Summer season equals BBQ season. And BBQ season equals a lot of grilled hamburgers. However, while you are outside enjoying your delicious meal, would it be safe to share it with your dog? Can dogs eat hamburger?
As tempted as we are to share everything that we eat with our beloved canines, there is still some food out there that should be kept away from them. And that’s mostly overly processed food with a lot of additional spices and herbs. But are hamburgers safe? Let’s find out together.
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Can dogs eat hamburger?
We know that lean meat is a great source of protein for dogs. But hamburgers are much more than just beef. There are a lot of additional spices that go into hamburgers. Additionally, they are also very high in sodium which and cause serious heart and kidney disease over time.
Hamburgers also have added toppings that make them even less healthy. One of the most common ones are definitely onions. In case you didn’t know already — your dog should stay away from onions and garlic at all costs.
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However, if you just feel too tempted to share your food with your canine than throwing a plain patty l the grill made off unseasoned meat can be an alternative. You can make the patties from either beef, turkey, chicken or even pork.
The problem with pre-made hamburgers is that they will be heavenly seasoned. While some additional salt and pepper won’t do too much damage to you, your dog’s health could deeply suffer from it.
Additionally, often the meat in pre-made hamburgers will be full of fat. While fatty and greasy food, especially animal based fat, aren’t usually too healthy to begin with, dogs have a hard time digesting it in general. A diet that is rich in fat can lead to a condition called pancreatitis. Pancreatitis in dogs is a serious medical condition that can even be lethal.
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Can dogs eat raw hamburgers?
While some dog owners prefer to feed their dogs a raw diet, there are certain problems that come with it. The biggest one definitely being a possible infection with Salmonella or E. Coli. Some may believe that the strong acidic environment in a dog’s stomach kills the bacteria immediately, however that’s not exactly true. Infections can still occur, and you are definitely putting your dog at risk if you feed him raw meat or meat products such as hamburgers.
Conclusion: Can dogs eat hamburger?
If we are talking about home-made hamburgers that aren’t filled with sodium, seasonings and fat — then yes. Your dog can have a plain patty from the grill. However, commercial hamburgers are full of salt and other spices that could even be toxic for your canine. So it would be best to avoid those. Especially if they also contain a higher concentration of fat. While a fat and greasy hamburger won’t do too much damage to us, in dogs they could cause a serious medical condition named pancreatitis. Either way, the safest option would be to simply put some lean and unseasoned meat on the grill for your dog that you can give him while you’re enjoying your hamburger.
If you would like to learn more about which human foods are safe for dogs I have some useful articles for you: