If onions are bad for dogs, can dogs eat Funyuns? Read this guide before sharing these fried onion-flavored chips with your dog.
You might enjoy munching on them, but what do you do when your furry friend begs for a bite? Will small amounts of Funyuns hurt your dog’s health? Read this important guide before you give your dog Funyuns.
As a passionate dog-lover just like you, I dove into the research and created a guide that is easy to read and lays out all the facts.
For ultimate pet safety, I recommend consulting with your vet about all the questions you have about your dog eating Funyuns.
What Are Funyuns
Funyuns are an onion ring-shaped chip made by Frito-Lay. Surprisingly, the main ingredients are fried cornmeal that is flavored with mostly onion powder, MSG (monosodium glutamate), garlic powder, buttermilk powder, sugar, and other flavors. For a full list of ingredients, see the Frito-Lay website.
There is no actual onion in the dough. They aren’t real onion rings. They are deep-fried, onion-flavored corn chips.
They are considered junk food because there is nothing healthy about them. In one bag of Funyuns (15 3/4 ounces), there are 4,480 mg of sodium and 2,240 calories (source: Frito-Lay).
Types Of Funyuns
The easiest kinds of Funyuns to find are traditional onion flavored rings and Flamin’ Hot Funyuns. They also make a “baked not fried” Funyun for schools, so you might also see baked hot Funyuns around, too.
And, while not a type of Funyun, Frito-Lay also makes a type of chip called Lays Wavy Funyuns.
Can Dogs Have Funyuns
No, dogs should not eat Funyuns. In just 13 pieces, there are 280 mg of sodium. To put that into perspective, a medium dog should only eat 1300 mg of sodium total per day.
It’s true that they are made with cornmeal instead of wheat flour, so dogs with wheat allergies won’t have allergic reactions to them. But they are still a bad idea to share with dogs because of the salt, onion powder, garlic powder, calories, and amount of fat in them.
Even though they are a tasty treat for humans, they are a bad thing to share with our pups. All the fat and calories can lead to unhealthy weight gain, and the salt in the chips could contribute to sodium poisoning.
Can Dogs Eat Chips
There is no nutritional value of chips for dogs. This is one type of human foods that dogs should stay away from because they are so high in fat, calories, and salt.
Eating food high in fat or salt could either make a dog’s current health issues worse or put them more at risk for future ones.
My guide on dogs eating Fritos is a good idea to reference if you want to learn more about sharing the popular snack food with your pup.
Are Funyuns Bad For Dogs
Since they are deep fried in vegetable oil, contain both garlic and onion powder, and contain large amounts of salt, dogs should not eat Funyuns.
Not only can too much salt lead to salt poisoning, but dogs that eat diets high in fat (like fried food and Funyuns) are at risk for acute pancreatitis too. Eating too much fatty foods also puts your furry friends at a higher risk of heart disease. Basically, high fat food – like Funyuns – is bad for your canine companions.
Can Dogs Eat Onion Rings
Since we are talking about onion flavored chips, let’s talk about the real things. Can dogs have real deep-fried onion rings?
Absolutely not. Eating onions could lead to serious health problems.
According to Merck Animal Hospital, dogs that eat raw onions or garlic are at risk of suffering from hemolytic anemia. When this happens, they will get very sick, and your dog’s red blood cells will be attacked.
Since they are deep[fried, they also have too much fat for dogs to eat. If dogs eat large quantities of high-fat food, they are at risk for high blood pressure.
What Happens If My Dog Eats Funyuns
Since it takes a lot of salt and raw onions to cause salt toxicity or negative reactions in pets, if your dog eats a few Funyuns, you probably won’t notice any reactions.
More than likely, they will probably vomit first, then might also have diarrhea, act lethargic, or have shortness of breath.
But in severe cases, if your dog eats way too much salt all at once, they might get tremors or seizures. This will usually happen within three hours of overeating salt.
If your dog ate Funyuns, watch them for signs of distress and contact your veterinarian if they start acting really sick.
Crispy Dog Treats
Instead of giving your dog Funyuns, it’s better to let them eat dog-safe vegetables and fresh fruits. It’s also a good idea to bake your dog crispy dog treats that are filled with healthy ingredients. Make them some crispy turkey dog treats or nutritious vegan dog treats.
Final Thoughts
Do not let your dog eat this tasty snack. The high salt content, fat content, and both onion and garlic powder make Funyuns chips a bad snack for dogs to eat.
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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While yummy, yes. Humans should not eat Funyuns.