If you’re a dog owner and hosting a Super Bowl party, remember that certain foods aren’t healthy for your dog. In fact, some of the most popular party foods are very toxic for your furry friend and can result in some serious problems. As a responsible pet owner, you’re probably familiar with most food items that can be dangerous for dogs. However, it’s always helpful to get a reminder on what not to share with your dog or dog guests. For some helpful tips, Alysper Cormanes a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine who works with Veterinarians.org, shares her expert advice.
Super Bowl Party Chicken Wings
“Chicken is usually an acceptable treat for your dog. In fact, it is a palatable source of protein for them. On the other hand, it can also be a common allergen for dogs with sensitive skin. Moreover, Super Bowl foods like chicken wings are only safe as long as you strip off the outer coating. This is especially true if it contains strong or spicy flavors from any sauces. Most chicken wing sauces have tons of spices and herbs that can not only irritate your dog’s palate and smell. In addition, some of those spices may be harmful, such as garlic and onion powder.”
Chicken Bones
“Lastly, never give your dogs the chicken bone, even if these bones look small and harmless. However, if these bones break and are swallowed at the wrong angle, that sharp bone edge could lodge somewhere. As a result, that could spell a whole lot of trouble.”
Super Bowl Party Nachos
“A plain tortilla chip is generally safe to be given to your dogs. However, you should only use it occasionally as a very small snack. There are a variety of nachos that are available in the market. Therefore, you should always be aware of what kind you have before giving any to your dog. Nachos with flavorings are bad for your dogs because it can contain harmful herbs, spices and a lot of salt. Dogs do not have the same threshold as humans do with the amount of salt we can safely have. In general, dogs can develop salt toxicosis, especially breeds that are smaller. In addition, you should avoid the nacho dips and sauces for your dog that are harmful for the same reason. Finally, you must also know that Super Bowl foods like cheese-based nachos are especially bad for dogs that are lactose intolerant. In detail, cheese nachos may cause diarrhea and/or vomiting.”
Related: Super Bowl Nacho Recipes From Chef Kevin Cabrera
Pizza
“Dogs can have a little bit of pizza and be perfectly fine. At the same time, it is not a good choice for them and should never be given as meals. While the pizza crust itself is okay to give, dogs with dietary restrictions. For instance, dogs that has diet restrictions pertaining to fat and caloric intake. What makes pizza bad for dogs is that the main components of pizza toppings are potentially harmful to them. In more detail, items like onions, garlic, chives, shallots, and leeks can cause toxicity in dogs. by damaging red blood cell membranes. What’s more, pepperoni has been shown to cause gastroenteritis and salt toxicosis in large amounts. The pizza sauces often contain too many spices for dogs to safely consume, and the dairy can cause some stomach upset in dogs that are sensitive to lactose.”
Related: Old School Pizzerias For National Pizza Day
Cookies
“Cookies are bad for dogs because the usual main ingredients are toxic for them. That’s not to mention the high amounts of sugar and calories which can lead to obesity in the long run. If that’s not enough, chocolate can cause theobromine toxicity. In other words, this leads to stomach upset in the form of profuse vomiting and/or diarrhea. Raisins have been shown to cause kidney failure in dogs. Let’s not forget nuts that are considered toxic for them include walnuts, macadamias, and pistachios. Don’t forget that creams and dairy-based toppings can also upset your dog’s stomach. Overall, there is much more risk and no benefit to feeding your dog cookies that we usually have. But there are a lot of commercially available pet safe cookies that can be given at your Super Bowl party to your dogs as an alternative.”
Burgers and Sliders
“Burgers and sliders can be a good Super Bowl food for your dogs. That’s provided that you give them the plainest most simple kind; they honestly won’t mind! Strip your burger of sauces and condiments, onions, and cheese, and thoroughly cook the meat and you are good to go. Remember that they can’t have as much salt as humans do. Therefore, you shouldn’t give too much. However, you can make your dogs their own lean, unsalted, burger patties just so that you can have more leeway with giving them more portions.”
Guacamole
“Avocado contains a substance called persin which is toxic to dogs in large amounts. Avocado prepared with the onions, herbs, and spices incorporated into it make guacamole a bad snack to give your dogs. As a result, it is best you don’t give any to your pets. The avocado pits are an especially dangerous choking hazard for them as well. Whatever the case may be, try to keep avocados away from your dog at a Super Bowl party.”
Chili
“Chili is a bad choice to be served to your dog because it almost always will contain herbs that are toxic to them. Take for example onion and garlic, and chili powder which contains a chemical called capsaicin. The latter will cause irritation and a burning sensation for your dogs. In view of this, they will eventually have stomach problems such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gas.”
Potato Skins
“Potato skins can be given to your dogs but in moderation only and never give them in frequent and large amounts. That’s because itcontain oxalates, that can cause trouble for your pet in the long run. With this in mind, it can lead to kidney problems in the form of crystals in their bladder or urinary tract. Furthermore, the usual sauces and topping that are usually paired with potato skins are equally as bad as the potato skins. Indeed, potato skins are also harmful in the same way it is for humans. To put it differently, potato skins offer dogs zero nutritional value and are high in trans-fat and salt.”
Pigs in a Blanket
“Pigs in a blanket can be another good Super Bowl snack to give your dogs. Of course, that’s provided that you are aware of how much you allow them to have. To demonstrate, these items are usually made with a sausage wrapped in bacon or pastry. To clarify even further, these ingredients make it very high in fat, calories, and salt. You can easily give your begging puppy a bit too much and it can lead to pancreatitis. That’s because they will have a harder time digesting the fatty contents. Dogs that are higher weight or have dietary restrictions should skip this snack entirely.”
Bonus
“One last food item you should not share with your dog on Super Bowl Sunday is chocolate. In fact, chocolate is so toxic to dogs that it can cause a serious medical emergency. This is especially important if you have an older dog or one with a heart condition. Moreover, the health risk of dogs eating chocolate is so high that it can possibly be fatal. The reason why chocolate is so bad for dogs is because it contains a chemical called theobromine and caffeine. Both can cause your dog’s heart rate to rise, as well as affect the digestive system. In case you are looking for food alternatives for dogs, try carob, which tastes much like chocolate. After all, carob doesn’t contain theobromine or caffeine and usually has less sugar.”
Related: Dog-Inspired Songs For Your Music Playlist
About The Author
Randy Yagi is an award-winning freelance writer who served as the National Travel Writer for CBS from 2012-2019. More than 900 of his stories still appear in syndication across 23 CBS websites, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. During his peak years with CBS, Randy had a reported digital audience reach of 489 million and 5.5 million monthly visitors. Additionally, his stories have appeared in the Daily Meal, CBS News, CBS Radio, Engadget, NBC.com, NJ.com and Radio.com. He earned a Media Fellowship from Stanford University in 2012.
