Can Dogs Eat Weenies?

Dogs can occasionally eat a small piece of hotdog. Given that they have no food allergies or medical conditions that require a low-salt or low-fat diet. 

Most importantly, check the label to see if it contains any toxic ingredients like onions or garlic.

It's almost common knowledge that canines worship weenies. 

Even in the movie “The Secret Life of Pets,” when they wanted to show the doggo's dreams coming true, they went to the Weiner Kingdom.

They were happier than they had ever been in this kingdom after eating loads of hotdogs!

But, returning to reality, can dogs eat weenies? I'd say it's better to keep doggos eating hotdogs in movies and have them eat healthier treats like veggies in real life.

Is It Okay to Feed My Dog Weenies?

Feeding hotdogs to your canine isn’t the healthiest option and here are three reasons why:

1. Toxicity Risk

Weenies don’t usually contain toxic ingredients for your dog, but you should check the label to be sure.

For example, if it's seasoned with onions or garlic, whether raw or powdered, don't give it to your buddy. 

Simply put, it only takes 100 gm of onion per 20kg of dog weight to cause toxic effects, so you don't want to take that chance. 

2. Allergy Triggers

Some hotdog brands contain unidentified ingredients to which your dog may be allergic or intolerant. 

If your dog has a history of food allergies or intolerances, you better keep those weenies out of reach.

3. Presence of Harmful Ingredients

Weenies are high in fat and seasoning, particularly salt. 

While spices can cause stomach upset, high levels of fats and salt in your dog's body can lead to additional complications, as I'll explain below. 

If you ask me, I'd suggest replacing hotdogs with bite-sized fruits, veggies, unseasoned chicken, or beef and your buddy will be just as happy!

Dr. Tami Pierce, who’s a clinical veterinarian at the University of California, recommends giving dogs a green bean or a baby carrot. 

These foods have almost no calories. She further explains that dogs wouldn’t be too concerned if they don't get a greasy or meaty treat. 

In fact, all they need is for their friends to give them something.

Why Can Weenies Be Harmful to Dogs?

Let's take a closer look at how hotdogs can harm your dog even if they don't contain toxic ingredients. 

Feeding weenies to your furry friend can:

1. Exceed Daily Salt Allowance

Generally, salt ingestion in dogs is limited to avoid sodium ion poisoning. Toxic effects may occur after consuming 2 to 3 gm of salt per kilo of canine's weight, with 4 gm per kilo being fatal.

This limit varies depending on the dog's size and weight. A chihuahua, for example, can be poisoned with less than 0.75 gm of salt.

Thus, the National Research Council (NRC) established an official daily sodium intake limit of 0.2 gm for a 15kg dog. 

Since most hotdog brands contain around 0.5 gm of salt, half a weenie can exceed your doggo's daily sodium limit.

Naturally, if your buddy already has liver or kidney problems that require low salt food, weenies are a no-go.

2. Cause Illness in the Long Run

Weenies are high in fat, so if you continue to feed them to your dog without keeping track of his fats intake, he may develop pancreatitis. 

In short, this condition causes pancreas inflammation in your canine. Although this disease can occur on its own, it's also caused by fatty foods.

3. Break the 10% Treat Rule

A rule of thumb, your dog's treats shouldn’t exceed 10% of his daily calorie intake. The total calorie intake for each canine should be calculated because it varies depending on their weight. 

Assuming your dog weighs 10kg, his healthy calorie intake should be 400 calories. This means that daily treats shouldn't be more than 40 calories. 

An average weenie can provide around 150 calories and a low-fat one can provide 100 calories. Of course, those numbers differ depending on the type. 

Nonetheless, hotdogs can easily surpass the advised daily calorie intake.

4. Result in Choking

If you ever thought about giving your dog a weenie, don't just give him the whole thing. Make sure it's cut into bite-sized pieces. 

Your dog can become overly excited and not chew it thoroughly, causing it to get stuck in his throat. 

I know this for a fact because I have a labrador retriever who treats every meal as if it were her last. That's why I always chop up big treats as I know she'll swallow them for the most part.

What if My Dog Ate Some Weenies?

It's fine to give your dog a small piece of hotdog every now and then as long as you're feeding him a healthy diet. 

Given that he's not obese and doesn't suffer from certain medical conditions such as pancreatitis. 

On the other hand, if your troublemaker found his way to Weiner Kingdom land and ate more than he should, he may experience the following symptoms:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach ache

When this happens, make sure he drinks water regularly so he doesn't become dehydrated from the amount of salt he consumed. 

Those symptoms should go away within 24 hours; if they persist the next day, consult your veterinarian.

In other cases, like if your dog ate an entire pack of hotdogs, you should contact your veterinarian right away to avoid salt poisoning.

Salt poisoning symptoms typically appear three hours after ingestion and take the following forms:

• Weakness
• Muscle tremors
• Diarrhea 
• Seizures

How Often Can I Give My Dog Weenies?

The ideal scenario is that your doggo doesn't eat hotdogs at all. They have almost no nutritional value and you can replace them with a variety of other treats.

If it's your primary source of treats when training your canine, it's time to make some changes. Especially if you're dealing with a puppy, whose stomach is more sensitive than an adult's.

However, I understand if you want to share a tasty snack with a lifelong buddy. So, if you must, choose weenies that are low in fat and have few, yet clear, ingredients on the label.

On a side note, you should never feed raw hotdogs to your buddy. Weenies are processed meats, so it's not surprising that they contain harmful bacteria like:

• E. Coli
• Salmonella 
• Listeria
• Sarcocystis and other pathogenic parasites

Paul S.

Paul has been creating content for the dog niche for many years. The information he shares comes his first hand experience growing up in dog lovers household and then owning multiple dog breeds of his own as an adult. Paul enjoys doing the hard research to collect, analyze and present our dogtemperament.com readers with the best answers to their questions.