Can the dog eat mayonnaise? Benefits and risks for furs

Among the foods that we give to our animals, sometimes some may seem totally safe, but this is not always the case: can the dog eat mayonnaise? Let’s find out.

We humans love condiments of all kinds, and we have found ways to fit them into almost every meal. For sweet foods, we rely on delicious creams and condiments such as jam, maple syrup or chocolate, every conceivable fruity cream or whipped cream. For salty foods, we have even more room for creativity: we have ketchup, mustard, spicy sauce, guacamole and barbecue sauce. One of the most loved condiments, however, is mayonnaise. We use it in sandwiches, in Russian salad, in tuna eggs, on French fries, and who knows how many other foods. But if for us it can only be a problem for the calories it contains, is it really safe for dogs?

Mayonnaise and dogs

When it comes to highly processed condiments like mayonnaise, we know that we need to keep an eye on the size of our portions, but many of us maybe eat it regularly. However, this is not really healthy food, which would be better to eat in moderation. What about our beloved dogs?

The answer is no, dogs should not eat mayonnaise regularly. Mayonnaise is not technically toxic to dogs – the dog can eat mayonnaise safely if it licks a stain on the floor, for example – but it is extremely unhealthy. Some dogs manage to eat tiny amounts of mayonnaise without suffering obvious negative effects, while others may experience stomach pain or other unpleasant side effects.

Health benefits

No dog, however, should eat mayonnaise regularly. This fat and calorie-rich food can cause serious long-term health problems if we regularly give it to our furry. So if our dog has already had some mayonnaise, we should not take it to the vet, but we should do our best to keep this dressing away from Fido in the future.

It is probably no surprise that mayonnaise does not offer your dog’s health benefits. Like many highly processed seasonings, mayonnaise is little more than a set of empty calories. It is true that the mayonnaise is made up of eggs mixed with oil and seasonings, but most of the brands of mayonnaise on the market are so highly refined that any of the “good things” from eggs and seasonings has now been filtered. It would be much better for our dog to have a small amount of scrambled eggs than to eat mayonnaise.

Commercial mayonnaise does not have a significant amount of any of the important vitamins, minerals or amino acids that our dog needs to stay healthy. Unlike some fatty foods (like coconuts, seafood and avocados), mayonnaise doesn’t even offer good fats for our pet. In practice, even if the dog can eat mayonnaise, he will not get anything that can benefit his body. Mayonnaise is not poisonous, but it does not have nourishment for our four-legged friend, and all that fat can very well make him sick even without being toxic in itself.

Risks to consider

Empty calories are expensive, but they can also be dangerous. To get an idea of ​​the danger of caloric foods on dogs, remember that in the United States, over half of all dogs are overweight or obese. Canine obesity can have a serious negative impact both on the lifespan of our pet and on the quality of his life. Dogs who have excess weight often have difficulty exercising and engaging in physical play, which can cause them to become lethargic and depressed. Obesity can also increase the risk in our pet of developing diseases such as insulin resistance, type two diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, kidney and liver diseases and even some types of cancer. Some studies have found that obesity can reduce our dog’s life expectancy by up to two and a half years!

But mayonnaise can do more than make our dog obese. Because it is extremely rich in unhealthy saturated fats, mayonnaise can contribute to high cholesterol, heart disease and pancreatitis. Feeding the dog with too many fatty foods can cause inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause unpleasant symptoms such as dehydration, abdominal pain and swelling, diarrhea, vomiting, lack of appetite and changes in behavior. In severe cases, pancreatitis can cause cardiac arrhythmias, permanent organ damage and death. Dogs who have had pancreatitis previously should definitely not have mayonnaise.

Even low fat mayonnaise (versions advertised as “light”) is a bad choice for dogs. In addition to being heavily processed and nutritionally empty, the “light” versions of most mayonnaise brands on the market have up to four times more sugar than their fat-rich counterparts.. This can cause blood sugar spikes that can contribute to insulin resistance or diabetes.

In conclusion, even if a speck of mayonnaise will not kill our dog, mayonnaise is not a portion of suitable food for dogs. It is rich in calories and fat, but completely free of important micronutrients that dogs need to live a long and healthy life. To preserve the long-term health of our furry, it is probably best to keep the mayonnaise out of reach.