Tortillas are a quick and easy snack for humans. Have you ever wondered – can dogs eat tortillas?
This may have occurred to you while eating your delicious and supposedly healthy tortilla roll snack with your pet dog looking up at you with big pleading eyes, hoping that you might consider tossing them a bite or two.
In this article, we will take a look at what ingredients go into making a tortilla, and whether they are safe and healthy for dogs to eat.
We will look at the incidents in which tortillas may be unsafe for dogs to eat, and offer advice as to what to do if your dog eats tortillas accidentally.
In this article, we will discuss the following:
- Are tortillas safe for dogs to eat?
- When are tortillas bad for dogs to eat?
- Are there any health benefits of tortillas for dogs?
- Should you feed tortillas to your dog?
- What to do if your dog eats tortillas
Can dogs eat tortillas?
Yes, dogs can eat tortillas in moderation. Both corn and flour tortillas are unhealthy for your dog. Some dogs have wheat allergies or sensitivities to grains and must be fed a grain-free diet. Monitor your dog’s reaction and if needed, take your dog to the vet.
Related Topic: Can Dogs Eat Hotdogs?
Are Tortillas Safe For Dogs To Eat?
A tortilla is similar to a flatbread but thinner and typically made from wheat or corn. Tortillas are often eaten as wraps with savory fillings and make great snacks or light lunches.
Plain tortillas are not toxic or dangerous for dogs to eat, but this does not mean that they are the healthiest choice of snack or treat for your dog. The traditional simple ingredients of a tortilla are mostly flour or corn, water, fat, and salt.
Commercially made tortillas, however, are not so made, containing extra ingredients, such as baking powder and other chemicals used as preservatives and leavening agents.
When Are Tortillas Bad For Dogs To Eat?
Tortillas are rarely eaten plain or by themselves as a meal or a snack. They are usually eaten as wraps with fillings and spreads.
This means that if you want to share a tortilla snack with your dog, you will probably also be sharing the ingredients that the fillings and spreads in your tortilla wrap are made up of.
Meats and salads may be perfectly healthy and safe to offer to your dog, but we also love to eat our Mexican style tortillas with cheese, chilies, and hot sauce.
Cheese is very unhealthy for dogs due to the high fat and dairy content, which can sometimes result in gastrointestinal upset.
Sandwich wraps made from tortillas often include avocado, and curry-style wraps might even add sultanas, both of which are toxic foods to dogs, even in small amounts.
So the next time you find yourself thinking of offering some of your tortilla wraps to your dog at lunch, don’t forget to take the time to think carefully about the extra ingredients you might also be offering to your dog that are containing inside your tortilla wrap, and ensure that they are safe and healthy for your dog to eat.
Are There Any Health Benefits Of Tortillas For Dogs?
While plain tortillas may seem like a healthier option than many other types of human foods when choosing a snack or treat for your dog, they don’t offer any health benefits for your dog either.
This doesn’t make tortillas a trendy snack or treat for your dog, and if you put some in some extra thought, you could probably come up with a much healthier option that is more suited to your dog’s digestive system.
When you feed your dog treats and snacks throughout the day, you should always be aware of the extra calories being added to your dog’s diet.
If the treats and snacks don’t have any health benefits for your dog, then you may just be adding unnecessary calories on top of their healthy meals, or depriving them of nutrients it you adjust their main diets to account for treats and snacks.
Should You Feed Tortillas To Your Dog?
If you have a dog that begs for food, either when you are in the kitchen preparing it or sitting down at the table to eat, it can be hard to say no or ignore them, because we feel guilty.
Sometimes we may not even be aware that our dog is begging because he is sitting there patiently just looking at us.
Keep in mind that while your dog might seem to get extra excited when you sit down with a tortilla wrap, it is probably more to do with the fact that they have learned that you are likely to share your food with them, then it has to do with the fact that it is a tortilla.
This is because dogs are brilliant and can pick up bad habits very quickly, especially when they have owners that are not careful about maintaining healthy boundaries.
Seeing as it is not necessarily the tortilla that your dog is desperate for, and more likely just food in general because it is available, you can easily switch up the options and offer your dog something healthier or more appropriate. At the same time, you eat your tortilla meal alone.
Can Dogs Eat Tortillas?
Some healthy treats to offer your dog instead of a bite of your tortilla snack could be any fruit or vegetable that is healthy and safe for dogs.
For example, carrots are a great choice as they are crunchy and delicious, and add vitamins and minerals to your dog’s diet. For a sweeter option, why not try your dog with some apple?
Dogs are fast learners, so if you want to, you can probably teach your dog not to expect titbits with a bit of consistency on your part.
To start them off, you can offer them a stuffed Kong with healthy treats or their dog food stuffed inside to keep them distracted from begging you for your food.
What To Do If Your Dog Eats Tortillas
If your dog eats tortillas, there is no need to be worried that they might get sick. Tortillas will not harm your dog.
This may not be true; however, if the content of the tortilla wrap your dog has eaten is unhealthy or toxic for dogs.
Whenever your dog eats something that you are not sure about, and especially if they have eaten it in large quantities, the first thing you should do is call a veterinarian helpline for advice.
Having the packet that the food was in, assuming that your dog hasn’t eaten it, in which case an emergency visit to the vet may be in order, can help you to answer any questions your vet may have when trying to establish the potential risk to your dog and the next course of action.
The ingredients list in particular and the amount of the product that your dog has consumed will both be instrumental pieces of information for your vet. Knowing the age, size, and weight of your dog will also be helpful, and how long ago the food was consumed.
You will most likely be instructed to observe your pet over the following 24 to 48 hours, and keep your vet updated of any of the following symptoms:
- Vomiting & diarrhea
- Lethargy & loss of appetite
- Changes in levels of thirst
- Signs of dehydration
- Signs of an allergic reaction
- Hives or swelling
- Difficulty breathing
- Tremors or seizure
Frequently Asked Questions
Can dogs eat tortillas?
Yes, dogs can eat tortillas in moderation. Both corn and flour tortillas are unhealthy for your dog. Some dogs have wheat allergies or sensitivities to grains and must be fed a grain-free diet. Monitor your dog’s reaction and if needed, take your dog to the vet.
What happens if dogs eat tortillas?
Even though tortillas aren’t dangerous or extremely unhealthy for dogs, they don’t contribute to a healthy, well-balanced diet. Limit tortillas as a treat once in a while.
Are taco shells safe to eat for dogs?
In general, dogs can eat taco shells in moderation. Salt is the main ingredient of concern. Monitor your dog for symptoms of salt poisoning and if you have concerns, take your dog to your local vet.
Can dogs eat corn tortillas?
In moderation should be ok. Corn is difficult for dogs to digest and thought to be the cause of a great many allergy and yeast infection problems.
Summary
Remember that just because a food isn’t toxic for your dog, it isn’t necessarily a reason to include it in their diet, even only as an occasional snack or treat.
Tortillas lack any real nutritional content, and offering them to your dog can quickly become a bad habit. Your dog may then be confused when they are not allowed to have tortillas in the future.
It is best to establish good practices from the start so that your dog only expects and learns to enjoy foods that are healthy for him.
Unfortunately, your dog can’t choose between the fit and the unhealthy foods, so it is your job to look after your dog’s health and diet choices.
