Crunch… crunch… and munch.
Lay’s is one of the best potato chip snacks you can have.
Something about the crunch they provide is appealing to people’s cravings.
I mean, who wouldn’t want them?
But just because they taste good doesn’t mean that they are healthy (especially for your dog).
Continue reading to learn:
- 7 reasons why your dogs can’t eat Lay’s Chips.
- What to do when your dog accidentally eats potato chips.
- Healthy and safe snacks for your dogs that are better than Lay’s Chips.
- And more…
Table of contents
Can dogs eat Lay’s chips?
Your dog can’t eat Lay’s Chips because they contain an excessive amount of salt. This ingredient alone will be detrimental to your dog’s health. Besides salt, this bag of chips contains several artificial additives. Even if they taste good, they won’t do any good for your pooch.
7 reasons why dogs can’t eat Lay’s chips
#1: The different flavors create different effects
Let’s get this straight.
Potatoes are not the reason why Lay’s Chips are bad for your dog.
They are not the suspect here. So, you shouldn’t hate them.
In fact, giving them plain baked potatoes in moderation can be generally okay for your dog.
What makes the treat harmful for your pooch is all the other ingredients added to it.
Barbecue
From the Lay’s Chips ingredients list, the BBQ flavored potato chips contain Paprika.
Accordingly, Paprika contains Mustard Seed Oil. And this is toxic for dogs.
Warning: Mustard seeds can cause severe gastroenteritis, characterized by diarrhea and vomiting.
Cheddar Jalapeño
This flavor contains blue cheese.
AKA the one type of cheese that your dog should avoid.
The fungus that makes these cheeses produces roquefortine C. This substance can be very bad for dogs, especially if they eat a lot of it.
Warning: Roquefortine C can induce diarrhea, convulsions, and vomiting in your dog.
Cheddar & Sour Cream
If you are wondering what’s in this flavor that is harmful to dogs, it’s onion powder.
It’s bad for dogs to eat the flesh, leaves, juice, and powdered form of onions.
In general, all forms of onion are not good for your fur baby. They include compounds that can cause red blood cell damage.
Warning: If not treated promptly, onion powder can cause hemolytic anemia, leading to death.
I don’t have to list all the harmful ingredients to get the point.
All I’m trying to say is this snack has a lot of added ingredients that are tasty…
But bad for your dog.
So, you should do your absolute best to refuse to share a bag of Lay’s potato chips with your pooch.
#2: Too much salt makes a thirsty dog
Like humans, dogs also need salt in their diet.
A study said that dogs get a lot of sodium from meat and milk. So when they consume these foods in moderation, it can be good for your pooch.
“But what if they eat too much salt?”
This is where the problem starts.
A lot can happen when your dog eats too much of this ingredient.
Besides potato chips, other foods that contain an excessive amount of salt include:
- Cheese.
- Burgers.
- Sausages.
- Savory biscuits.
- Other processed meats.
If you give your dog too much of these foods, they will experience extreme thirst.
So, if you find your dog constantly drinking water, it is time to lessen salt intake.
Warning: Allowing your dog to drink too many fluids too fast can cause vomiting.
Other causes of sudden thirst in dogs, according to WebMD, are:
- Fever.
- Cancer.
- Diarrhea.
- Infection.
- Diabetes.
- Liver disease.
- Kidney disease.
If you want to know why your dog is drinking too much water, watch:
#3: Chips are heavy in carbs
Carbs are not as evil as people make them to be.
For dogs, they can offer a good energy source that will help them function throughout the day.
But of course…
They should be eaten in moderation.
Lay’s Chips contain 0.52 oz (15 g) of carbohydrates per serving. And this is only about 15 pieces of chips.
Mayo Clinic says that Americans should consume 7.93- 11.46 oz (225-325 g) of carbs per day.
So, that’s a lot of carbs. And this can never be good for your dog.
But if you are looking for healthy sources of carbs for your pooch, PetMD suggests you try:
- Oats.
- Millet.
- Barley.
- Brown rice.
- Whole corn.
- Sweet potato.
- Whole wheat.
#4: Lay’s chips are high in fat
So, Lay’s is high in salt…
High in carbs…
And also high in fat?
Yes.
If you eat about 15 chips of this pack of delicious potatoes, you are essentially consuming 0.35 oz (10 g) of fat.
