Brief Overview
Can dogs eat popcorn? The answer is yes and no: plain, air-popped popcorn is safe for dogs to consume in limited amounts. Buttered popcorns or popcorns that have other toppings, on the other hand, are not safe for dogs to consume regularly.
Are you planning a cozy movie night with family this weekend with lots of candies, snacks, and of course, popcorn? There is an unquestionable comfort in snuggling with your dog and watching your favorite series. However, veterinarians often come across this question: “Can dogs eat popcorn?”
There is an extensive list of food items that are completely fine for human consumption but can be highly poisonous to your puppy. Is popcorn one of them?
Unbuttered popcorn is not dangerous to dogs. Popped corn kernels contain magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, and zinc, as well as fiber and traces of vitamins, all of which are critical nutrients for canines.
Popcorn Is One of the Healthiest Snacks
It’s high in crucial nutrients and has many health advantages. When subjected to heat, popcorn is a unique variety of corn that “pops.” Each kernel has a small amount of water in the middle, which swells when heated and causes the seed to explode.
Popcorn is a whole-grain food naturally high in several essential nutrients. Many people are unaware of this. Several studies have linked whole-grain eating to health benefits such as reduced inflammation and a lower risk of heart disease.
Popcorn has 387 calories, 5 grams of fat, 78 grams of carbohydrates, and 13 grams of protein. Additionally, popcorn contains 15 grams of fiber, which is a comparatively high amount compared to other foods, making it one of the best sources of fiber.
Plain popcorn contains complex carbohydrates with few calories. Popcorn is a popular crunchy treat for dogs. Unless popcorn is slathered in sugar, syrup, or butter, dogs may eat it in tiny amounts as a nutritious snack. However, salted popcorn, cheese popcorn, buttered popcorn, caramel popcorn, or other flavored popcorn are not considered healthy for dogs.
Is Feeding Your Dog Popcorn Considered Safe?
Dog owners often ask, “Can dogs eat popcorn?” Popcorn is a delicious snack that we all enjoy on occasion. And you can almost always count on your dog to be nearby when you’re enjoying a snack, wondering whether the dog may have some as well. However, you may be confused about whether popcorn is safe for dogs and whether it will make them sick or cause other problems. So although those puppy-dog eyes are hard to refuse, it’s always a good idea to double-check before giving your dog something new.
If you want your dog to be happy, you must keep them healthy, and their nutrition is a massive part of that. The answer to the issue of whether popcorn is a healthy food for your dog isn’t entirely obvious. In reality, the answer is that it is debatable. How popcorn is made and served, among other things, can impact how healthy it is for your dog.
In its purest form, popcorn may be a nutritious food for humans and dogs. When eaten plain, without salt, butter, or sugar, air-popped popcorn is nutritious and high in fiber, healthy for the digestive system. It also contains protein, iron, and B vitamins. Of course, these items won’t significantly improve your dog’s health, but they won’t hurt them either.
Why Can the Consumption of Popcorn Be Hazardous for Dogs?
There are many ways in which feeding your dog popcorn can be hazardous. Some of them are as follows.
Dehydration From Too Much Salt
Increased salts in the form of salted popcorn can induce dehydration in your dogs. So, how can you know whether your dog needs to drink more water? Of course, dogs can’t tell us they’re thirsty, but understanding the signs of dehydration can help dog owners respond swiftly and identify potentially significant medical situations before they become life-threatening emergencies.
The best way to check for dehydration is to look for a loss of skin suppleness. Other indications include appetite loss and vomiting that may or may not be accompanied by diarrhea, lethargy and low energy levels, panting, thick saliva, and dry nose.
If you think your pet is dehydrated, make sure they get lots of fresh, refreshing water, especially if it’s hot outside. Dry dogs lose their appetites, which drives them to eat less and decreases the water content they would typically obtain from their food.
Possible Renal Damage by Flavored Popcorn
A high-sodium diet disrupts this sodium balance, causing the kidneys to work less efficiently and eliminate less water, resulting in elevated blood pressure. High sodium puts a lot of stress on the kidneys, leading to renal disease. Flavored popcorns contain high amounts of sodium, which can lead to kidney problems in your dog.
The kidneys of dogs filter blood in a variety of ways. They filter and eliminate toxins and waste from the bloodstream which is then expelled in the urine, and they also control the amount of phosphorus and calcium in the body.
