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Barbecues are always fun. Everyone who attends is sure to enjoy themselves in this lively and welcoming environment. And with everyone having a good time, you’re probably thinking that there isn’t any harm in sharing some BBQ with your pet dog. But is that okay? Can dogs eat BBQ?
As it turns out, this is a bad idea. While there are certain exceptions, BBQ is generally not a safe food to share with your dog. Doing so can cause harm to your dog and bring about an unplanned visit to the veterinarian.
Keep reading this short to find out which BBQ foods you can and can’t feed your dog.
Bad for Dogs: BBQ Sauce
BBQ sauce is a fundamental part of any BBQ cookout. With the right recipe, a BBQ sauce can elevate a BBQ cookout from ordinary to a transcendent experience. And yet, this fact makes it all the more tragic that dogs should refrain from eating any BBQ food that has been coated in BBQ sauce.
To give it its outstanding flavor, many BBQ sauces contain lots of salt and sugar. As tasty as these ingredients are, salt and sugar are detrimental to a dog’s diet as high amounts can contribute to kidney failure in dogs. Additionally, BBQ sauce ingredients such as onions, shallots, scallions, and garlic are also harmful to dogs. These components contain allium, a toxin that can cause anemia and cause stomach upset in dogs.
But that’s not all. Due to regional variations, BBQ sauce recipes occupy a wide range of flavors. Those that use spicy ingredients such as hot sauce or peppers are bad for dogs, as are those that use acidic ingredients like vinegar and lemon juice. For dogs, this kind of ingredient can lead to gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and lack of appetite.
While it is entirely possible to make a BBQ sauce that doesn’t use any of these ingredients, we’d agree that the result would be mostly bland and uninspired. For this reason, the safe bet is to not feed your dog anything that has been made with BBQ sauce.
Bad for Dogs: Bones
Unlike what their cartoon counterparts may tell us, bones are harmful to a dog’s health. Even though your BBQ cookout may feature delicious ribs and other bone-in meats, you and your guests should refrain from giving bones to dogs. Bones constitute a choking hazard and may cause digestion problems.
In addition to giving bones that are food waste, you should also refrain from giving them meat that has bones in them. This includes chicken wings, T-bone steaks, and the like. Especially in the case of chicken, small bones can get lodged in a dog’s throat and require the services of your local veterinarian.
Other choking hazards you should be aware of include kebab sticks and corn on the cob. Keep in mind that dogs tend to wolf their food down and aren’t prone to take small, manageable bites of their food.
Bad for Dogs: Uncooked Meat
Even though they have certain dietary restrictions, dogs aren’t that different from people. One such way is a dog’s vulnerability to uncooked meat. Like humans, dogs can become sick from harmful bacteria like salmonella if they ingest food that hasn’t been cooked properly.
To make sure your BBQ is properly cooked, use a meat thermometer. The ThermoPro Lightning is an instant-read meat thermometer that measures cooking temperatures in one second flat, allowing you to know if your food is cooked all the way through. By using a thermometer, you can have the confidence of knowing your food is safe and healthy to eat for people and dogs alike.
Good for Dogs: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers & Plain Meat
On the plus side, here are several BBQ foods that are safe for your dog to eat:
- Plain meat, chicken & fish: It is safe to feed your pet dog grilled portions of meat, chicken, and fish. Make sure that these portions do not feature BBQ sauce and are boneless and unseasoned.
- Hot dogs & hamburgers: These BBQ foods are generally safe to give to your dog. However, pay attention to the sauces and seasonings used, and make sure these ingredients do not incorporate lots of salt and preservatives.
- Grilled vegetables: Treat your dog to vegetables like zucchini, sweet potatoes, and yams.
As with anything you feed to your dog, make sure the BBQ food is properly cooled and has been cut up into easily digestible portions. Now you can feed them to your dog one at a time like treats.
Final Thoughts
Barbecues are always fun, but overlooking safety hazards can put a premature end to your BBQ cookout. Before hosting your next BBQ get-together, the question “Can dogs eat BBQ?” depends on whether your BBQ food includes BBQ sauce and ingredients like salt, sugar, onions, garlic, hot spices, and citrus ingredients. If it’s plain grilled meat, it’s safe for your dog!
Are you looking for a meat thermometer as the perfect complement to your grill or smoker? ThermoPro offers meat thermometers like the Lightning in addition to a wide assortment of instant-read and probe thermometers. Discover our full lineup on Amazon!
