This salty mix is hard to put down, but can dogs eat Chex mix? Read this guide before sharing any type of crunchy cereal snack mix with your dog.
There are a ton of different names for this snack – Chex Mix, Muddy Buddies, Muddy Munch, etc. And there are a bunch of ways to make it, either sweet or salty. In this guide we will look at all of them and whether they are safe for your furry friends to eat.
For ultimate pet safety, I recommend consulting with your vet about all the questions you have about your dog eating Chex Mix.
What Is Chex Mix
Chex Mix is a popular snack made for humans. People can buy it premade and prepackaged or follow recipes to make their own. Since there are so many different recipes and types of Chex Mix, it’s tough to give one single description of it.
Basically, Chex Mix is usually a savory snack mix that starts with Chex cereal as the main ingredient. Then, various other types of cereal are added to it, and sometimes even pretzels and nuts. It’s similar to a trail mix.
The main difference between trail mix and Chex Mix is that Chex Mix is usually seasoned and baked, but trail mix is just a mixture of different cereals, nuts, and dried fruit.
There are a bunch of different ways to make it, so let’s look at some of the most popular ways.
Types Of Chex Mix
Each variety of Chex Mix has a different name. The savory version is usually called Chex Mix or Party Mix. Chex Mix can be made with whole wheat cereal and some people add cheese puffs or regular potato chips. Most people make it with Rice Chex cereal.
There is also a way to cover the ingredients in powdered sugar. When you do this, the name changes and people call it any of the following:
- Muddy Buddies
- Puppy Chow
- Muddy Munch
- White Trash
- Reindeer Chow
- Reindeer Munch (usually made with candy canes)
Muddy Buddies VS Chex Mix
The biggest difference between these two snacks is that Muddy Buddies are sweet and taste like a dessert. Both types of snacks can be served at room temperature. Muddy Buddies are smothered in powdered sugar and sometimes incorporate cocoa powder and chocolate chips.
You might find a popular puppy chow recipe on a food blog and think, “Can I share this with my dog?” Just like other dessert recipes, all this sugar is not good for your dog’s health. Even if the puppy chow is made without dark chocolate, this sweet snack mix has too many calories and too much sugar to be good for dogs.
Can Dogs Eat Chex Mix
Remember, this is just for general nutrition advice. If you have specific questions about your dog’s health please ask your veterinarian.
It doesn’t matter if the Chex Mix is made with wheat Chex or rice Chex, this is not a good thing to share with your dog.
Some people might argue that since it contains high oleic soybean oil, folic acid, and calcium carbonate, it might be ok for dogs to eat. But the amounts in the Chex Mix are for humans, not dogs. Dogs have different dietary needs than we do.
Also, there are a lot of dangerous ingredients in it that make it unsafe to give your dog Chex Mix.
If your dog already has health problems, do not share your snacks with them. Adding unhealthy fats and salts to your dog’s daily diet could make their health worse.
Dangerous Ingredients In Chex Mix
Even a little bit of Chex Mix could negatively affect your dog. Even though the ingredients label might say it’s made with natural flavor, all the other ingredients aren’t safe for dogs.
The common ingredients that aren’t good for dogs include:
- Vegetable Oil
- Trisodium phosphate
- Barley Malt Syrup
- Onion Powder
- Disodium inosinate
- Garlic Powder
Some types of Chex Mix snack mix might be spicy, and dogs shouldn’t eat spicy food.
And even though each kind of snack mix might be made with different ingredients, almost all of them contain too much salt. One serving (1/2 cup) of Traditional Chex Mix has 250 mg sodium. That’s about 20% of your dog’s daily value of sodium.
Just like hot dogs, don’t give your pup snack mixes that are highly processed or made with too much salt.
Dog Chow Chex Mix
If your dog has celiac or is sensitive to gluten, you might wonder if a gluten-free option is better for them. Even if you read the actual product packaging and see that it’s completely gluten-free, and you know it’s made without wheat flour or enriched flour, there are still other ingredients to worry about.
Dogs should never eat anything made with artificial flavor, corn starch, or too much salt.
Can Dogs Eat Sweet Puppy Chow
Just like the savory option, it’s not a good idea to give your dog sweet puppy chow either. It has too much sugar in it to be safe for dogs.
The sweet Muddy Buddies you can buy at the store also contain degermed yellow corn meal. Is that dangerous for dogs? It’s a fancy way of saying yellow corn flour. Yes, it’s safe for dogs but could lead to unhealthy weight gain.
It also contains thiamin mononitrate which is a questionable ingredient for dogs to eat.
The main ingredients in the original recipe include white chocolate chips, Chex cereal, corn syrup solids, and powdered sugar. Dogs should not eat sweetened foods with too much sugar.
Snack Mix For Dogs
You can make your own snack mix for your pup as long as you make it with simple ingredients that are safe for pups. The right mix will include gluten-free cereal, chunky peanut butter, and maybe some freeze-dried cheddar cheese.
Keep it in an airtight container and share the healthy puppy chow with your dog at home. It’s also a good idea to share at a puppy party.
Final Thoughts
Remember, the majority of your dog’s caloric intake should be from healthy dog food. Look for dog safe foods or make your own. It might taste good to your taste buds, but these snack mixes contain toxic ingredients for dogs. Even small amounts are a health risk for your pups. Be smart and give your dog whole foods that are good for them.
More Dog Food Resources
Here are even more resources about different types of snack foods dogs can and can’t eat.
- Can Dogs Eat Beef Jerky
- Can Dogs Eat Fritos
- Can Dogs Eat Cheetos
- Can Dogs Eat Cheez Its
- Can Dogs Eat Golden Oreos
- Can Dogs Eat Pork Rinds
- Can Dogs Eat Pretzels
Find lots of articles about human food dogs can eat here on Spoiled Hounds!
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