Why Is Soda Bad For Dogs?
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that little nutritional benefit comes from serving soda to your dog. Water is by far the best and healthiest way to keep your dog hydrated.
When it comes to the specifics of why soda is bad for dogs, caffeine is one of the main culprits. Many commercial brands of soda contain the stimulant caffeine, which is definitely an ingredient you want to keep away from your dog.
Secondly, many sodas are very high in sugar, which could lead to medical complications for your dog, like an increased chance of developing canine obesity or diabetes.
Even “sugar-free” sodas are usually packed with artificial sweeteners, some of which could be harmful to your dog. In some cases, you might also find the artificial sweetener xylitol used in soda, which is highly toxic for dogs.
Additionally, dogs can have a hard time digesting carbonated sodas, which can result in dogs suffering from gas in many cases.
Can Dogs Drink Sprite?
While your dog can drink a little bit of Sprite and probably be ok you should try to avoid giving it to them if you can. The sugar rush given by Sprite is not healthy for dogs as they cannot handle much of the food we consume as humans.
A word of caution about off-brand sodas before we proceed, not all brands are created equal and can contain different chemicals some of which could be very harmful to your furry canine companion.
Be extra careful with off-brand sodas, these could contain different additives such as xylitol which is very toxic to dogs if consumed. This sweetener is normally found in “diet” or “zero sugar” versions of popular carbonated beverages.
Sprite typically does not contain caffeine which could be harmful to your dog if too much is consumed, but it does contain a large amount of sugar which is not healthy for dogs.
What is Sprite?
Sprite is a clear lemon-lime flavored soft drink made by the Coca-Cola Company. The drink was first developed in West Germany in 1959 and was then introduced in the US in 1961. Over the years, Spite also included other flavors.
Sprite contains the following ingredients:
Sprite can be enjoyed as a cool drink; however, it’s also given to people who have digestive tract issues.
But what happens if a dog drinks Sprite?
Can My Dogs Drink Sprite? | DogVela
It has become a popular norm for dog owners to share most foods and drinks with their dogs.
Harmless, you may think, because there’s no better way to show love other than sharing just about anything with your furry friend, but how safe is this practice?
It contains harmful ingredients such as sodium, fats, and artificial additives which cause adverse health issues to dogs.
Although a dog can handle a sip or two of the beverage, it shouldn’t turn into a routine.
It will also look into details on the harmful ingredients in the beverage and steps to take in case your dog takes the drink.
It contains unhealthy and harmful ingredients that affect a dog’s health, especially if it drinks too much of the beverage.
Caffeine: Sprite contains caffeine which is sensitive to dogs. It increases their heart rate, making them hyperactive. Your dog will become shaky, howl, and bark uncontrollably. Caffeine also causes increased blood pressure, a possible cause of cardiac arrhythmias. In most cases, too much caffeine in dogs causes seizures, comas, and fever.
Carbonation: Sprite contains carbonated water as its main ingredient. This ingredient contains additives like citric acid and sweeteners. While citric acid can harm your dog’s teeth, additives are toxic. Carbonation causes bloating which is life-threatening to dogs.
Sugar: Sprite contains added sugar which is hazardous if a dog consumes high amounts. In the short term, sugar causes hyperactivity and diarrhea. It increases blood sugar levels and causes increased weight or obesity in the long term. Obesity comes with problems in the tendons and joints, diabetes, and causes. In extreme cases, sugar leads to walking difficulties, arthritis, and damage to organs like the heart, kidney, and nerves.
Additives: Sprite contains additives such as sweeteners, food dyes, and preservatives which are hard to digest in dogs. The artificial sweetener, xylitol, in Sprite, is toxic to dogs even if it takes small amounts of it. It drops blood sugar levels which eventually leads to brain damage, hypoglycemia, and liver failure. If your dog gets xylitol poisoning, consider immediate treatment because it’s lethal.