Every dog would love eat an entire can, but can dogs eat spam? This is everything you need to know before you let them chow down.
Those cans of processed meats resemble canned dog food, but are they safe for you pet? Keep reading and find out how much your dog should be allowed to eat.
For ultimate pet safety, I recommend consulting with your vet about all the questions you have about your dog eating spam.
Can Dogs Eat Spam
Have you ever looked at canned spam and wondered, “can I feed my dog spam?”
The answer is, “no, spam is not good for dogs to eat.” Dogs should not eat spam because it has way too much salt for them.
This guide will explain what spam is and why you should limit how much your dog eats of it.
What Is Spam Made Of
Spam is literally a processed combination of ground pork, ham, salt, sugar, potato starch, and spices.
It was really popular in World War 2 because it was a cheap way to feed soldiers.
Can I Feed My Dog Spam
You should not give your spam. Even though ham and pork are excellent sources of protein for dog, the rest of the ingredients in spam are not good for pups.
Spam is loaded with salt. Dogs are very sensitive to salt and eating too much of it in a short period of time could lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, high temperature, and seizures.
As salty as spam is, it also has lots of sugar in it. You should be very careful not to let your dog eat too much sugar. It can cause spikes in blood sugar and the empty calories will cause weight gain.
There is also potato starch in spam. It’s used as a cheap filler to give the spam its bulk. This is another source of empty calories that can cause your pup to gain weight and be more at risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Did you know there are more than 1,000 calories in one can of spam? That’s a lot of empty calories.
Can Dogs Eat Spam Lite
Spam Lite has 70 fewer calories per serving. They were able to cut the calories by using a combination of ham with chicken instead of just pork. There are also a lot more chemical additives in Spam lite than regular Spam.
Even though there are fewer calories, you should still not give your dog any Spam lite, either.
Can Dogs Eat Low Sodium Spam
Spam labeled with 25% Less Sodium has the exact same ingredients at Spam Lite, it just has more calories in it. This one is also made with a combination of chicken and ham. It might have less sodium, but it is still too much for your dog.
Can Dogs Eat Turkey Spam
Of all types of spam on this list, the Turkey spam is the least harmful for your pet. There is still 520mg of sodium in 2 ounces of Turkey spam.
To put that into perspective, a healthy 33-pound dog should only eat 100mg of salt each day. There is 5-times the healthy amount of salt in just 2 ounces of Turkey spam – that’s 1/6 of that small container.
Can Dogs Eat Cooked Spam
There is no healthy way to cook the spam for your dog. Whether you fry the spam or heat it up in oven, it has too much salt for your dog to eat. Keep it away from them and don’t put it in their dog food.
Can Dogs Eat Spam Raw
What about uncooked spam? Is that safe for dogs?
Uncooked spam is safe for humans and animals to eat, but you shouldn’t give it to your dog.
Final Thoughts
You should not give your dog spam of any sort – cooked, uncooked, lite, or turkey. All of it has an unhealthy amount of salt in it.
If your dog gets into the the spam, just watch them closely. They might show signs of extreme thirst. Let them drink lots of water. If they start exhibiting worrisome behavior such as lethargy or diarrhea, call your veterinarian.
More Dog Food Resources
Here are some more articles about other meats and seafood and whether they are safe or toxic to dogs.
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