Popcorns can be a fun snack for the people while binge-watching any series or simply watching a movie. But if you are a pet owner and have dogs at home, munching on popcorn alone can seem to be pretty much impossible. Dogs love the sound of crunch and they will look at you with their puppy eyes begging for some popcorn. What should you do?
Can dogs eat popcorn?
Plain air popped popcorn is safe for your dog to eat. It even contains some vitamins and minerals such as iron and vitamin B1 (thiamine) and B2 (riboflavin).
The problem with popcorn is that we often cook it with oil and then top it with different things such as butter and salt. These added ingredients can be harmful to our dog’s health. Butter and oil can cause obesity and salt can cause dehydration and kidney issues. The different toppings you add may also cause gastrointestinal discomfort to your dog. You also need to make sure any toppings you add do not contain ingredients that may be toxic to dogs such as onion powder.
Health benefits of popcorn for dogs?
Popcorn can come with some great health benefits for the dogs. It contains nutrients like zinc, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus. It also contains fiber and some essential vitamins.
- Plenty of fibers: Because of the fibers present in the popcorn, it can benefit the digestive system of your pup if given in moderation.
- Healthy skin and fur: Due to the presence of zinc in the popcorn, it can lead to better and healthy skin and fur of your dog. Also, it can improve the thyroid functions.
- Improved immune system: With all those amazing nutrients including the essential vitamins, popcorn can really help in improving the immune system of your dog naturally.
- Better energy: Of course, the magnesium and carbs present in the popcorn can provide the dog with better energy. It can also regulate the glucose level in the blood for better health.
- Healthy bones: The popcorns contain phosphorus which can be a great nutrition to add to the dog’s diet. It can help your pup to get better and stronger bone.
Why popcorn can be bad for dogs?
Though consumption of popcorn is absolutely safe for the dogs, it should be unsalted and plain. Sometimes, too much intake of popcorn leads to several health issues for your dog. These are:
- Obesity in the long term
- Dehydration due to the lot of salt present
- Digestive problems which can also lead to diarrhea
- Too much of salty popcorn can also lead to kidney damage
Hence, popcorn can be given to your dogs as an occasional treat and not on a daily basis.
How to feed popcorn to dogs?
If you want to feed popcorn to your dog, then you need to make sure that you are feeding them very carefully.
- Don’t add the extra salt when making popcorn for your dogs
- Make sure to avoid butter, caramel or any herbs in the popcorn
To make the best popcorn recipe for your dog, you can use the peanut butter popcorn. For that, you have to mix half a cup of popcorn with just a cup of low-sugar and low-salt peanut butter. You can also use the homemade peanut butter. This can be a healthy as well as super tasty popcorn recipe for your dog.
What foods can you give to your dog instead of popcorn?
You can offer a variety of other treats to your dog instead of popcorn.
These are the healthy alternatives that you can give to your pup:
- Cooked sweet potatoes
- Roasted broccoli
- Watermelon
- Carrots
- Salmon
- Oysters
Are dogs allergic to popcorn?
No, dogs are not allergic to plain, unsalted, air-popped popcorn, which is completely safe for the dogs to consume in small quantities. Contact your vet for confirmation.
Conclusion
If your dog loves popcorn make sure to feed it plain (no salt, herbs or seasonings). In addition to this, make sure that portion control is in check to avoid any complications or problems. In case you notice any adverse impact on your pup’s health, call the vet right away.