Lethargy, excessive drinking, frequent urinating, and a loss of appetite may be mistakenly attributed to common canine disorders that are easier to treat when the dog is suffering from impaired kidney function. However, urinary system infections, tick-borne diseases, pancreatitis, liver disease, and various other conditions can all induce similar symptoms.
Kidney disease is associated with a loss of appetite. Your veterinarian will advise you to feed your dog less protein and more fat. Look for proteins that are excellent in quality and easy to digest. If your dog has pancreatitis or liver problems, you’ll need to provide lower-fat diets while still providing tasty treats. It may be beneficial to eat several little meals rather than the typical two meals in the day and night.
Long-Term Obesity From Eating High-Fat Popcorn
Buttered popcorn, caramel popcorn, and cheesy popcorn sound mouthwatering, but if consumed in a great amount by your dog, it can lead to long-term obesity.
Weight gain in your dogs is not just a matter of appearance. It is associated with many severe disorders. Type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, orthopedic issues, cranial cruciate ligament injuries, skin disease, heart and respiratory illness, and others are among the conditions related to obesity. If not treated, it can decrease the life expectancy of your dog up to 2.5 years.
Obesity in dogs is diagnosed by weighing the dog and calculating a body condition score (BCS), which evaluates the body’s fat. This diagnosis will be made by your veterinarian by feeling your dog’s ribs, lumbar region, tail, and head. The findings are then compared to the breed standard and, if relevant, to the BCS chart. Obese dogs have an extra body weight of around 10-15% of their recommended body weight. Dogs with a body condition score of more than seven are deemed obese according to the 9-point grading system.
Obesity treatment focuses on long-term weight loss that is gradual and sustained. This treatment is performed by lowering your dog’s calorie intake while boosting their exercise level.
Your veterinarian may assist you in developing a nutrition plan specifically for your dog. Because dietary protein boosts metabolism and energy expenditure, weight loss food for dogs is high in dietary protein and fiber but low in fat.
It’s critical to increase your dog’s physical activity level if you want him to lose weight. For example, try going for a 15-minute leash walk twice a day and playing activities like fetch. In addition, there are several methods to make your dog’s stroll enjoyable and thrilling for both of you. You can encourage sniffing, bring along a friend, change the pace, let your dog lead the way, or bring some treats.
Popcorn Consumption Can Cause Pancreatitis in Dogs
Pancreatitis is a disorder that occurs when your dog’s food contains too many fats, causing inflammation of the pancreas. For example, continued consumption of buttered popcorn causes high-fat levels leading to pancreatitis in dogs.
In pancreatitis, digestive enzymes are activated before they reach the small intestine. The pancreatic duct transports dormant pancreatic enzymes to the duodenum, part of the small intestine. Once they reach the small intestine, they are signaled to start digesting. These enzymes are triggered early in the pancreas rather than later in the small intestine in pancreatitis. Consider a time-release capsule that explodes before reaching its target; in this case, the pancreatic enzymes start digesting before they should. The pancreas begins to digest itself as a result of this. Pancreatitis manifests itself in various ways, and the severity of the disorder is dictated by the number of enzymes activated early on.
The most common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, fever, exhaustion, stomach pain, diarrhea, and a loss of appetite. You may also find your dog in a “praying stance,” in which they raise their back legs in the air and lower their front legs and head to the ground.
Acute pancreatitis does not require any special treatment. However, it would help if you found a way to cure your dog’s discomfort, and immediate treatment is essential to avoid more problems. The most common treatment and management approaches are intravenous (IV) fluid therapy, fresh water intake, and pancreatic rest by withholding food and drink for 24 hours. Long-term treatment requires limiting fat consumption with low-fat, low-calorie diets and more frequent, small-portioned meals.
Salt Toxicity From Salted Popcorns
Plain air-popped popcorn doesn’t contain high amounts of salts. However, salted popcorn contains about 1.3 grams of salts in a 100-gram popcorn bag. If consumed in higher quantities, this can lead to salt poisoning in dogs.
Hypernatremia refers to blood salt levels that are greater than usual. Excessive water loss through the gastrointestinal system and increased salt consumption with poor water intake are significant causes of such increases.
