When you eat corn chips, you might have trouble stopping to munch on it…
So you stop eating after the bag has been finally emptied.
And wanna know something else?
Your dog might feel the same way towards it.
But are you even allowed to share this delicious snack with your pooch?
You’re about to discover:
- If blue corn chips are any better for your dog.
- 7 alarming reasons why dogs can’t eat corn chips.
- What you should do when your dog eats a lot of corn chips.
- How much sodium is in corn chips, and how it can harm your dog.
- And many more…
Table of contents
Can dogs eat corn chips?
Dogs can’t eat corn chips, especially in high amounts. Consuming a whole bag or regularly eating it can be harmful to a dog. That’s because corn chips have sodium, preservatives, additives, and flavorings. It’s also deep-fried in fat and has many calories. Plus, some dogs can be allergic to corn.
Can dogs eat blue corn chips?
Dogs can’t eat blue corn chips. Large amounts of it can be detrimental to your dog’s health. It has the same harmful effects on canines as yellow corn chips. That’s despite its reputation for being a better alternative to it. That’s because it still has sodium, a high amount of fats, and calories.
7 reasons why dogs can’t eat corn chips
#1: It’s high in sodium
When munching on corn chips, you might experience this…
After a while, you’re going to need a gulp of water. This is to get rid of the salty taste in your mouth. As if to restart your taste buds…
Then, once that’s done, and you still have corn chips left, you continue eating it.
And the cycle can go on until the bag is empty…
The point of telling that is to remind you how salty corn chips are. It’s so salty that you won’t even have to check the back to know it’s high in sodium.
But you should, and when you do, you’ll see how much salt is there in that snack.
Now, let’s discuss the general sodium amount in each con chip:
According to the USDA, per 1 oz (28.4 g) of corn chip, sodium makes up 0.005 oz (0.15 g) of it.
Note: That data is based on most commercial corn chips’ average sodium content. So, make it a habit to read labels and nutritional facts. That’s because it still depends on the brand of chips.
Now, you might be thinking that 0.005 oz (0.15 g) is a fairly small amount…
It’s indeed a small number…
But what happens once your pooch downs a whole bag of corn chips?
Uh-oh…
They might get sick from doing so.
Sodium poisoning in dogs
A bag of corn chips has 0.038 oz (1g) sodium.
That amount is above the sodium requirement of a small pooch like a Yorkie or Chihuahua.
As per dogs of other sizes, they’re not excused from this…
Despite large dogs’ sodium needs being much higher, these chips can still harm them.
So, don’t be complacent about giving your fur baby this snack once in a while. When it all adds up, consequences might arise.
I’m specifically talking about sodium poisoning in dogs.
According to ACVP, here are the symptoms of this condition:
- Seizures.
- Tremors.
- Diarrhea.
- Lethargy.
- Vomiting.
- Depression.
- Disorientation.
- Shortness of breath.
Warning: You might notice these signs within 3 hours of ingestion.
You might also want to know: Can dogs eat lays chips?
#2: They’re high in fat
You might be wondering…
“Isn’t corn healthy for dogs?”
According to AKC, it’s safe to give your pooch some corn directly from the cob. However, only in small amounts.
Now, turning corn into chips follows an intricate process.
And that procedure sometimes involves baking the batter to make the chips. Other times, the chips are deep-fried in fats.
So for the latter, is it harmful to your pooch?
Well, the answer from PetMD isn’t straightforward.
First of all, fats are a good source of energy. That’s why it plays a vital role in a dog’s body.
It’s more reliable as an energy source than carbohydrates and proteins.
Fats also assist in the development of cells, tissues, and muscles.
Now, this component is still present in commercial dog foods. It’s the reason why, for your canine, their dog food smells and tastes good.
But, the fats present in those dog foods are carefully calculated for a dog’s needs.
As per corn chips, they’re not exactly made for our four-legged friends…
With that…
Not all fats are good for dogs
Why?
Many factors make fats bad for dogs. That includes:
- Quality.
- Source.
- Quantity.
When those prove that the type of fat is indeed the wrong kind, what can happen?
