Can Dogs Eat Teriyaki? | Is it Safe for your Dog?

Isn’t The teriyaki style of cooking superbly delicious?

Japanese cuisine refers to a technique wherein the food items are grilled or broiled and glazed with soy sauce, sugar, and mirin.

Humans love to have teriyaki sauce to marinate meats and as a dipping sauce with wings, dumplings, steak, etc. Even the thought of consuming teriyaki chicken or teriyaki beef makes one salivate.

However, while we enjoy teriyaki-based items, have you considered how safe they are for your furry little dog? What do you do when digging into a piece of teriyaki chicken and your puppy looks at you innocently, hoping to be fed some as well? Is it wise to give them a bite?

Luckily, I’m here to answer your question, “Can dogs eat teriyaki?”. In this article, I will be elaborating on the benefits and potential risks associated with teriyaki food for dogs, how they can consume them, and so on.

Is Teriyaki Safe for Dogs?

Teriyaki is unsafe for dogs, be it teriyaki sauce, chicken, or beef jerky. The ingredients in teriyaki sauce are incredibly harmful to dogs, which we will also get into in this article.

The elements in teriyaki sauce, such as onion, garlic, salt, sugar, and xylitol, can be very toxic to your dog’s health. Teriyaki sauce tastes sweet and delicious, but you can only feed it to your dog if you create a mock teriyaki sauce for your puppy.

To prepare a mock teriyaki sauce for your doggo, here are the things you will need:

Six tablespoons of liquid aminos: Liquid aminos are concentrated amino acids or proteins in their most basic form. They serve as a healthier substitute for soy sauce. Liquid aminos can be helpful to dogs as they help maintain their immune system. The best kind to go for in this case is coconut aminos.
Two tablespoons of honey: Use honey instead of sugar to create your homemade mock teriyaki sauce. It is a much safer dog alternative filled with vitamins and minerals.
Two tablespoons of rice wine vinegar: Adding rice water vinegar to the mix will make the sauce more delicious for your little doggo. It is because of the detoxifying qualities of rice water vinegar. When the other ingredients dilute the rice water vinegar in the concoction, it can clean a dog’s internal organs.
One teaspoon of arrowroot starch: Arrowroot starch helps thicken the sauce and helps relieve cases of constipation, diarrhea, and an upset stomach in dogs. This powder is free of grains and gluten and contains minerals and vitamins beneficial to dogs.
One tablespoon of toasted sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil can be consumed by dogs since it has a high amount of essential fatty acids. It aids in boosting the immunity of dogs, keeps their skin healthy, and improves their heart health.
Half of a teaspoon of ground ginger: When consumed in small quantities, ginger can be safe for dogs. Since ground ginger contains antioxidants, it can help promote blood circulation and treat gastrointestinal issues.

Once the ingredients are ready, mix them in a bowl with one tablespoon of water and heat the mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds. Drizzle the sauce over cooked beef or chicken, and let your dog enjoy this delicious meal.

Even though the alternative ingredients are safer for dogs, remember that they should only be fed to them in moderation and not too often.

Does Teriyaki Have any Health Benefits for Dogs?

Not being a staple food, Teriyaki doesn’t have much health benefits for dogs. However, while chicken or beef alone can prove healthy for dogs in various ways, they lose all their goodness when served in a teriyaki form.

What are the Potential Risks of Feeding Teriyaki to Dogs?

There are way too many health risks associated with feeding teriyaki to dogs, and these risks are because of the ingredients that go into making the teriyaki sauce. Here are the elements in teriyaki food items that make them unsuitable and potentially harmful for dogs:

1. Soy Sauce

Soy sauce forms the primary ingredient in teriyaki cuisine, and the soy present in soy sauce is not ideal for dogs at all. Although it is safe when consumed in moderation, some dogs are also allergic to soy, so teriyaki sauce becomes even more harmful.

One tablespoon of soy sauce contains about 900 milligrams of sodium. When there’s such a high content of sodium present in a dog’s meal, it can be dangerous for canines and also cause sodium poisoning.

Soy sauce also contains a high amount of amines, mainly histamine, and tyramine. When the level of amines is so elevated, it can be detrimental to dogs, often leading to food poisoning.

2. Onion

Onions contain an element known as N-propyl disulfide, which is toxic to dogs. It damages the red blood cells in a dog’s body by attaching itself to the oxygen molecules in those very cells.

