Should You Give Your Dog That Leftover Pizza Crust?
Picture this: You and your family are sitting around the table with full bellies after another successful pizza night. While some of the family eats every inch of the pizza, you see some have leftover crusts. And out of the corner of your eyes, you realize your dog notices the leftover pizza crust too.
While some dogs might not overtly stare at the pizza crust, others are a bit more obvious about it. I mean, do you blame them with that scrumptious smell in the air? If you decide to cut your pup some slack and give him a few bites of pizza crust, you wouldn’t be the first. Many dog owners have fed their dogs a snack or two from the dinner table. Seriously though, those puppy dog eyes can be convincing!
While a few table scraps here and there shouldn’t harm your dog, it’s important to know what ingredients are included in pizza that could potentially affect your dog’s health.
Why Dogs and Pizza Crust May Not Mix
First, we must break down what pizza crust is made of to help better understand why it might affect dogs. If you prefer to order from restaurants like ours that use all-natural ingredients, the crusts you end up with at the end of your meal shouldn’t contain much more than flour, eggs, yeast, olive oil, water, and salt.
When you look at each ingredient individually, none of them are seriously toxic to dogs. Besides the water and salt, there’s also nothing that wouldn’t be a part of your dog’s diet in the wild. This means that although pizza crust is not a significant danger to your dog, it’s not necessarily healthy for them either.
Are There Any Pizza Ingredients That Are Dangerous to Dogs?
What if a piece of pizza crust has a bit of pizza sauce, cheese, or topping still on it? It depends on your dog’s eating habits and whether their digestive system can handle a bit of rich food. However, you generally want to avoid anything containing onions and garlic (which our sauces do include).
Both onions and garlic contain thiosulfate. While perfectly harmless for humans to digest, this can be particularly toxic to dogs. Since garlic is more concentrated than onions, as little as one clove can cause gastrointestinal upset or other reactive consequences. This really depends on the size and breed of your dog. But to be on the safe side, many vets recommend against giving it to your pets, even in small doses.
Dogs and Pizza Crust: Moderation is Key
Before you swear your dog off pizza crust for good, remember that pizza crust doesn’t necessarily have those ingredients (depending on what you order). Even so, if it is free and clear of garlic and onions, pizza crust should be given in moderation.
Most people live by this rule, and it applies to dogs, too. As long as the snack doesn’t contain any components that are toxic to them. If you want to treat your pup to a small piece of pizza crust every few weeks or so, have at it! Just be careful that an occasional treat doesn’t become a habit. Like people, dogs can experience weight gain and adverse health issues with decadent snacks.
Enjoy Your Next Pizza Night (for Humans) at Spizzico Italian Kitchen
Remember, we aren’t veterinarians, so this is just a recommendation. At the end of the day, you should always ask a professional what is right for your pets. But whether or not you decide to give your furry friend a bite or not, you can make the most of your next pizza night with Spizzico Italian Kitchen. You can call in or conveniently order online for pick-up.