Can Dogs Eat
|
6 min
FREE UK DELIVERY ON ORDERS OVER £39.99
Popcorn isn’t really a nutritious snack for a dog, but the plain, air-popped variety isn’t toxic to them. This kind can be fed in small amounts as an occasional treat, for example, if you’re eating popcorn yourself and you want to share a couple of pieces. Highly sweetened or flavoured popcorn, such as the toffee kind, is not good for dogs and should be avoided.
Popcorn doesn’t have any nutritional benefits for a pooch - in fact, you should only give your dog plain popcorn as a very occasional treat.
Note: Don’t treat your dog with sugary, buttery or sticky toffee-covered popcorn, as this could cause your dog stomach upset.
We wouldn’t recommend you give popcorn to your puppy, as they’re still developing and their tummies are very sensitive at this early stage of life. It could give them a stomach upset, cause a choking hazard, or get stuck in their soft puppy teeth.
Popcorn is unsafe for dogs when:
It’s rare that dogs will be allergic to popcorn, but it can happen, and they may also react badly to butter, sugar and artificial flavourings that popcorn is often covered in. If you want to feed popcorn to your dog as an occasional treat, introduce a small piece at first (of the plain or lightly sweetened variety) and see how they react. Call your vet if they show the following symptoms of an allergy:
Yes, popcorn can make your dog sick for a few reasons. If your pooch munches on a lot of popcorn, it could cause them digestive upset.
They should also not eat buttery or toffee popcorn, or any that is high in artificial flavourings (Xylitol, for instance, is an artificial sweetener that is toxic to dogs). Plain popcorn is the best variety if you want to give your dog popcorn as a one-off snack.
If you’re eating plain popcorn on movie night, it’s ok to give a small dog 1-2 pieces of popcorn, and a larger dog 3-5 pieces.
Don’t give your dog a lot of popcorn, even if they like it. It’s not nutritionally beneficial for a dog and could cause them digestive issues.
Over time, feeding them these kinds of empty snacks can lead to weight gain or related illnesses, like pancreatitis.
Let’s delve into which kinds of popcorn are the safest snack for your pooch.
If your dog accidentally eats some sweet popcorn, it shouldn’t cause harm, but it’s not recommended you feed it to your dog intentionally. Sweet popcorn has no nutritional value to your dog and the high amount of sugar could cause them stomach upset, or lead to weight gain and other health issues over time.
No - don’t feed your dog toffee popcorn, even as a treat. It’s very chewy and sticky, not to mention extremely high in sugar. It’s tough for a dog to eat toffee popcorn and could lead to digestive upset, weight gain and other health issues. It can also get stuck in their teeth and cause discomfort and tooth decay.
No, avoid salty popcorn as a snack for your dog. Dogs don’t need their salt intake increased, as it can lead to bloating, dehydration or in severe cases, sodium poisoning. If your pooch sneaks a piece of salty popcorn, don’t worry too much - it’s unlikely to cause harm, and they’d need to eat a huge amount before toxicity would become a concern.
Popcorn kernels that have been air-popped are fine for a dog to eat as an occasional treat, if they’re of the plain variety with no extra flavourings, butter or sugar.
If the popcorn kernels are unpopped, however, these aren’t a good snack for a dog - they’re small and tough and could cause a choking hazard or may fracture a tooth when chewed on. If your dog has accidentally eaten these, keep an eye on them for any digestive upset and call your vet if you notice them having gas, bloating or stomach pain.
Ideally, no. Popcorn chicken isn’t going to harm your dog if they eat a couple of pieces, but it should only be considered a treat due to the calorific coating and the fact that it’s often fried, so it's very high in fat.
This can lead to weight gain over time and other high-fat health problems, such as pancreatitis. Don’t give your dog popcorn chicken as a habit, and avoid it completely if it’s highly seasoned or a flavoured variety. Garlic or onion powder in the coating, for instance, is toxic to dogs and can make them extremely sick.
Yes! Dogs can eat plain popcorn as a treat. If you’re eating some plain, air-popped popcorn and you want to share with your dog, they can eat a couple of pieces without harm. It doesn’t have any nutritional value, however, so maybe consider some healthier dog treats if you want to spoil your pooch.
If your dog likes popcorn but you’re looking for some more nutritious treats to spoil them with, why not try the following?
If you’re looking for delicious treats for your dog that are packed full of nutritious, whole ingredients to keep them happy and healthy, check out our healthy dog treats.
Comments (0)
Leave a comment