How safe is it for your dog to consume Goldfish crackers?
After researching I found that goldfish crackers are not all that safe.
They contain toxic ingredients such as onion powder, garlic, and less than 2% unlisted spices that all pose dangers to dogs.
In this Digdoggy.com guide, you’ll learn:
- Ingredients that make Goldfish crackers harmful
- What to do if your dog consumes too many crackers
- Nutritional values in goldfish crackers
And much more!
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can dogs eat goldfish crackers?
Yes! It is possible for your dog to eat Goldenfish crackers in small amounts without harm but too much can cause serious harm to your dog’s diet, health, and in some cases life.
Goldfish crackers contain high amounts of onion powder, garlic, salt, and granulated sugars which are all not good for dogs.
What ingredients make Goldfish crackers bad for dogs?
On the surface, goldfish cracker ingredients are pure heaven. They have rich nutritional value and great taste. Bu t what makes goldfish crackers bad for dogs?
Let’s examine these ingredients to find out:
Salt
Whilst veterinary doctors and dog food manufacturers both promote the need for salt in a dog’s diet, the recommended amount sits between 0.25g-1.5g per 100g.
Here’s the catch!
Salt only becomes harmful when consumed in large amounts resulting in dehydration and some cases sodium ion poisoning.
The end result, if not controlled properly, is death.
Symptoms dogs display will include diarrhea, vomiting, depression, high temperature, tremors, and seizures.
Cheese
Cheese falls on the spectrum of a potential food that your dog can be allergic to.
This is known as “lactose intolerance.”
To digest dairy products like cheese, your dog needs to have a lactose-splitting enzyme called lactase. If they cannot produce enough of this lactase enzyme to digest lactose (milk sugar), they become lactose intolerant.
The cheese constituent in goldfish crackers is small relative to salt. But since it’s rich in fat, consuming them in large amounts for dogs can lead to obesity.
Onion Powder and Garlic
This pair is arguably the most toxic goldfish cracker constituent to your dog. Onion and garlic belong to the allium family, a lethal take-in for dogs — believe me when I say, a lethal enemy.
It only takes 100g of onions (around a mediums sized onion) per 20kg of a dog’s weight to cause serious harm.
Onions powder is simply a dried version of the onion vegetable. This means a 45lb dog consuming the equivalent of a medium to large-sized onion may result in dangerous toxicity levels.
Thiosulfate which can be found in garlic is harmful to dogs and not humans. When consumed by dogs, this can cause oxidative damage to the red blood cells resulting in hemolytic anemia.
Artificial Flavors and Colors
Goldfish crackers weren’t developed with dogs in mind. Hence, they are not dog-friendly.
That said, there are two main versions of them. While one should be completely kept out of your dog diet, the other may be okay for consumption. The two main types include:
- The rainbow, an “artificial-colored” version of goldfish crackers.
- The Garden-Cheddar, a “veggie-infused” version of goldfish crackers.
The artificial colored version contains lots of sweets, candies, and artificial flavors, none of which is healthy for your pup.
These artificial flavors, when consumed in large quantities, stir up gastrointestinal problems in dogs.
Do well to avoid them.
Sugars
Just like humans, dogs can get addicted to sugar when they take a lot. Sadly, it isn’t something they should have in their diet in the first place.
Since goldfish crackers are naturally very salty, lots of sugar is added to balance out the flavor. Natural sugars found in fruit are called fructose and are perfectly healthy for dogs.
Goldfish crackers however contain granulated sugar which is not so healthy and bring an increased risk of cavities, weight gain, metabolic conditions, and diabetes.
Read Also: >> How safe are eggshells for dogs to eat?
What Nutritional Values do goldfish crackers have?
It is best to say that the problematic cost of your dog eating a goldfish cracker far outweighs the potential benefits. One reason is that goldfish crackers contain high amounts of carbohydrates.
Are carbohydrates bad? Well, not all carbohydrates are bad for your dog. For example, carbohydrate that comes from vegetables and fruits is acceptable for your dog.
But goldfish crackers are made from carbohydrates that contain grains (wheat), which is dangerous and does not have any nutritional value.
Carbohydrates that come from grains can also be harmful to your dog’s digestive system and can even cause fluctuations in his or her energy levels.
Final Thoughts
That sums it up to whether dogs eat goldfish crackers, if they can and what to be aware of. Dogs eat near most human snacks, just be sure to be aware of salt toxicity, garlic powder, and any other harmful ingredients that can pose a threat to your dog’s diet.
