Tortillas are one of them foods that everyone has eaten and a lot of people around the world eat them on a regular basis. It might not be something you have thought about before you had a dog, because to us humans they do not seem that bad. How about your dog though, can dogs eat tortillas and tortilla chips? We answer all your questions below.
Can Dogs Eat Tortillas?
If you are wondering, can dogs eat tortillas? You are going to be disappointed sorry, tortillas are not recommended to dogs, although they may not be toxic, they are not good for a dog’s health in general.
Dogs don’t have the best digestive system, compared to a human. A lot of people think dogs have a great digestive system because they eat anything. What you need to recognize here is that dogs will eat anything given to them, it does not mean it will not have repercussions.
This goes for flour and corn type of tortillas; dogs can have allergies or just have a sensitive stomach when it comes to grains. These can lead to further health risks.
Tortillas have little to no nutritional value for your dog, we really would not recommend you feed your dog any type of tortillas. Now, if you insist on feeding your dog a tortilla, it is safe. As long as you take their current medical conditions in consideration first. This is something you should not be feeding your dog on a regular basis. If you must, it should only be on a very rare basis and in small portions.
What makes Tortillas bad for dogs?
As mentioned above, tortillas are not toxic or dangerous to your dog’s health, although they do not offer your dog anything to their diet or health. Dogs have a very sensitive stomach and digest system, eating too many tortillas can lead to your dog having diarrhea. Which leads to them being in distress with their stomach, which can lead to other serious medical health problems.
A lot of people for some reason like to compare a dog’s digestive system to a human, because they see them eat things humans can, this is could not be farther from the truth. Their digestion system is not designed like ours, they mostly need protein, which is found in meat.
Dogs process corn and grain a lot differently than humans do, which can cause health issues with your dog. Some dogs do have wheat allergies, along with some dogs that start to have a wheat allergy later on in their life.
Wheat is safe for dogs that do not have a wheat allergy. Wheat allergies develop over time with continued exposure to wheat. This means that a brand of dog food containing wheat may not cause problems at the outset, but a dog may develop the allergy later after prolonged exposure, at which point the food is problematic.
Read the original article – Rover.com
Processed Food
Believe it or not, tortillas are classed as processed food, which is not good for your dog’s health. All processed foods should be avoided when it comes to dogs, for so many reasons. Mainly you are not sure what has been put in them. They most certainly will have preservatives in which are not healthy for dogs. This is one of the reasons why tortillas are unhealthy for dogs, this includes corn tortillas.
Nutritional Value
Another thing you might not know is that tortillas are high in calories, you might not think this, but they are. There is little to no nutrients for your dog. All this can lead to your dog being overweight and being obese. Along with other health issues that can happen along the way like pancreatitis and diabetes, to name a couple.
Check out the below table from the USDA FoodData Central Database showing what you will find in an average tortilla. As you can see there is nothing of benefit for a dog, or even human there. Just a lot of carbs…
1 Tortilla - 28g
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 59.9kcal |
| Protein | 1g |
| Total Lipid (fat) | 0.504g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 11g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.01g |
| Calcium, Ca | 40mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.361mg |
Can Dogs Eat Tortilla chips?
Tortilla chips happen to be another thing a dog should not eat, they are actually worse than tortillas. Tortilla chips tend to be covered, with salt, like a lot… which is incredibly bad for dogs. Feeding your dog too much salt can cause your dog some serious health issues. Which can include kidney problems, extreme thirst, along with trouble urinating. We recommend that you don’t feed your dog any chips.
There are many things that make them unhealthy but one of the main things is that they are fried in oil and fat. This can increase the chances of your dog becoming obese, which mentioned above comes along with many problems for your dog.
It is to be noted that corn chips happen to be in the same boat as well. They are extremely high in sodium and are more often than not covered in many different additives that are harmful to your dog. For example, Garlic and onion powder.
You will be surprised that just like human’s dogs can also be allergic or just sensitive to gluten. This is another reason why not to give your dog tortillas, as they may contain gluten. If your dog is sensitive to gluten then I am sure you already know this, but please don’t give them anything like bread or tortillas.
To show the big difference between tortillas and tortillas chips we have created a table from the USDA FoodData Central Database. Showing that Tortilla chips have several different fats in them. While not forgetting the high amount of sodium as well!
Tortilla Chips 1.5ONZ (42g)
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 210kcal |
| Protein | 3g |
| Total Lipid (fat) | 10g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 28g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 2.02g |
| Sugars, total including NLEA | 1g |
| Calcium, Ca | 39.9g |
| Iron, Fe | 0.361mg |
| Potassium, K | 115mg |
| Sodium, Na | 280mg |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 1g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 7g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 2g |
HELP! My Dog Has Just Eaten a Tortilla!
Like we have mentioned above, if you accidentally feed or your dog just sneaks a tortilla or just a few chips then they will be ok. Just make sure that they had nothing toxic inside or on the tortilla, like garlic or onion.
You should never give your dog tortillas, tortilla chips, or corn chips on a regular basis. This is not good for your dog’s health.
If you are worried about your dog, you should contact your local veterinarian straight away.
How to behave when feeding your dog
On the subject of your dog sneaking some food, you should try your best to avoid this. It will encourage them to do it in the future, which can cause problems down the line if it is something unhealthy or toxic.
You should also not be giving your dog food scraps from your table or when your cooking food. This will stop or prevent your dog from begging, whining and barking when you are trying to have your dinner in peace.
If you insist on giving your dog something healthy, make sure you do it from there food bowl. This shows your dog that they will only receive food from their bowl.
This will stop your dog from begging or whining when it comes to you eating something they cannot be eating. For example, tortillas or tortilla chips.,
How About Homemade Tortillas and chips?
Now some people in the world prefer to make their own tortillas and tortilla chips. The answer is still the same though, that’s no.
They might be healthier than store-bought tortillas, but they are still not healthy or even recommend for your dog to eat. This includes all homemade tortilla chips. Dogs should not be given any type of chips as a general rule.
So Can Dogs Eat Tortillas?
Yes, but we highly do not recommend it, along with many other veterinary specialists. Tortillas are just not a great food source for dogs, even when given in small portions and on rare occasions. This goes for flour and corn tortillas. There are so much tastier and healthier options out there that your dog will absolutely love!
