Do pickles have potential health benefits?
For people, pickles have several potential health benefits. They are high in vitamin K, which helps blood clot. They also contain nutrients such as potassium and calcium.
Are pickles good for dogs in the same way? Not exactly. Your dog gets those vitamins and minerals from their nutritionally complete and balanced dog food.
Dogs and pickles don’t exactly go together like peanut butter and jelly. Pickles are a crunchy, tasty treat that are low in calories and contain some vitamins and minerals that may provide dogs with some health benefits. However, most vets agree that when it comes to pickles as a snack, any potential health benefits are far outweighed by the risks.
Can dogs have pickles? Pickles are, in general, just cucumbers that have been preserved in a saltwater brine with vinegar and spices. Can dogs have cucumbers? While cucumbers are safe for dogs to consume, most pickles are extremely high in sodium, and some pickles contain ingredients that can be harmful to your pup, from the onions, garlic and chili powder in hot-and-spicy pickles to the sugar and other spices in sweet bread-and-butter pickles.
The primary concern about feeding your dog pickles is their high sodium content. Since pickles are cucumbers soaked in saltwater brine and vinegar, they contain a lot of salt. While the human body has adapted to handle the high salt content in pickles, dogs may experience health issues from ingesting so much salt.
Can dogs eat dill pickles? Or can dogs eat pickle juice? The answer to both questions is they shouldn’t. Even though dill is a safe herb for dogs and may have beneficial antioxidant properties, both dill pickles and pickle juice are high in sodium and can consequently cause health problems in dogs.
» MORE: Learn about fruits and vegetables that dogs can and cannot eat.
Can Dogs Eat All Kinds of Pickles?
There are many kinds of pickles out there, including dill pickles, sweet pickles, and pickle juice from the jar. Is it fair to paint all of them with the same brush?
Again, McDermott says its best to find another treat for your dog. But if you have your heart set on giving your dog a pickle now and then, the first thing to do is ask your vet. Pets with kidney issues absolutely shouldnt have this food, even as an occasional treat.
If you get the OK from your vet to let your dog try a pickle, check the nutrition label to ensure it doesnt contain toxic ingredients like garlic or onion. Avoid sweet pickles like bread-and-butter, as they typically have onions, garlic, and sugar. The good news? Dogs arent usually into sweet foods.
“They tend to prefer savory tastes,” McDermott says.
Dill pickles fit that bill, so if you must give your dog a pickle, this is the least dangerous variety to let them taste.
Though be aware, dogs should not have straight pickle juice. In fact, if youre going to give your dog a dill pickle, you should run it through water first.
“If you wash off the pickle really well, you can decrease the sodium content,” he says.
To serve, cut the pickle into a thin slice to avoid choking, and give smaller dogs just a pinch. A larger dog can probably eat a whole pickle. The seeds are not harmful, so theres no need to remove them.
Why do dogs like cucumbers so much?
Cucumbers also have vitamin K, which keeps your dog’s bones strong and healthy. They have vitamins and minerals that help keep your dog’s liver and kidneys functioning properly too. And, as a bonus, cucumbers have phytochemicals and phytonutrients that help eliminate bad breath.
Vinegar can cause gastrointestinal upset when ingested — especially when undiluted. This is especially true for small dogs, dogs with sensitive stomachs, dogs with kidney disease, and any dog that is otherwise not 100% healthy.
Is It Safe For Dogs To Eat Pickles?
Can dogs eat pickles? You might be wondering if your dog is begging for a bite, or maybe one fell on the floor and your dog accidentally ate it. Humans can eat pickles, so are pickles safe for dogs to eat?
The short answer is it depends, but you should err on the side of caution and not feed your dog pickles. Many pickles are spiced with herbs that can be toxic to dogs, plus the high sodium content could exacerbate already-existing conditions like high blood pressure and weight gain.
Dill and cucumbers are fine for dogs, but most pickles include more than those ingredients. As always, you must ask your vet before sharing any human foods with your dog, including pickles.