When we go to the supermarket, we often buy potato chips and have them for ourselves. We may have the thoughts of giving our furry friends some and considering the safety of it. We may reason the fact that they can eat the interior and even the skin of a potato veggie, so why they shouldn’t eat potato chips. So, let’s find out in this article if dogs can eat potato chips.
No, dogs can’t eat potato chips. Potato chips are salty and oily, and this makes them unsuitable for our doggies. Some of these chips may also contain onion and other spices considered toxic for them. Hence, it is best to avoid it and decline to give our beloved canine friends.
While we continue in this article, we shall answer the many questions regarding our canine friends eating potato chips. We shall see if they can have the common potato chips snacks like Lay’s and Pringles. We shall also see the number of potato chips they can have at most in case you decide to give them and how frequent that should be.
Finally, we shall see what can happen to our furry friends when they eat potato chips and other alternatives to potato chips. But before that, let’s understand why potato chips are not recommended for our doggies.
Can Dogs Eat Potato Chips?
No, dogs can’t eat potato chips primarily because of the salt it has as part of their ingredients. Added salt intake by doggies is unhealthy for them as they cause problems of gastrointestinal tract discomfort.
There are other reasons why doggies need to avoid potato chips, and this is due to the oils in them and more so as it is made with saturated fats. Binge-feeding our doggies with these potato chips will cause the accumulation of excess calories in their body. The resultant effect of this can cause added weight or be a risk factor for obesity in our furry companions.
Lastly, many of these potato chips are heavily flavored with other spices, and this gives them their delicious taste. Unfortunately, this is only suitable for humans and not fit for our doggies to have. Some of these spices could be ingredients known as toxic to dogs, for example, onions and even capsaicin found in peppers.
Hence, our furry friend should avoid potato chips as it is not part of their main diet, and these ingredients should be strictly monitored in their diet.
Can Dogs Eat Unsalted Potato Chips?
No, dogs can’t eat unsalted potato chips as they are still unhealthy for them. Potato chips, salted or unsalted, are made with vegetable oils, and this also makes them unsuitable for your furry friend.
Intake of oils from binge snack foods can cause added weight and even lead to the onset of pancreatitis. Regular intake of potato chips can cause obesity in your doggie.
What Kinds Of Potato Chips Can Dogs Eat?
We don’t recommend giving your doggie any kind of potato chips because of their detrimental effect on the weight and gastrointestinal health of your furry friend.
If your furry friend already has kibbles, that should be okay for it. Kibbles contain enough calories for your furry friend, and adding potato chips that are even higher in calories is risky and can quickly pose health problems.
Can Dogs Eat Lay’s Potato Chips?
No, dogs can’t eat Lay’s potato chips. This is because Lay’s potato chips contain salt and vegetable oils used in producing them.
A bag of Lay’s potato chips has 170 mg of sodium per ounce serving. This translates to about 607 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz serving. It nearly equals half the amount of sodium required for our doggies, and that is 250 to 1,500 mg per 3.5 oz meal serving daily.
Our doggies get most of this sodium from their main diet, and getting more from potato chips snack causes sodium excess.
Can Dogs Eat Pringles Potato Chips?
No, dogs can’t eat Pringles potato chips. Just like the other chips, Pringles are also one such potato chips they should avoid. The chances are that your canine friend could get sick from eating Pringles potato chips because of the ingredients in them.
Pringles have salt, oils, and other spices. It has 150 mg of sodium per ounce serving, similar to the amount found in Lay’s potato chips.
Regular salts and oils and even a few potato chip snacks gradually cause health problems for pooches, and such examples are obesity and pancreatitis. More so, the spices from Pringle potato chips may be toxic to our four-legged furry friends and could keep their livers and kidneys working more than necessary.
Can Dogs Eat One Potato Chip?
A single potato chip should be okay for your furry friend, even if potato chips aren’t recommended for them. So if you feel like offering your doggie potato chip, you may just try to offer them 1 to 2 potato chips at most.
However, as much as you can, it is best to avoid giving them any.
How Many Potato Chips Can A Dog Eat?
While it is best to avoid giving your doggie any potato chip, your dog can still have 1 to 2 pieces at most. In addition, if you do such, it has to be on less frequent occasions.
This minimizes the risk associated with consuming salty, oily, and spicy foods from treats by your furry friends.
What Happens If A Dog Eats Potato Chips?
Our doggie will fall in love with the potato chips when they eat them. But our poor doggie doesn’t know of the dangers associated with it.
They may experience some symptoms of salt poisoning, such as an intense feeling of thirst, vomiting, high temperature, tremors, and seizures.
My Dog Ate Pringles Potato Chips
If your dog ate Pringles potato chips, you should not get worried. All you need to do is to prevent further access to it by locking it in a safe place and constantly watching your furry friend for any unusual signs. The chances are that your pooch could be fine with 1 to 4 pieces of Pringles potato chips.
However, anything more than this can cause negative signs, and you will need to closely monitor your pooch. If you observe any unusual distress or signs of salt poisoning stated earlier, you should let your veterinarian know.
What Should I Do If My Dog Eats A Bag Of Chips?
Suppose your doggie eats a bag of chips; that is a lot! If there is any of it left, you should take it away and keep it in a lock where your doggie can’t reach it.
Most importantly, it would be time to monitor your pooch very closely for at least a day. You should take note of any sign of salt intolerance or salt poisoning that may occur in your furry friend.
Potato Chips Alternatives
There are many potato chip alternatives our furry friends can enjoy. Dogs can have some calorie-based treats as a reward for behavior learned during training or after an exercise session. Examples of calorie-based treats are Kibbles, Cheez-It crackers, animal crackers, peas, and beans.
Your four-legged furry friend can enjoy some of these healthy potato chip alternatives, but as always, in moderation. Your doggie could also have the potato flesh itself rather than the chips. Cooked potatoes are safe for your canine friend to consume.
