Pasta is one of the most widespread and appreciated foods in the world. It is also common that, when preparing it, we do not always calculate the quantities well and prepare too much. What can we do then? If you have a four-legged friend at home, surely you have wondered if it is bad to give pasta to dogs. The temptation to offer our dog a plate of pasta is there.
In this article we will talk about pasta for dogs, if they digest it easily or not, if they could be part of their regular diet or if they can eat some of the foods that accompany it. You want to know more? Find out on our site if dogs can eat pasta All the details below:
Is it bad to feed dogs pasta?
Apart from those dogs that have food intolerances or allergies, the truth is that pasta is a food that is not toxic for dogs, most of them can eat pasta without any problem. However, in order to be able to offer it to you without any risk, you must pay attention to some details.
If we analyze the composition of the pasta, we can see that it is a product made from flour, water and, in some cases, egg. That means that at a nutritional level, pasta contains a large amount of carbohydrates.
The Nutritional Requirements of Dogs [1] are They focus on the consumption of protein, fats, minerals, vitamins and other elements in a smaller proportion. Therefore, an optimal diet for a dog should not include carbohydrates as the main energy source. Let us remember that although the dog is considered an omnivorous animal, its main source of food must be protein.
A dog can eat pasta, yes, as long as it is a specific recipe, we should never base its diet on consumption of this type of food since we could cause nutritional deficiencies.
Also remember that it is not recommended to mix pasta with industrial foods, since the digestion processes are different and this generates an accumulation gas and can even cause intestinal problems. If you want to offer your dog pasta, we recommend that you also add a source of protein and fat, for example through meat or fish.
Does the same thing happen with rice and bread?
Currently we can find on the market "broken rice for dogs", is it a recommended food? And the bread? The truth is that both rice and bread contain a high amount of carbohydrates, foods that could be consumed on an occasional basis but should not be part of the dog's daily diet. As in the previous case, we recommend moderating its consumption and offering it only at specific times.
How to make dog food with pasta?
If you find yourself facing an emergency and you don't have his usual food, you may be wondering how to prepare food for your dog using pasta. We recommend you check the packaging beforehand to study its composition, as well as the instructions for its preparation. If possible, we recommend choosing those pasta packages that contain some of the following flours and cereals, since they are more suitable and digestible for the dog's stomach:
- Rice flour
- Wholemeal flour
- Oatmeal
- Barley
- Linen
Remember that pasta should not be the basis of the dog's diet, therefore, make sure to complete the intake with other foods, such as meat, fish or eggYou can also add some vegetables to a lesser extent. Of course, completely avoid s alt and reject any of the foods prohibited for dogs according to scientific studies, since you could intoxicate him.
After feeding him with paste it may be interesting to clean the dog's teeth or offer him some type of dental snack, since the dough has a texture that tends to stick to the teeth, thus favoring the appearance of tartar.
Symptoms of poor digestion in dogs
It may happen that, after offering your dog pasta, he begins to display abnormal symptoms. This could be an indicator that the dog has some type of allergy or intolerance to the composition of the food you have offered.
Some of the symptoms of poor digestion in dogs can be:
- Diarrhea
- Excessive flatulence
- Vomiting
- Digestive problems
- Swelling
- Discomfort
These symptoms may be more evident if we have decided to add some type of sauce to the pasta, such as pesto sauce. It is important to avoid this type of accompaniment, since they may contain some toxic foods, as is the case with onion For this reason, offering human leftovers to the dog is not recommendable.
Apart from digestion problems, pasta is a food rich in energy that, if not burned, can easily turn into fat, predisposing the animal to overweight or obesity Below we will show you some breeds with a tendency to obesity that should not include pasta in their diet on a regular basis.
Breeds that should avoid carbohydrates
As we just mentioned, there are some breeds with a predisposition to obesity that should avoid consuming foods such as pasta or rice on a regular basis. We also include their crossings:
- Labrador
- Pug
- Basset hound
- Dachshund
- Beagle
- Rough Collie
- English bulldog
- Boxer
We could also include in this category elderly dogs, dogs sterilized, dogs with sedentary habits and brachycephalic dogs. In addition, we want to remind you of the importance of preventing obesity in dogs, a factor that can predispose the animal to suffer various he alth problems and being the main cause of some non-hereditary diseases, such as arthritis or hip dysplasia.
Daily amount of homemade dog food with pasta
Making homemade recipes to feed a dog is an excellent decision, but it should besupervised by a veterinarian with the aim of avoiding nutritional deficiencies. The specialist will help you determine the amount of daily kilocalories necessary for the dog based on his age, weight or lifestyle, therefore, there is no fixed amount that we can recommend.
If you want to offer your dog pasta on a timely basis, you won't need to strictly calculate the food portions, on the contrary, if your goal is to cook them indefinitely, you will need to do the math to ensure you meet their nutritional needs.
