Pizza is one of the most common human foods worldwide, and many dog owners wonder whether or not they can feed it to their canines. Some human foods are not safe for dogs, and unfortunately, pizza is one of them.
All parts of a pizza, including the crust, are not healthy food for dogs.
Pizza crusts are the edges of the pizza that are firm and mostly comprise the dough.
If a dog consumes pizza crusts, it can get diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and other health issues. Many ingredients in pizza, such as garlic, cheese, onions, and sauces, are also unsafe for dogs to consume.
If you are a dog owner who likes to feed pizza crusts to dogs, then you must read this post. Continue reading for a comprehensive guide on whether or not dogs can eat pizza crusts and whether pizza is safe for dogs to eat, put together by our small animal veterinarian.
Is Pizza Safe For Dogs?
Before we get started on pizza crusts, we need to know if pizza is safe for dogs to eat. Overall, pizza itself is not toxic to dogs, but some of its ingredients might be.
Pizza is not an ideal food for dogs because several of its ingredients are not part of a dog’s natural diet. Pizza is also difficult to digest and offers very few nutritional benefits to dogs.
Dogs are primarily carnivores, and their stomachs are adapted to digesting protein-rich foods rather than unhealthy carbs and fats, which are abundant in pizza. 18% to 25% of the total weight of an adult’s dog diet must be protein. Without protein, dogs simply cannot survive and can suffer from several health issues.
If you offer pizza to your dogs frequently, it will unbalance their diet, and they will suffer from deficiencies. Since pizza contains a lot of unhealthy fats and carbohydrates it also promotes obesity in dogs, which can lead to further health problems.
Can Dogs Consume Pizza Crusts?
When it comes to pizza crusts, which are the edges of the pizza and are doughy and more firm, and dense, dogs should not consume them.
Pizza crusts are usually leftovers, and people will mostly feed them to dogs after consuming a pizza, though it is not a good idea.
Pizza crusts are mainly dense dough, which is made of grain flour. If your dog has a grain allergy or gluten allergy, it will probably get it from consuming the pizza crusts as well.
Upon that, pizza crusts are firm due to the baking process, which makes it difficult for dogs to digest them. The firm texture of the pizza crusts can cause abdominal pain in dogs as well as diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting.
Puppies in particular should not be fed pizza crusts, as it can lead to an obstruction in their digestive tract, constipation, and even choking if they gobble large chunks.
Feeding pizza crust to dogs will certainly not kill them, but it is an unhealthy food choice for them, which can upset their stomach.
What Health Concerns Can Dogs Get From Pizza?
Some health concerns linked to offering pizza to dogs include the following:
Allergic reactions
Dogs may experience allergic reactions, including itching, swelling, rashes, and respiratory issues, along with digestive upsets to pizza ingredients such as wheat (because it contains gluten), and dairy products such as cheese, among others.
Because the immune system perceives these substances as harmful, the dog’s system reacts excessively to them.
Digestive upset
The oil, seasonings, sauces, and other ingredients in pizza are difficult for puppies to digest.
Consuming them could make your dog’s stomach upset, leading to diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
The greasy, thick texture of pizza could irritate a puppy’s digestive tract and cause it to leak fluids in the form of diarrhea and vomiting, resulting in dehydration, which can be fatal if medical attention is not provided.
Abdominal pain
Puppies may get indigestion due to the pizza’s crust, cheese, and fatty meats. The abdominal pain and discomfort are caused by the strain on the digestive system caused by consuming heavier and unexpected foods.
Your dog can exhibit symptoms such as weariness, crying, discomfort, and lethargy due to abdominal cramps.
Excessive drooling
Pizza can make dogs drool for a few reasons, including its strong scent and aroma or gastrointestinal issues. Some of the seasonings and sauces can also be the reason behind excessive drooling. If the pizza is spicy, your dog may start to pant and sweat excessively, along with drooling.
Long-term health concerns:
If you frequently offer pizza to your dog almost daily, prepare for the worst. Unhealthy nutrients in pizza can lead to serious long-term health concerns in canines, such as obesity, pancreatitis, heart problems, and diabetes.
These health problems can further affect the well-being of your dog; for instance, obesity will eventually lead to arthritis in your dog’s joints, which is a very painful condition and has no permanent treatment.
Pizza Ingredients That Are Unsafe For Dogs
The following are some of the common pizza ingredients that are unsafe and unhealthy for dogs to consume
Garlic, Onions, Chives
Several ingredients in pizza are potentially harmful to dogs, including those that belong to the allium species, which include garlic, onion, chives, leeks, and a few others.
Garlic and onion are both herbs that are frequently utilized in human cuisine. However, they are poisonous to canines and may cause toxicity. Because of this, you should avoid offering your dog any food items that potentially include these vegetables, such as pizza.
All parts of these vegetables are harmful, and consuming significant amounts of onions and garlic may result in some health problems, including diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, decreased appetite, anemia, as well as lethargy in dogs.
Seasonings
Humans virtually use seasonings in every food item they prepare, including pizza. Salt is a common seasoning that is used all over the world. It is present in the pizza dough as well as in the sauces and cheese.
Salt is necessary for the dog’s health since it helps maintain the equilibrium of the body’s fluids and electrolytes and has an impact on the functioning of the muscles and nerves.
However, an excessive amount of this seasoning is hazardous and might result in salt toxicosis, also known as hypernatremia.