Note: For human adults, the Cleveland Clinic only recommends 1.55 oz to 2.71 oz (44- 77 g) of fat per day.
And keep in mind, this is for ADULT humans.
So, even giving your dog a few pieces of Lay’s Chips regularly will not be good for them.
Other than potato chips, other foods high in fat that are bad for your pooch include:
- Butter.
- Bones.
- Fat trimmings.
But if you want to incorporate healthy fats into your dog’s diet, you should feed them:
- Herring.
- Salmon.
- Chicken.
- Flaxseed.
- Soybean oils.
#5: Too much salt causes salt poisoning
Salt poisoning is when your dog gets sick because of too much sodium.
A high salt diet can raise blood pressure and make kidney damage worse.
This causes a long list of terrible health problems.
Some salt poisons signs you need to look for include:
- Coma.
- Tremors.
- Seizures.
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Lethargy.
- Incoordination.
- Decreased appetite.
- Excessive thirst or urination.
But according to research, vomiting is usually the first sign of toxicity in your dog.
If this is not enough bad news…
Salt toxicity has no specific treatment.
“Oh no, so what do I do now?”
First of all, don’t panic.
But you should bring your dog to the vet.
The veterinarian will most likely keep your dog in the hospital so he can be monitored.
And it could take days to get the high sodium levels down to a safe level.
Following this, your veterinarian will most likely tell you to feed your dog low-sodium food.
This can include:
- Pears.
- Apples.
- Berries.
- Squash.
- Chicken.
- Bananas.
- Brown rice.
- Dried beans.
Warning: For dogs, the lethal dose of sodium is somewhere around 0.14 oz (4 g) per kg of body weight.
#6: Most potato chips are empty of nutrients
“Petya, potatoes are starchy vegetables…
So they should be healthy, right?”
Sadly, no.
Potato chips are the type of food that’s high in calories but low in nutrients.
But did you know that potatoes contain fiber?
This is good news, right?
Not exactly.
Fiber is not required in the diets of dogs. But they can help promote better digestive health.
However…
The nutritional content of potatoes varies based on the kind and technique of cooking.
Let’s find out how much fiber is there in Lay’s Chips.
One serving of Lay’s Classic Potato Chips contains…
Drumroll, please…
0.03 oz (1 g) of fiber.
Now you know that there is no good reason to feed them Lay’s Chips.
They do not offer your dog any nutritional value at all…
And they can even do more harm than good!
“But my dog loves potatoes!”
If your dog loves this starchy vegetable, there are more ways to satisfy their cravings other than potato chips.
Like I said earlier, the cooking and preparation method will affect the number of nutrients you can get from potatoes.
So, if you want to give them this food, serve them boiled or baked.
Do not add any oil or even salt.
This way, they can maximize the health benefits potatoes offer.
Healthline says that one medium baked potato contains:
- Fiber.
- Protein.
- Vitamin C.
- Potassium.
- Vitamin B6.
- And other beneficial contents.
#7: Sharing food can lead to obesity
You open a bag of chips…
Your dog hears you ripping the bag open…
And they come running to you in an instant.
Every dog parent finds it extremely challenging to say no to a dog asking for food.
It can be easy to give in to their adorable puppy eyes. But sharing food with your dog is not as safe as you may think.
Every time you give your dog more food, you give him more calories.
So, if you keep giving them what they want, your dog may be at risk of obesity.
VCA Hospitals says that obesity in dogs can lead to the following:
- Cancer.
- Joint pain.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Hypertension.
- Heart disease.
When you notice that your dog is starting to gain an alarming weight, you should:
- Limit treats.
- Take them out for walks.
- Stop feeding them table food.
- Incorporate more physical activity.
You may also be wondering: Dog Constantly Begging For Food: 7 Reasons + 3 Tips
”My dog ate a lot of Lay’s chips. What should I do?”
Let’s say that you “accidentally” fed your dog Lay’s Chips…
If this is just one to several chips, you should be fine.
But if you spot any discomfort, you should take them to the vet right away.
Warning: If your dog consumes an excessive amount of potato chips, they may vomit, have diarrhea, have a stomach ache, and more.
Healthy Lay’s chips alternatives for dogs (100% safe)
“If I can’t give them Lay’s Chips, what can they eat?”
Luckily, it won’t be the end of the world for your dog when they stop eating potato chips.
Some healthy and tasty treats you can give them include: