Can Dogs Eat French Fries?
We all want our pets to be happy, and this can involve giving into to those loving eyes as they look at you with desperation as you eat your dinner. Watching your every move your dog is staring hopefully, wishing you would drop something his way.
Whilst many of us give in and give our dogs a treat, more often than not this can be a bad idea. Giving into the temptation of thinking that you are giving them what they want, sometimes it is better to administer some tough love for the benefit of your dog.
A staple food of many home meals is french fries. Seemingly harmless, you would think this potato based food is a simple bite to digest, but is it? Can dogs eats french fries? Well the simple answer is dogs will eat almost anything so a dog can consume a french fry - but should it?
What is in a French Fry?
Firstly, consider the ingredients, more than just potato a regular french fry will include a lot of salt, oil and all sorts of preservatives, these are not recommended as part of a healthy diet for your dog. There is no nourishment in a french fry that will benefit your dog. The fact that they are not considered a good choice of food for humans should give you your answer.
French fries have the ingredients that are not recommended as part of a healthy diet for your dog
Foods high in fat are not good for you dog, and a french fry is amongst the worst foods for fat intake. The fact that they are high in sodium due to the salt, combined with the type of fats being trans and saturated means they are high in carbs - not good for what should be a highly protein based diet.
What if My Dog Eats French Fries?
If you dog takes a mouthful off of your plate when you are not looking, or scoops them off the floor in a quick burst of excitement, your dog will be fine. It is with frequent feeding that you should be asking can dogs eat french fries? That is when the feeding is detrimental to your dog, the negative effects will increase over time.
Obesity
If you continue to feed your dog foods high in fat such as french fries, you run the risk of being a negligent owner and having an overweight pet. Continuous feeding of such treats will negatively affect the health of your dog.
If you continue to feed your dog foods high in fat such as french fries, you run the risk of being a negligent owner and having an overweight pet
Feeding a few fries under the table is one thing, but if you are considering adding them into your dog's daily diet then you need to stop this right away. Not only will it provide no nutritional value but it is not good for your dog to digest such fats and they will find themselves putting on unnecessary weight.
Salt Poisoning
Most french fries are incredibly high in salt. Whilst this is not good for the human body, it can be even worse for your dog. The salt consumption can damage your dog's kidneys through impacting its electrolyte balance.
This can result in your dog vomiting as well as losing their appetite over time. Look out for some for these signs as they can build up, you might find your dog in a coma or even dead from salt poisoning so it should be taken very seriously indeed.
It is not just your dog that will suffer, but it will also be your wallet! Treatment for salt poisoning can often lead to the services of a veterinarian, which could mean your dog is given IV fluid therapy in an effort to control dehydration and bring down the level of salt, sometimes taking around 3 days to bring these to an acceptable level.
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It is no wonder that your dog will be searching for a bowl of water soon after consuming because of the salt intake - do not put your dog through this regularly.
Because they are high in calories it disrupts the natural balance of how many calories your pets consumes, compared to how many they burn off through exercise. If you want your dog to live a long life, provide them with a food that gives them energy, not starves them of it.
Can Dogs Eat French Fries?
In one line - no should not feed your dog french fries, yes they will be ok if it is very occasional but to even think about adding it into their regular diet is neglectful. The same with any treat, it should remain as that - an occasional treat. Over consumption will result to health issues and obesity, and both can be easily avoided in this case.
It is always better to give your dog a healthy dog treat, these are more enjoyable for them anyway, and at least you are safe in the knowledge that it is something that has been prepared with dog in mind.
Instead of asking yourself can dogs eat french fries, consider sticking to food made for dogs.
Stick to providing healthy protein based meals and do not give your dog french fries - their well being depends on it.
References:
http://www.furrytips.com/can-dogs-eat-french-fries/
https://www.vetary.com/dog/condition/salt-poisoning