The quantity of salt that is present in a few pieces of pizza crust is not likely to contain amounts that are toxic to a normal dog; therefore, one of the most frequent adverse impacts that your pooch will experience after consuming pizza is experiencing an increase in thirst.
On the other hand, you should steer clear of giving your dog very salty items, such as pizza crusts or other snacks.
Cheese
Whenever it comes to baking pizza, cheese is obligatory because it is considered a human delight. Even though the pizza crust does not normally include any cheese, some pizza restaurants produce pizzas with cheddar-filled crusty material or a bit of cheese might merely become embedded on the surface of the crust.
There is a possibility that your dog may not have any issues if it consumes a small amount of cheese taken from the remaining crust; however, if the base of the pizza is packed with cheese, the dog might experience potential health issues because it is a dairy product.
Lactose is found in milk and products prepared with milk, such as cheese. Dogs in particular are lactose-sensitive.
This means that their systems cannot handle the lactose, and when consuming dairy products or a large quantity of pizza or pizza crusts, which include cheese, dogs that are allergic to lactose could experience gastrointestinal distress, exhibiting symptoms including loose feces, diarrhea, and vomiting. Indigestion, bloating, discomfort, stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Because such medical conditions might be unpleasant as well as create additional adverse effects on the pup’s well-being, it is better not to give your dog items like pizza or its crusts so that you can prevent subsequent health concerns.
Pepperoni
Even though pepperoni does not instantly pose a threat to canine health, it does contain significant quantities of sodium, calories, fat, as well as preservatives.
Dogs that consume pepperoni are at an increased risk of developing pancreatitis, digestive problems, as well as obesity. Due to the high number of calories that pepperoni contains, it may not be the best choice for the nutritional needs of your dog.
Pepperonis seasoned with cayenne, peppers, black pepper, paprika, fennel seeds, or additional flavors and chemicals make it extremely spicy, and even a single slice of pepperoni can upset your pup’s digestive system, which can result in diarrhea, vomiting, flatulence, and abdominal pain.
Mushrooms
Some dogs can be allergic to mushrooms. Many mushrooms that are safe for humans might cause health concerns in dogs if consumed.
Signs of mushroom toxicity in canines include diarrhea, weakness, salivation, lethargy, vomiting, ataxia (staggering gait), incoordination, coma, seizures, liver failure, jaundice, abdominal discomfort, and death.
Sauces
Dogs can safely consume sauce produced from ripe tomatoes. Green tomatoes are usually toxic to dogs, along with their stem as well as leaves.
But tomatoes aren’t the only ingredient in pizza sauce. Garlic, along with herbs, is among the other components that may be toxic to canines.
Sugar is a common ingredient present in pizza sauces, which can lead to obesity and diabetes if fed regularly to dogs.
Are There Any Benefits Of Feeding Pizza To Dogs
Pizza is not an ideal food for dogs, and they should not consume it. However, if you have offered it to your dog, you might wonder if there are any benefits.
A few of the benefits that your dog might get from eating pizza are mentioned below, though you must remember the risks outweigh the rewards in this situation, so you must avoid feeding this unhealthy food to your dog.
Protein
Pizza has several varieties, and some of them contain animal meat such as chicken, beef, turkey, and a few others. Your dog can get protein after consuming these animal meats present in the pizza, and are the only truly beneficial component for dogs.
This doesn’t mean that you should be feeding pizza to dogs, as it is not a balanced food for canines. Meats present in pizza are also seasoned with salt, sugar, or sauces, which makes them unhealthy for dogs, further diminishing the benefits.
Energy
Since pizza contains high amounts of carbohydrates, it serves as a source of energy for dogs, but remember, they are unhealthy carbs. In general, dogs don’t need a high-carb diet because it is not natural for them. Unhealthy carbs in pizza can provide energy to dogs, but they will also lead to obesity, pancreatitis, and other health issues in dogs if fed regularly.
Trace amounts of vitamins and minerals
Some varieties of pizza contain vegetables and fruits, which might provide your dog with trace amounts of minerals and vitamins. Fruits and veggies such as pineapple, olives, capsicum, etc, present in some pizzas are rich in minerals and vitamins, which can be good for dogs.
Remember, pizza is an unhealthy food for dogs and is not a natural part of their diet. Even though your dog might squeeze out some benefits risk versus reward ratio is very high. You must not forget the health risks associated with offering pizza to dogs.
Best Alternatives to Pizza For Dogs
If you want to offer a snack to your dog but can’t think of anything other than pizza, we have got you covered. We have prepared a list of healthy snacks for dogs that you can occasionally feed them.
Real meat treats
One of the best and most healthy snacks for any dog is any all-natural, real meat treat. You can make them at home by drying animal meat and organs, or purchase them from pet stores. They not only offer high-quality protein but are also highly digestible and palatable for dogs.
Vegetables
Vegetables such as green beans, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and a few others can be fed to dogs as an occasional snack. You can feed them raw, but I recommend boiling or steaming them before offering them and breaking them down into small chunks. They are rich in vitamins and minerals.
Fruits
Fruits such as apples, blueberries, watermelon, and a few make healthy snacks for dogs. Wash the fruits and chop them into smaller bite-sized pieces before offering them to dogs. Fruits provide dogs with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Unseasoned popcorn
Plain popcorn is also another snack that is good for dogs and can be fed in moderation. Remember to never feed salted, caramelized, sugared, cheesy, or spicy popcorn to dogs, as they are unhealthy and can harm their health.