy that eats salami can get sick, maybe even dangerously so.
Is there any type of salami a dog can safely eat?
There are many types of salami. All of them are unhealthy for dogs. However, your dog may be able to tolerate some types more than others.
In general, stay away from any salami that contains salt, sugar, spices, herbs, and/or wine.
Conclusion
We don’t recommend feeding dogs salami. This food is high in salt, fat, and other substances that can make them ill.
If your pooch becomes ill after consuming salami, bring them to a pet clinic or hospital immediately. Your quick actions can save their life!