Mustard is one of the most popular condiments in America. It is only natural that you will think, can dogs eat mustard? Well, it’s not an easy question to answer, but the answer is mainly NO.
Sharing mustard with your dog is not recommended because it has a moderate toxic aspect. There is one thing your dog can eat and that is the plant, mustard greens. We will be talking about this later on in the article.
Can Dogs Eat Mustard?
If your dog has just taken a quick lick of your plate from your leftovers, then there should be no need to worry. You should only be worried if they ingested a bigger portion. If you are not sure that your dog has eaten a bigger portion of mustard these are some signs to keep an eye out for, Abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If you are worried about there health, you should always visit a veterinarian or ring animal poison control on (888) 426-4435.
The reason why dogs cannot have mustard is that it can cause them to start being sick. A little fact for you is, vets sometimes will suggest you to use mustard to help your dog vomit if they have eaten something toxic.
Mustard and the seeds of the mustard can easily upset, if not disrupt their digestive tract. The effects from mustard can apply to humans as well so that just shows how serious the effects can be to dogs. Dogs are not able to handle the stomach upset or burning taste from mustard as easily as humans can.
Can Dogs Eat Mustard Seeds
Ok, so for people that didn’t know, mustard seeds are a spice, anything like this is not suitable for any dog. Dogs should avoid all types of spices, as they can cause serious upset to their stomach, along with diarrhea and vomiting.
What’s Inside Mustard?
Most store-bought jars of mustard will contain:
- Sugar
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Flour
- Horseradish
- Turmeric
There are several different ingredients there that are big no-noes for your dog’s health. When it comes to giving your dog “human foods” a good rule of thumb is, the more ingredients, the more complicated it gets. This is whether you should give it to them or not. This can be a problem when buying store-bought products, you are never truly sure what is in them.
Please note this is for all types of mustard, even mild brands.
Can Dog Eat Mustard Greens
So as mentioned above the mustard seeds and the condiment mustard is not good for dogs. When it comes to the mustard greens of the plant part, you can feed them that.
Mustard greens which are also called Brassica Juncea are safe for dogs to eat. Which also are an excellent source of vitamins. They are full of Vitamin A and C. As always, keep the portions small and only as a treat, not part of their regular diet.
If you insist on feeding your dog mustard greens, then you should never feed them in their raw form. Dogs can’t really chew their food properly, as we humans can.
The problem is that the dog is not chewing the plants’ cell wall before they are swallowing it. They are probably swallowing it whole. This can suppress the dog’s thyroid function. This can happen if they eat a lot of raw vegetables.
The best approach would be to puree the greens and add them to your dog’s other dog food. Another option is you can steam them, you will notice there done once they are tender. As always, this type of “human food” is for treats and is not meant to be added to their daily diet.
If you are ever worried about feeding your dog anything, the best person to speak to will be your veterinarian. They have your dog’s full medical history and will be the most experienced person to answer this for you.
Summary
At the end of the day, we really do think it’s best to avoid the whole mustard family all together. It is not worth risking you’re being sick, having diarrhea or having stomach upsets. They are your best friend and you want the best for them, mustard is just a catch 22 situation and not worth risking. There is a lot of tastier things out there for your dog to enjoy.
We have other articles on a few different other condiments which are, Mayo, Ketchup and Sauerkraut. It’s important to know what your dog can eat, especially if you are eating it on a regular basis.
