It is common for dogs to beg for some people food. Many dog parents however are aware that some people foods are unsafe for dogs. Can dogs eat teriyaki sauce?
Just like most Asian dishes, soy sauce is the main ingredient of teriyaki sauce. Do you want to share teriyaki sauce with your pup? Is it safe?
Many commercial dog foods have soy product ingredients leading many dog parents to think that soy sauce, a by-product of soy beans is safe for dogs to consume.
The safety of soy sauce for dogs is still a highly debated topic. It is however not the soy content of soy sauce that is dangerous for your dog. It is the fact that soy sauce has high sodium content. One teaspoon of soy sauce may have a 291.1 mg of sodium content. A common teriyaki sauce would contain 3.833 mg of sodium per 100 grams.
Salt in Teriyaki Sauce
Large amounts of soy sauce such as what is contained in teriyaki sauce when consumed by dogs can lead to salt poisoning. Should your dog slop up even just a teaspoon of soy sauce and not immediately drink water, he is bound to develop salt poisoning or kidney damage.
It is important to note that what may seem as just a small amount of soy sauce to humans may be a lot for dogs. According to the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, a dog weighing about 35 pounds should only consume less than 100 mg of sodium a day. So if you have a medium sized dog, a little slurp of teriyaki sauce can be extremely dangerous.
Too much consumption of soy sauce can be dangerous to humans. Even just a tiny bit of soy sauce can be too much and dangerous to dogs.
If you feed your dog teriyaki sauce, he may run the risk of developing salt poisoning. Symptoms of salt poisoning may include:
- Vomiting
- Increased thirstiness
- Diarrhea
- Frequent urination
- Seizure
- Tremors
Should your dog show any of these symptoms, it is best to have him immediately see a vet.
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Soy in Teriyaki Sauce
Other than the soy sauce in teriyaki sauce being high in sodium, the soy itself is also questionable. While feeding dogs food with soy is still a highly debatable issue, many dog parents prefer not to give their pets food with soy.
Soy contains estrogen. Plant estrogens can be both useful and detrimental. Soy beans are usually fermented prior to consumption to significantly lower estrogen levels so the plant can be easier to digest.
Too much soy consumption by dogs can also lower their thyroid hormones thus it is not ideal especially in dogs with hypothyroidism.
Teriyaki sauce consists of soy sauce, garlic, honey and brown sugar. These ingredients can cause harm to your dog. Some also prefer their teriyaki sauce to be spicy and the more it can be harmful to your dog.
Avoid feeding your dog with food that contains soy sauce. The high sodium and soy content of soy sauce can harm your dog. A standard recipe of teriyaki sauce may contain up to ΒΌ cup of soy sauce.
Can dogs eat teriyaki sauce? It is obvious that they cannot.