When you are watching a movie or resting with a plate full of tortilla chips, and your dog sits next to you drooling, and with pleading eyes, you must be tempted to give him some. Tortilla chips are delicious and leave our mouths begging for more. But are they good for dogs?
Can Dogs Eat Tortilla Chips
Dogs can only eat a maximum of two tortilla chips. This is because dogs have high calories, sodium, fat, carbohydrate, and sugar, which can cause several health issues. Furthermore, they are unhealthy for dogs and may eventually result in bloating upset stomachs, and digestive problems.
What Are Tortilla Chips?
Tortilla chips are made using corn tortillas. Nixtamalized maize, vegetable oil, salt, and water are combined to make corn tortillas, which are then formed into triangles and cooked or baked. It was first made in Los Angeles in the late 1940s. In Mexico, tortilla chips are a common snack. Although blue and red corn is also utilized, yellow corn is typically used to make tortilla chips.
Tortilla chips were originally made famous in the marketplace by Rebecca Webb Carranza in the late 1940s. In 1994, Rebecca was also given a golden tortilla award for her homemade tortilla chips.
Tortilla Chips Ingredients
- Corn.
- Vegetable oil (corn, soybean, canola, and sunflower oil).
- Buttermilk powder.
- Salt.
- Modified corn starch.
- Natural and artificial flavor.
- Cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes).
- Corn syrup solids.
- Dextrose.
- Yeast extract.
- Reduced lactose whey.
- Spices.
- Tomato powder.
- Whey.
- Corn maltodextrin.
- Garlic powder.
- Onion powder.
- Corn starch.
- Malic acid.
- Vinegar solids.
- Disodium inosinate and guanylate.
- Disodium phosphate.
- Citric acid.
- Lactic acid.
- Blue cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes).
- Extractives of annatto and turmeric.
- Artificial color (red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, titanium dioxide).
Risks of Feeding Tortillas to Dogs
Different dogs will react differently to small amounts of tortillas, while some dogs may be able to digest a bite or two of a tortilla without any issues. Furthermore, sensitive dogs may have adverse effects, including vomiting and diarrhea. Find out more about the dangers of feeding dogs tortillas.
Preservatives
Dogs may be poisoned by chemicals in processed tortillas. Many tortilla varieties are packed with flavors or preservatives that can disrupt a dog’s digestive system. In addition, some preservatives can damage your dog’s pancreas when taken in excessive quantities.
Wheat Flour
Tortillas are high in fat and carbohydrates. These can cause your pet to gain weight and develop long-term health issues like pancreatitis and heart disease.
Allergic Reactions
Some dogs may experience an adverse response after eating tortillas. Flour or corn is the main component of tortillas, whether produced at home or purchased from a store. Some dogs are allergic to wheat (including gluten), which can make wheat flour irritate their stomachs or worse. The maize flour used in tortillas and corn chips rarely causes problems in dogs but is quite low in nutrients.
Salt
Salt ion poisoning can result from consuming too much salt. Dogs should consume 200 mg of salt daily, while 1 ounce of harmful tortilla chips has 130 mg of sodium. The following are signs and effects of salt toxicity:
· Muscle Spasms
· Tremors
· Seizures
· Excessive thirst
· Frequent urination
· Kidney damage
· Convulsion
Corn
Dog allergies are quite frequent. Dogs who consume maize might have allergies, which make it difficult for them to move around comfortably. The effects of eating corn could result in:
Red paw pads
Rough skin condition
Oral inflammation
Hot spots
Sugar
Two tortilla chips contain 0.13 grams of sugar, which is almost certainly made out of corn syrup solids. So what are the solids in corn syrup?
In short, corn syrup solids are corn syrup in a dried state. And sugar or corn syrup is a sweetener.
Our dogs don’t at all need sugar in their diets. Even though 0.13 grams of sugar may not seem like much to us, dogs do not require this added sugar.
Choking Hazard
Dogs normally eat their food hurriedly without chewing. This is a survival instinct in the wild; dogs or any other wild animal must eat fast before another animal gets hold of the food.
So if your dog behaves this way, he will swallow the tortilla chips without chewing, leading to intestinal damage.
Cholesterol
Dogs shouldn’t have food with high cholesterol levels. Corn chips go through a deep-frying procedure and absorb a lot of oil during that time. More oily substances are applied to their surface to keep the chips crispy after frying.
The cholesterol in corn chips may accumulate in the body of your canine friend, clogging his arteries and cutting off blood flow to the heart, which may cause death.
Homemade Tortilla Chips Might Be an Exception
In this article, we have only discussed store-bought tortilla chips, which are almost usually loaded with salt and are not a suitable treatment for your dog. However, if you made your tortilla chips at home, you could use much less salt, making the chips better for your dog. After all, tortilla chips may be a surprisingly healthy snack if the extra salt is removed. In addition, they are an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, dietary fiber, and vitamin B-6.
Alternatives To Tortilla Chips
There is no better alternative than feeding your healthful dog foods. Instead of giving your dog tortilla chips, you can give him the following;
- Turnips
- Cilantro
- Figs
- Pepper
- Sweet potato
- Basil
- Artichokes
- Seedless Guava
- Seedless Papaya
- Bananas
- Carrot
Can dogs eat tortilla chips regularly?
No, dogs should not eat tortilla chips regularly. They are made of ingredients that are not healthy for dogs, like preservatives, oil, salt, etc.
You can give your dog one or two tortilla chips once or twice a week.
Additionally, if your dog shows signs of digestion problems, lethargy, or bloat, you should stop giving him tortilla chips, even if you give him small amounts.
If you still wish to give your dog tortilla chips, prepare them at home, where you have control of the ingredients.
Are Blue Corn Tortilla Chips Safe for Dogs?
No. This is because oil and salt are used to make blue corn tortillas. Dogs cannot eat blue corn tortilla chips because too much salt is hazardous to their health.
Conclusion
It would help if you did not give your dog tortilla chips unless you have prepared them. As a responsible paw parent, you should not give in to the pleading behavior of your dogs as it can cost them their health.
Tortilla chips are full of ingredients that are not suitable for your pooch. You can also give him other alternatives to tortilla chips.
