Everyone has seen a puppy begging for a treat at some point in their life. Those huge pleading eyes stare up and eventually, the owner relents and gives a small portion of their food or a dog treat, which the puppy will happily accept.
Puppies can eat sausage, though they shouldn't eat raw sausage or sausage with certain spices in it, as some spices are toxic for dogs. Puppies should have a diverse diet and while sausage is okay to feed them under certain circumstances, it shouldn't be the main source of protein.
Being careful about what is fed to a puppy can be exhausting, but it's important to help keep the puppy happy and healthy. In order to figure that out, we'll go over a few different questions that help to narrow the options down.
What Happens if My Dog Eats a Sausage?
Depending on what type of sausage your puppy eats, there are a few things that could happen. The thing that would be best is if nothing happens. That means the meat was fine, the dog was fine, and it wasn't an obscene amount of sausage in the first place. But if the dog ingests something that has any sort of bacteria or germs that shouldn't be there, then it will make the dog pretty sick.
In most cases, the puppy will experience vomiting and diarrhea. For a puppy, this can become dangerous really quickly. Vomiting and diarrhea makes anybody lose fluids and without being able to replenish the liquids, the puppy will get sicker and need medical intervention to fight the sickness.
Additionally, lasting damage can be done depending on how bad the sickness gets. At some points, it can even cause pancreatitis which is extremely painful for dogs and humans alike. Sausage with spices can be harmful because the red blood cells get attacked by some of the spices and salt, and in excessive amounts can harm puppies. Rather than being used for treats, the sausage will lead to an end result that includes vomiting and overall sickness.
The first thing you'll notice after your dog has ingested sausage and if it's affecting them negatively is that the dog will be in pain. Usually abdominal, though sometimes there will be some muscle inflammation that is also somewhat painful. The dog will be extremely lethargic and will experience vomiting and diarrhea for a period of time, which could be shortened through antibiotics.
Should the Sausage be Cooked?
Cooked sausage is okay for puppies to eat, so long as it doesn't have the spices that might be dangerous to dogs. Some of those dangerous spices are garlic, onion, and salt. These are dangerous for dogs amongst other spices, but these are most common in foods and for puppies to react to. Even if the sausage is cooked, it doesn't change what is in it, specifically what spices are in it. It's much better to give a dog a treat that is designed for a dog's digestive system rather than risk human food.
Cooked sausage usually has more spices and salt than other types of sausage, so it would be better in the long run to just avoid giving the dog any sort of sausage in the first place. There are human-adjacent alternatives to giving the dog a treat.
Raw meat, especially raw sausage can carry E. Coli and numerous other sicknesses, such as salmonella. It can even put puppies at risk for trichinosis, which is a parasitical infection. Most of the spices and salt in the sausage are extremely unhealthy for dogs and when there's that type of risk, it's safer not to give your dog the sausage on account of there being far too much in the sausage that could cause some unpredictable and painful consequences.
Can Dogs Eat Spicy Sausage?
Sausage is generally not good for your puppy to eat. Specifically, flavored sausage is even worse for a puppy because it includes more unknown spices and other ingredients for a puppy to have to process and figure out. Their body will be trying to digest and figure out if their body will handle the food, whereas the puppy would be better off with lean meats and not sausage-related foods. The meat itself should be at least healthier for humans as well and for puppies, it is important to be maintaining all aspects of a diet since a puppy is still growing.
Note: Some spices are toxic for dogs, many of which are mixed into sausages, even if you don't know it!
What To Do if a Puppy Eats a Sausage
If a puppy eats a sausage, especially one that isn't good for it, there are a few things that can be done to help mitigate any negative side effects. First off, you'll have to wait to see what happens with the puppy. If they didn't eat a lot, they might not be affected at all. But, if the puppy ate a lot of the sausage and it was spiced and seasoned, then the best thing to do is to call a vet and see what their advice is for the puppy's health.
If the puppy didn't eat too much then watch and see if it affects them badly. If they start to act lethargic or whine like they're in pain then make a vet appointment, or take them to the emergency animal vet since it could get worse.
What Sausage Can a Puppy Eat?
To be safe, you should get sausage specifically made for dogs. That way you can avoid the unknowns and worries that come with feeding your puppy sausage made for humans. Amazon has a ton of options, including Raw Paws, Spot Farms, and Milo's Kitchen sausage treats. These should be a lot safer for your puppy, but consider waiting until they are bigger before feeding them foods like this. Talk with your vet, and use that advice to guide you on what treats to get! This will be a foolproof way to keep your puppy happy and healthy.
Cindy is a prolific writer and online researcher who can't imagine life without dogs. There is scarcely a dog topic she has not researched or written about. Her love for dogs and helping dog parents is evident by the thousands of dogtemperament.com visitors who read her articles monthly. Most of all, each topic Cindy writes on helps forge a stronger bond and understanding between her and her happy Catahoula Leopard Dog Jossie.