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Dr. Maja Platisa
DVM MRCVS (Veterinarian)
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Dogs enjoy eating meats and meat-flavored snacks. However, not all meat is safe for dogs to eat, including lunch meats. While it’s not likely for your dog to get sick if they eat a small piece of lunch meat, continuously feeding your dog lunch meat can lead to health complications over time.
Because there are so many other meat options that are safer for dogs to eat, it’s best to avoid giving your dog lunch meat in order to protect their health. Here’s what you need to know about the dangers of feeding your dog lunch meat and how you can ensure your dog continuously eats a healthy and nutritious diet.
Why Dogs Should Avoid Lunch Meats
Dogs should avoid eating lunch meats for several main reasons: salt, seasonings, preservatives, colorings, and nitrates. The curing and preparation process for lunch meats and deli meats involves a lot of salt, additives, spices, and seasonings. Many of these may be harmful to dogs and lead to signs of stomach upset and discomfort. Some ingredients like garlic and onion powder can be toxic to dogs depending on the dose and the dog’s size. Lunch meats can also be high in fat, which may cause vomiting and diarrhea in some dogs.
Salt
It’s unlikely that dogs will experience salt poisoning from a small piece of lunch meat, but if a smaller dog consumes a whole meal with too much salt, it’s still possible.
If your dog ingests too much salt and shows signs of salt poisoning, you may notice symptoms such as decreased appetite, diarrhea, excessive thirst, incoordination, lethargy, tremors, and vomiting. In severe cases, dogs can have seizures or fall into a coma. Salt poisoning can be fatal, so it’s crucial to seek veterinary help immediately to stabilize your dog’s condition.
Currently, there isn’t enough evidence to link chronic excess salt intake to heart and kidney issues or high blood pressure in dogs; however, following the AAFCO recommendations on minimum salt requirements is advised. Dogs appear to tolerate various salt concentrations in their diet and consume significantly less salt than humans.
Other Additives
Carrageenan is a common additive in lunch meats, used as a gelling agent and thickener in dog food. The safety of this compound remains uncertain based on current evidence.
Nitrates are often used as a preservative in lunch meats. Excessive consumption of added nitrates can lead to health problems in humans, with controversial evidence regarding their impact. Nitrates are known to increase cancer risk in people and can be found in lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, ham, and certain vegetables.
No established guidelines exist for nitrate use in dog food, but historical records and studies indicate risks associated with excess nitrites, potentially leading to toxicity and fatal outcomes in animals. The evidence suggests that lunch meats are not a safe choice for dogs due to the associated risks.
Healthier Alternatives to Lunch Meat
With numerous meat-based options available for dogs, there is no necessity for them to consume lunch meats or deli meats, which can be harmful. Many dogs can enjoy various unprocessed meats as long as they are not allergic to specific types of meat.
Ensure meat is cooked properly before feeding it to your dog, following CDC-recommended cooking temperatures. Dogs should eat cooked meat or canned dog food promptly to prevent food poisoning caused by leaving meat out for extended periods. Additionally, avoid feeding raw meat to your dog to prevent foodborne illnesses and ensure proper hand hygiene when handling raw meat.
Consider serving plain, unseasoned cooked meat to your dog, avoiding additional salt, fats, or harmful seasonings like garlic and onions. Opt for natural jerky treats designed for dogs, such as beef, chicken, turkey, or salmon jerky, free from added nitrates. Supervise your dog while they eat jerky to prevent choking hazards.
Conclusion
Lunch meat is not safe for dogs. Fortunately, there are many safer meat snack alternatives for dogs to enjoy. Avoid feeding your dog lunch meat to prevent potential health issues. Instead, offer your dog a piece of unseasoned cooked meat, ensuring their diet remains healthy and free from risks of complications later in life.
- See Also: Can Dogs Eat Spam? Vet Approved Nutritional Facts & FAQ
Sources
- Salt Toxicosis in Animals – Toxicology – MSD Veterinary Manual
- Salt Is Toxic To Pets | Pet Poison Helpline
- Pet food safety: sodium in pet foods
- Increasing dietary sodium chloride promotes urine dilution and decreases struvite and calcium oxalate relative supersaturation in healthy dogs and cats
- Sodium – chloride, tripolyphosphate, or nitrite: do dogs really need salt?
- Effects of dietary modification in dogs with early chronic valvular disease
- Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of carrageenan for pets and other non‐food‐producing animals (Marinalg International) – PMC
- Foods High in Nitrates
- Association between Dietary Nitrate, Nitrite Intake, and Site-Specific Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Risk assessment of nitrate and nitrite in feed – 2020 – EFSA Journal – Wiley Online Library
- Nitrite poisoning in cats and dogs fed a commercial pet food
- Raw or undercooked animal-source protein in cat and dog diets | American Veterinary Medical Association
- Four Steps to Food Safety | CDC
Featured Image Credit: jreika, Shutterstock