It can range from having loose stools and bad gas to…
High cholesterol in dogs
Too much fat consumption can lead to a condition called hyperlipidemia. It’s when your dog has a high cholesterol level.
Your fur baby has too much fat in their blood with this condition.
Vets say that symptoms of this illness include:
- Seizures.
- Skin patches.
- Abdominal pain.
- Fat-filled bumps on their skin.
Reading tip: Top 9 Foods That Give Dogs Gas (Avoid #3 At All Times)
#3: Calories
Who knew?
That in such a small and thin snack, there’s a lot of calories.
Moreover, that component waits to affect your dog’s body badly.
In what way?
First, let’s understand a dog’s relationship with calories.
For all we know, that relationship between them is one-sided.
What I mean is that your pooch doesn’t know anything about calories. All they care about is to eat whatever you give them…
With that, you’re left with an assignment. And that is to watch this relationship between your pooch and their calorie intake.
Here’s a table that’ll help you in that process. It’s a chart of a dog’s daily calorie needs:
| Dog size and weight | Daily calorie need | |
| Toy | 3 lbs (1.36 kg) to 6 lbs (2.72 kg) | 139 to 233 calories |
| Small | 10 lbs (4.5 kg) to 20 lbs (9 kg) | 342 to 576 calories |
| Medium | 30 lbs (13.6 kg) to 50 lbs (22.68 kg) | 781 calories to 1145 calories |
| Large | 60 lbs (27 kg) to 100 lbs (45.36 kg) | 1313 to 1926 calories |
With their calories met, there’s another thing you should ensure.
Note that the calories burned must be equal to the calories consumed.
So, if your pooch isn’t an active doggo, don’t max out their calorie need. Keep it to a minimum.
Consuming too many calories while barely getting exercise can cause weight gain.
Calories in corn chips
Now, USDA states that a bag of corn chips contains 1,027 calories.
And as per 3.5 oz (100 g) of it, calories can count up to 518.
Let’s reduce the serving once more…
Per 1 oz (28 g) of corn chips, there are 147 calories.
All servings contain way too many calories for dogs of all sizes.
A mere hundred grams (3.5 oz) is twice the need of a toy dog. And even for a large dog, it makes up almost half of it, which is still too much.
With that, you must avoid giving your dog corn chips.
Warning: Among the many effects of high-calorie intake are weight gain and obesity.
Such is a dangerous occurrence, especially for inactive dogs.
Like I said, feeding your pooch too many calories might lead to obesity. Then, many more health conditions might follow.
Did you know? A 2018 statistic tells us that 56% of dogs in the United States are obese.
#4: Some have harmful flavorings
This is another concern with feeding your pooch corn chips.
Some are plainly salted. When that’s the case, sodium is among the only things you should worry about.
But, there are instances where the risk increases…
It can happen when the corn chips contain flavorings.
I’m specifically talking about relishes like onions or garlic.
Those are the kinds that can be toxic for your dog.
Onion and garlic poisoning in dogs
The Merck Vet Manual describes this condition as Allium spp toxicosis.
It can occur when dogs ingest onion and/or garlic. And it won’t matter in which form. It can be:
- Cooked.
- Granulated.
- Dehydrated.
All of these can pose the same outcome: poisoning.
Here are the clinical signs of this condition according to experts:
- Lethargy.
- Vomiting.
- Paleness.
- Fast heartbeat.
- Low blood sugar.
- Reduced appetite.
- Breathing faster than usual.
- Smelling garlic/onion in their breath.
Warning: You must take your dog to the vet immediately when this occurs. The earlier the intervention, the higher chance that your pooch will survive it.
#5: It ranks high in the glycemic index
First of all, what’s a glycemic index (GI)?
It’s a kind of ranking made for food. It categorizes food based on how they affect blood glucose levels.
Now, foods with a low GI score below 55. Then, what’s considered high are those scoring above 70.
Corn chips rank between 63 to 73. With that, it falls in the medium to the high part of the GI.
How did that happen?
The component that mainly contributes to that number is starch.