As a result of this, the capacity of the red blood cells to carry oxygen gets affected, making the red blood cell membrane fragile. It can also lead to hemolytic anemia in dogs.

3. Garlic

Since garlic and onion are both members of the Allium family, the reasons why garlic is risky for dogs are similar to the ones related to onions. Garlic also causes gastrointestinal irritation in dogs, leading to diarrhea and vomiting.

If your dog injects garlic in high doses, it can be toxic to their blood, causing particular damage to their red blood cells. Even if your dog eats two grams per pound of their body weight, there can be significant changes in your dog’s tummy.

Studies have proven that 15 to 30 grams of garlic per kilogram of body weight can substantially change a dog’s blood. It’s also vital to remember that some dogs are more susceptible to garlic toxicity than others, so it’s best to keep them away.

4. Xylitol

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in some plants and is often used as a sweetener or a sugar substitute in sugar-free candies and drinks.

If a dog eats anything that contains xylitol, it quickly gets absorbed into the bloodstream, causing a solid insulin release from the pancreas.

Since the release occurs rapidly, it decreases the dog’s blood sugar levels substantially within 10 minutes to an hour after consuming it. When this condition is left untreated, hypoglycemia can threaten a dog’s life. Additionally, xylitol can cause liver failure in dogs.

The xylitol poisoning symptoms to look for in dogs include vomiting, weakness, lethargy, depression, seizures or tremors, lack of coordination, and loss of balance.

5. Sugar

Although sugar doesn’t cause harm to dogs if consumed in moderation, it can lead to long-term effects when eaten often. Not only can it cause dental problems and diabetes in dogs, but it can also eventually lead to obesity and heart disease.

Sugar can trigger stomach issues for your furry companions, such as bloating, vomiting, indigestion, and diarrhea.

6. Salt

The sodium content in teriyaki cuisine is very high, which can lead to hypertension and salt poisoning in dogs.

If your dog has consumed too much salt, the symptoms of sodium poisoning to watch out for are seizures, dehydration, confusion, lethargy, weakness, decreased appetite, increased heart rate, and muscle tremors.

How to Serve Teriyaki to Your Dog?

As mentioned above, dogs should not be fed teriyaki in any form. The only way they can get even minutely close to its taste is if you concoct a homemade mock teriyaki sauce and provide it to them very rarely.

Unless the teriyaki sauce contains xylitol, feeding a small amount of it won’t harm your dog. However, it has no benefits whatsoever and can, in turn, be aggravating to at-risk dogs.

In case your dog accidentally consumes a few drops, there is no immediate need to take them to a hospital.

It is because a tiny amount of teriyaki sauce is more or less okay unless you have a really small dog, such as a chihuahua, or your pet has other health problems that could worsen because of the ingredients present in teriyaki sauce.

However, if the sauce has xylitol or your dog ends up having a lot of it, contact your vet immediately and ask them what to do next. They might ask you to look for signs of toxicity or bring them straight in if the symptoms of toxicity are already showing up.

What Type of Teriyaki Can Dogs Eat?

Dogs shouldn’t be eating teriyaki since the base ingredients that go into making the teriyaki sauce can harm a dog’s system in different ways. Instead, there are many healthier alternatives you can resort to that are both delicious and nutritious.

Instead of teriyaki chicken or beef, you can give them grilled beef or chicken that doesn’t contain marinades or seasonings. Not only are these rich in protein, but they will also suit your dog’s sensitive tummy.

Steamed or raw vegetables are nutritious for dogs, such as cucumber, green beans, carrots, or zucchini. Instead of the heaviness brought about by teriyaki sauce, you can feed your dog small amounts of rice since it’s a rich source of carbohydrates.

FAQ’s

Conclusion

As pet owners, we must always be cautious about what we feed our adorable furry friends. A dog’s tummy cannot digest or tolerate everything, and providing something irritating to their system, even in a small manner, can lead to more immense consequences.

Something like teriyaki sauce or chicken can only do more harm than good. Therefore, it’s best to keep your dog away from these and instead choose healthier alternatives.

Also, always consult your vet before introducing your dog to any new kind of food so that they can provide their expert opinion and let you know whether it’s suitable for your dog in terms of age, breed, health condition, etc.

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