The first indicator that your dog has taken too much salt are vomiting and increased water intake. They may seem tired and bloated. You’ll notice that your dog’s muscles have stiffened as a result of the lack of fluid in their muscles if they’ve ingested a lot of salt. If left untreated, salt poisoning can be lethal. Clinical signs such as the ones listed here may appear diarrhea, edema, frequent urination, fluid retention, convulsions and tremors, incoordination, and head pressing.
There is no particular therapy for this condition. The dog owner is advised to stop feeding the dog salty food as soon as possible. Fresh water must be offered in tiny amounts at regular intervals at first. Large quantities of water can exacerbate neurologic symptoms by causing fluid to build up in the brain. Water should be provided to severely affected dogs using a stomach tube. Regardless of therapy, the mortality rate might be more than 50%. Slow fluid administration may be beneficial in dogs.
Choking Hazard From Ingestion of Kernels
Choking is a significant concern related to your dog’s consumption of popcorn. With the crispy, easily digestible popcorns, there are always some hard, un-popped kernels that can be easily picked up by your dog while snacking on popcorns. Popcorn kernels might scratch the dog’s throat or become stuck in the airways. In addition, popcorn with big hulls can cause choking in pups and small dogs. This is why you should remove un-popped or partially-popped corn kernels before giving your dog popcorn.
Dogs are more prone to choke since they don’t understand what’s going on and become upset much faster. If you observe your dog coughing, act quickly. If first aid doesn’t work within one to two minutes, call your veterinarian right away; delaying can be lethal for your dog.
A dog coughing excessively, drooling, gagging, keeping his mouth open, or pawing at his mouth are all signs of choking. Putting your hands in your dog’s mouth to remove the choking object puts you at the risk of being bitten. It is best to consult your vet and ask them what actions to take in such emergencies.
Dogs With Corn Allergy Should Not Consume Popcorn
Some dogs are allergic to maize. Corn, sometimes known as maize, is a popular component in dog food. Unfortunately, many dogs suffer from corn allergies due to an overly sensitive immune system to the substance, and as a result of this allergy, they display a variety of symptoms.
Corn allergies in dogs manifest themselves in the same way that any other food allergy does. In dogs, corn allergy symptoms include skin irritation, hives, paw biting, licking obsessively, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
Allergies are your dog’s body’s method of defending itself from anything it believes may damage it. The body perceives that item as a threat and responds by mounting a defensive response. The grain element causes your dog’s body to create an immunological reaction. This allergic reaction might manifest very rapidly or gradually over time. Some food allergies might develop after a dog contracts an illness of the stomach or intestines. Allergies are often inherited.
To ease the severe itching that your dog is experiencing, dogs are often prescribed medications. The itching will go away concurrently with eliminating corn from the diet. However, it’s important to remember that skin irritation takes time to heal; it might take 2-3 weeks.
Getting rid of grains will also prevent your dog from getting sick. However, if the allergen is still present in your dog’s diet, it will gradually damage their immune system. This causes long-term and recurring problems with their skin and other parts of the dog’s body, such as their ears.
The best therapy for corn allergies is strict dietary restriction. It can be a long and frustrating procedure. Once you’ve determined the source of the allergy and eliminated it from your dog’s diet, your veterinarian will guide you through the diet elimination experiment, giving you instructions as well as items to replace corn. The diet must be strictly adhered to by all family members, who must not give your pet any treats, drugs, or supplements that the veterinarian has not approved.
Is Caramel Popcorn Safe for Dogs to Eat?
Caramel popcorn is edible. However, it has no nutrients that may be beneficial for your dog. In addition, some dogs may experience gastrointestinal problems due to the fat and sugar present in caramel popcorn.
How to Give Popcorn to Dogs in the Safest Way
A small treat of fresh air-popped popcorn is the safest method to offer popcorn to your dog. To begin, make sure you understand how to cook popcorn in a healthy manner. Air-popping is simple and may be done with a stovetop skillet, a popcorn machine, or you can make microwave popcorn. Remove any un-popped kernels from your popcorn after you’ve cooked it since they might be a choking danger. Avoid seasoned popcorn that contains a topping of almonds, peanuts, butter, spices, syrups, and blends with cheese, chocolate, peanut butter, and almond butter.
If your dog becomes unwell after eating popcorn, contact your veterinarian or the nearest veterinary emergency center right away.