According to experts, corn is a starchy vegetable.
Then, research says that high starch content contributes to the increase of GI rank.
So, what does this mean?
Foods with a high glycemic index can be harmful to dogs
It’s a fact that’s often overlooked. Glycemic index shall be used as a tool to evaluate your fur baby’s diet, too.
That’s necessary as high GI can badly affect your dog’s health.
In this study, high levels of GI are found to increase the chances of developing diabetes.
So, skip on sharing corn chips with your pooch…
And remember the findings of this experiment:
Giving your dog low-glycemic-index foods can lower the risk of heart diseases.
#6: It’s full of preservatives
It’s become common now…
Almost all commercial products have preservatives.
The purpose of such is to prolong the product’s shelf life. Thus, staying fresh for the consumer as long as possible.
Now, there are 2 kinds of preservatives: natural and artificial.
The latter is the kind that can be harmful to your fur baby.
PetMD says that many kinds of artificial preservatives can lead to health problems. Their advice stays:
To act in the abundance of caution.
So, be mindful of what you feed your doggo.
And with that, avoid giving your pooch some taste of that snacky corn chips.
#7: Corn can be an allergen
In a few cases, some dogs are allergic to corn.
If your dog is one of them, then corn chips are an instant no-no…
Note: PetMD tells us that corn is a minimal offender when it comes to allergies. Regardless, it’s still included on the watch list.
Moreover, dog parents easily find out that their pooch has this condition.
How so?
That’s because corn is also among the main components of dog food.
And when it’s fed to allergic dogs, reactions will occur almost immediately.
The signs of corn allergy show the same way as every food allergy does. Those are:
- Hives.
- Itching.
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
- Skin irritation.
- Constantly biting their paws.
- Obsessive licking, especially of their paws or base of tail.
Continue reading: Help, My Dog Is Constantly Scratching And Biting Himself!
”My dog ate a lot of Corn Chips, what should I do?”
If your dog ate a lot of corn chips, the very first thing to do is seek medical advice.
Give their vet a call and tell them what happened.
Moreover, you should monitor your dog. Observe if they show these signs:
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Lethargy.
- Excessive thirst.
- Abdominal pain, which will show through whining.
If your dog shows any of those symptoms, tell the vet.
In some cases, the medical emergency isn’t severe. Regardless, the best thing to do is ask for a vet’s advice and assessment.
Only the doctor can reassure you that the condition isn’t as concerning as you expect.
Moreover, it’ll depend on your dog’s overall health condition.
For example, if your dog has a sensitive stomach, the reaction might be different. Compare that to those who don’t.
Now, what if your dog isn’t showing any of these concerning signs?
Don’t be complacent just yet…
You must still give their vet a call. Then, continue to observe your dog.
There are also some extra steps that you can take.
Change their diet for a while
I’m talking about feeding your pooch bland food for 2 days.
This is necessary because potato chips are salty. Bland food might help restore the salt balance in their body.
Moreover, it’s gentle to their tummy that might have gotten disrupted by the many chips.
I recommend boiled white rice or white boneless chicken meat.
Feed them in small quantities only. To meet their nutritional needs, split these small meals several times a day.
After 2 days and alarming signs don’t show, slowly transition back to their normal diet.
Healthy Corn Chips alternatives for dogs (100% safe)
Still want to satisfy your dog’s snacky cravings?
There’s a way to do it without harming their health!
The first one on the list is unsalted roasted or raw peanuts. AKC says that those are the only kinds of peanuts that are safe for dogs to consume.
Thinking of trying it? You can share this bag of roasted unsalted peanuts with your pooch.
Then, you can also give your fur baby banana chips.
It contains a low amount of calories.
On the other hand, it’s packed with dietary fiber, vitamins, and potassium.
Opt for the unsweetened kind to prevent unnecessary high sugar intake. Plus, ditch the preservatives and fats.
This bag of unsweetened banana chips checks those boxes.
Lastly, you can give your pooch the classic Cheerios.
This cereal is low in sugar. Therefore, it’s healthy for your fur baby to snack on…