Does Your Dog Have a Sensitive Taste?

“Can dogs eat spicy food?” is a common inquiry that I’m sure most pet owners get. If you share your food with your canine friends, you might be causing more damage than good. Some foods can cause stomachaches like nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort. Even giving your pet spicy food can cause excessive thirst, which can prompt your dog to drink large quantities of water which can cause vomiting. It’s really important to be able to determine which foods are safe for your canine pals and which ones can cause harmful health conditions.

The thing about dogs is that they really can’t tell the difference: between what is edible and what isn’t. While some people can’t smell the difference at all, our pets can, so it’s always best to make sure everything is in moderation. When humans eat too much spice, they experience indigestion and heartburn, which are obviously not healthy. However, if you give your canine friend too much chili powder or onions, it can seriously affect their system, especially if you feed them to their mouths (which is how most dogs eat most of their food).

As humans get sick: they can’t smell things like onions and peppers, so it’s important to choose your spices carefully. If you buy a can of beans from the supermarket, you can assume it contains dried herbs, spices, and other additives. Try buying a can with whole spices that you can smell. Those fresh spices will really bring out the unique flavor of whatever you’re making.

Can dogs eat spicy foods because they cause diarrhea? While it’s true that some dogs are sensitive to certain spices, most dogs have no problem eating chili peppers, onions, Cayenne pepper, mustard seeds, and garlic. In fact, many veterinarians advise against feeding dogs any type of new spice that they haven’t been accustomed to.

Another reason why your pup might have diarrhea: when consuming spicy food is because of the chemicals that are often involved. Some of these chemicals can irritate the skin, hair, eyes, lungs, or stomach. Again, your vet should be able to help you figure out exactly which ones are causing the discomfort, although it’s usually a good idea to avoid them altogether. For example, mustard seeds can cause some inflammation in the lungs, but your veterinarian probably won’t recommend removing them from your pet’s diet, since that can lead to pneumonia. On the other hand, some of the ingredients found in chili peppers can be irritating to the skin and can even produce coughing fits. Even though this isn’t the most common reason for discomfort for dogs, it’s still something to take into account.

Dogs are just as picky about what they eat as humans are: If you want to give them something that they’ll enjoy, make sure that the meal doesn’t contain things like dairy products, chocolate, eggs, or poultry. Many of these foods are too strong for canines and can cause them to feel uncomfortable. This is often why people who are allergic to certain foods will often choose a different breed of dog simply because of the reaction that it causes their palates.

Keep in mind that some breeds of dogs are more sensitive to the flavor of others than others, so if yours does have a sensitivity to something in particular, try giving them something else to eat.