CAN DOGS EAT RAW SAUSAGES?

You made your favorite snack on Sunday morning. As you reached to have your first bite, you might notice your four legged buddy watching you with his puppy little eyes. You then gave him a bite of it to see that feeling of joy on his face.

Whether it would be a chocolate pastry or chicken nuggets, you enjoy it with your canine. But when it comes to sausages, you may think about whether it would be a healthy choice for him or not. So, here a question arises: Can dogs eat raw sausages???

This article provides various facts about dogs eating raw sausages, so you will be able to decide whether you should feed him sausages or switch to any other snack.

How sausages are made?

Sausages are actually grounded meat stuffed either into scrapped membranes of animals or artificial casings. Membranes are frequently of animals from which meat has been taken.

Meat can be either pork, beef, chicken, turkey only or a combination of these to give a balanced taste. Before stuffing, meat is seasoned with different flavorings including fruits, vegetables, salts, spices and fats.

Grounded meat is forced into long membranes which are then twisted from either sides. These are then either used within few days or cured or froze for later use. Curing is a process of preserving sausages through smoke or wind drying.

Ingredients that can be hazardous to dogs

Although a good protein source, sausages contain some of the food components to which your dog can be sensitive. These are as follows:

1. Salt

Sausages have high amounts of salts in it. They mainly act as preservatives in it. A typical 3 ounces sausage has almost 500-1500 milligrams of sodium.

On the other hand, dog’s digestive system is very sensitive. They need fewer calories and minerals than humans.

According to Association of American Feed Control Officials, amount of sodium in dog’s diet should not be more than 0.3%. This percentage is much less than that of in a typical sausage.

2. Fats

Sausages contain almost 50% of fats, which enhances their palatability. While on the other hand, not more than 2-4% of the fats in dog’s daily diet are healthy. That’s why these are not considered as healthy dog food.

High fats in dogs not only lead to obesity but may also cause heart diseases.

3. Flavors and spices

Lots of flavors are added to sausages for better palatability. These include onion, garlic, apple etc. Onion and garlic contain N-propyl sulfides.

N-propyl sulfide damages the red blood cells of a dog. It also reduces their ability to carry oxygen. Destruction of RBCs leads to special type of anemia in dogs, hemolytic anemia.

4. Preservatives

Certain preservatives used in sausages like sulfites are known to cause thiamine deficiency in dogs.

5. Raw sausages

Raw pork sausages may contain trichinella spiralis larvae which can lead to infections like trichinosis.

Raw beef and turkey sausages may contain salmonella species which may also cause complications like diarrhea, vomiting and loss of appetite.

So, raw sausages should be avoided in any amount.

Nutrition facts of raw pork sausage

A typical bun sized pork sausage contain 244kcal, 20 grams of fats, and approximately 6.6 grams of saturated fats.

It also contain approximately 611milligrams of sodium.

How much sausage a dog can tolerate?

Due to above limitations, it is good to completely avoid raw sausages.

However, cooked forms can be given, very often, in small amounts, as a feast. But it should not be made a part of their regular diet or primary source of protein.

Symptoms of regular use of sausages

If sausages are given to dogs regularly, they may experience following symptoms:

1. Dehydration

Abundant salts and spices in sausages causes a dog to excrete more sodium as compensatory mechanism followed by water. This may leads to dehydration.

In some cases both raw and cooked sausage can contribute to sodium ion poisoning. It is a severe condition where excessive dehydration causes brain cells damage leading to dizziness, headache, fits, coma and eventually death.

It is good practice to keep a bowl of water in front of your dog once he had sausages in meal.

2. Loss of appetite

Sausages can cause stomach cramps in dogs.

This may cause loss of appetite due to which he may not be able to eat properly, leading to protein imbalance and weakness.

3. Digestive issues

Resistant bacteria and parasites in sausages may disrupt the dog’s digestive system. This may leads to complications like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tiredness etc.

Severity of above symptoms depend on the amount or duration of sausage provided, level of sensitivity and size of the dog.

Healthy protein alternatives for dogs

• Several dog foods are available in market that fulfill their protein requirements. These may include Pedigree high protein dog food, Hound and Gatos etc.

• Proteins can also be supplemented with milk and milk products, mainly cow and goat milk.

• You can also feed your dog with homemade meat products.

• Several vegetable are also recommended for dogs. These not only provide plant based proteins but also important vitamins and minerals i.e. B complex vitamins.

• Tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, kale are also a source of vitamin c and fiber.

• These should also be given in moderation.

Conclusion

From above discussion, we conclude that dogs can eat sausages, but you should avoid giving them. Raw sausages should be completely avoided but cooked can be given in small amounts occasionally.

Protein requirements can be met by giving them either homemade meat products, vegetable based proteins or protein foods available in market.

In the end, dogs are known for their loyalty. So, feed your dog a happy healthy food, take him to walk and spend a lot of time with him. He will never let you be alone.

References

https://keepingpet.com/can-dogs-eat-sausage/

https://www.qualitydogresources.com/can-dogs-eat-raw-sausage/