Can Dogs & Puppies Eat BBQ Sauce?

If you have a pet dog, there is a very good chance that you take them with you everywhere you go.  This means that they may be joining you for your BBQ this past weekend where you go to showcase your sweet BBQing skills.  Everybody was having a great time, you were having a great time cooking, and your dog was having a great time as well.  But then you got the bright idea to share some of that delicious BBQ that you just cooked up with your dog.  You know, the chicken that was slathered in BBQ sauce to the point where it was literally dripping off it?  

Without even thinking twice, you give your dog some of that BBQ sauce loaded food and everyone is happy.  However, the fact of the matter is that you didn’t think to ask yourself if BBQ sauce is even safe for your dog to eat until later that night.  With that being said, can your dog eat barbecue sauce?

Cans Dogs Have Barbecue Sauce?

To answer this question in a single word, that word is no, you should not be feeding or allow your dog to have BBQ sauce.  You may be wondering about all the different flavors of sauce available, but no matter what the flavor is, you should never feed your dog BBQ sauce.  Here are some of the main reasons you don’t want to feed your dog BBQ sauce:

High Sugar and Salt Content

One of the main reasons that you do not want to allow your dog to have BBQ sauce, is because of the extremely high sugar and salt content that most of them are going to have.  In fact, as far as your dog’s diet is concerned, the amount of sugars and salt in BBQ sauce is way more than they should ever have in their diet, even if it is only a one-time treat.  On top of that, many different BBQ sauces will have multiple flavors, meaning that there are extra ingredients such as garlic and onion in them.  While that may not mean much to you, for your dog it is actually very important to pay attention too.  In case you didn’t know, garlic and onions are essentially considered to be a toxic food for your dog if they are allowed to consume them.

It May be Too Spicy for Your Dog to Handle

Another one of the main reasons you should try to avoid feeding your dog BBQ sauce, is because of the different amounts of spicy that the sauce may contain.  There are some BBQ sauces out there which are extremely spicy.  If your dog is allowed to eat some spicier BBQ sauce, you may find that it not only puts them in some very serious discomfort but can also potentially give them an upset stomach and even diarrhea.  This is just another reason why you should try to keep your dog away from any kind of BBQ sauce, no matter what the flavor may be.  

When it comes to your dog and barbecue sauce, they are not going to make a great combination no matter what type of sauce it involved.  While your dog will love to spend time with you as you barbecue, just be sure that you keep the BBQ sauce away from them.  They will surely love to eat up all of the sauce that you allow them too.  However, with the higher sugar and salt content partnered with the fact that there is a very good chance the sauce is simply too spicy for them to handle, BBQ sauce and your dog is a definite no-no.

Instead, try feeding your dog some foods that still may be on hand, but better for them to eat.  For example, if you have a couple extra hot dogs or hamburgers, feed those to your dog instead.  Now, be sure that you cut them down into bite-sized pieces in order to prevent your dog from choking, these are great foods to share with your four-legged friend that don’t contain any BBQ sauce.  

Depending upon what you are cooking, you may even have some extra pieces of steak on hand, some extra rib meat, or even some healthy grilled fish that you can share with your dog as a special treat.  Just be sure that you double check that whatever foods you are sharing with your dog do not have any BBQ sauce on them.  When you do this, both you and your dog will be able to have a great time and some great foods!

Leave a comment