Dogs are favorite pets as individuals enjoy their company. But, keeping a dog needs a lot of challenging work. Dogs need plenty of exercise, and you also need to take them out for a walk twice a day. To keep them fit and healthy, you need to feed them with proper food and water at their regular eating time. As a dog owner, if you ever walked down the dog food aisle, you’ll find many dairy food products. But, does your canine love dairy products? More precisely, can dogs have Mayo?
Read the article to know more.
Table of Contents
IS MAYO BAD FOR DOGS?
If you want to know, “is mayo bad for dogs,”? then remember that mayonnaise contains zero ingredients that are harmful to dogs. It combines egg yolks and oil with some other acids like lemon juice or vinegar for some nice flavor. None of these ingredients contains a risk of poisoning your pet. However, mayonnaise has a high-fat content that can cause dogs’ health issues if eaten in excess amounts.
CAN DOGS EAT MAYONNAISE?
If your question is, “can dogs eat mayonnaise“? then let us tell you that mayonnaise is an excellent choice for dogs, as it is non-toxic. But, too much Mayo can lead to health issues.
Now let’s dive deeper into the topic, to understand better.
DO DOGS LIKE MAYO?
The majority of the dogs are carnivores. Hence, they like eating dairy products like cream, mayo, cheese, etc. The flavor and taste of mayonnaise is a tasty one for them, just like humans love burgers topped with a lot of Mayo. YES, dogs love mayonnaise, but too much mayonnaise can cause side effects that can be dreadful.
HOW CAN MAYONNAISE BE HARMFUL TO DOGS?
Before we decide can dogs eat Mayo or whether it is harmful to them or not, we need to first read about the possible risks associated if we feed our dog with an excess amount of mayonnaise.
Salmonella Poisoning
It is unlikely that a mayo purchased from the store has salmonella, but it might be possible sometimes. If the mayonnaise that your dog ate had salmonella present in it, then some of the possible side effects can be lethargy, fever, diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, etc. Food poisoning can be disastrous if your dog shows any of these symptoms.
High-Fat Content
Mayonnaise has a very high-fat proportion hence, feeding Mayo to dogs on a regular basis can make him obese. Obesity can have a very negative impact on your dog’s quality of life. And due to this, they can suffer from several cancers, lethargy, fever, heart diseases, etc.
BEST ALTERNATIVES TO MAYONNAISE
In case you are finding something delicious to add to your dog’s food, there are many other options than mayonnaise. Besides having a higher fat, calories, and possibly sodium quotient, mayonnaise has zero nutritional benefits.
Yogurt
Plain Greek yogurt contains almost one-tenth of mayonnaise fat and has an extremely creamy texture. Vets recommend choosing plain yogurt over Mayo as it does not contain sugar. If your pet is sensitive to dairy products, look for a nice substitute. Ensure to check the label for ingredients before purchasing. Never feed yogurt to your dog that has artificial sweeteners, especially xylitol as it is super toxic for dogs.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese ranks the closest to mayonnaise in fat content, but the low-fat variation is better for dogs who love dairy products. Just like yogurt, cottage cheese also contains a protein that is beneficial for dogs. All you need is to ensure that the amount is minimum and watch how your dog reacts to it.
Know that observance is the key. It is essential to remember that treats should make up not more than ten percent of your pet’s daily intake. Happy Eating!