Can Dogs Eat French Fries? Is It Safe?

All dog owners know how tough it can be to resist the ultra-cute puppy eyes they give you when they want some, or all, of the food you happen to be eating. Sure enough, we’re all guilty of giving them some food that is just simply not good for them, or adds no nutritional balance to their diet. French fries may be one of the biggest culprits of this. Being deep-fried, loaded with salts, fats and oils, there is essentially no point in feeding your dog this unhealthy snack.

Why You Should Avoid Feeding Your Dog French Fries

Now, it is worth noting that a very small amount of french fry consumption will likely leave your dog unharmed. Most things are okay in very small amounts. But, consistent consumption can lead to a multitude of health problems. In addition, some dogs are very allergic to potatoes, causing them to throw up immediately after any form of potato is ingested.

A tasty ingredient in french fries that we enjoy as humans is salt. However, salt is essentially one of the worst things you want your dog to consume consistently, as this can lead to salt poisoning and put your dog in a serious situation. Dogs are not used to a high-salt diet, and an over abundance can lead to issues such as dehydration, changes in urination, as well as long term problems like abnormal liver functionality.

French fries are deep-fried, using and absorbing a lot of canola and / or vegetable oil. These oils are very unhealthy for dogs in comparison to fish oil, which french fries are generally not fried with. The use of this oil causes the french fries to be loaded with saturated and trans fats. For any dog, healthy or unhealthy, unnecessary consumption of saturated fats would absolutely never be recommended, and only will cause further health inadequacies for them.

Over time, a diet consisting of a lot of trans and saturated fats for a dog can lead to an inflamed pancreas.

There are essentially no real health benefits to be seen through french fry consumption, whether it be for a dog or human. It is simply a tasty snack and side dish that should be enjoyed by humans and humans only.

Salt Poisoning

If your dog happens to eat a lot of salt from french fries or any other form that it can be consumed through, they may begin to experience varying symptoms that relate to salt

poisoning. These include extreme thirst, nausea, tongue swelling, vomiting, weakness, and other deadly factors such as a coma and convulsions.

If your dog happens to be experiencing any of these symptoms, and you believe the culprit is salt, immediately contact your veterinarian or the closest animal hospital.

There are various ways to treat salt poisoning in dogs, but it is a situation you always want to try your best to avoid putting your dog through.

Saturated Fats vs. Healthy Fats

As mentioned, french fries contain loads of saturated fats through the oil used to cook them. Surprisingly, dogs actually do get a lot of energy from different kinds of fats, even more so than some carbohydrates.

But, the best kind of fat for them would happen to be polyunsaturated fats or dietary fats, not so much saturated fats. Dietary fats provide dogs with the most concentrated source of fat, giving them the most energy possible.

Fats contrived through fish oil, such as Omega-3 fatty acids, are healthy fats for your dog and will give them more energy as well.

Fats contrived through being soaked in oil, A.K.A cooked and saturated fats, provide little energy and nutritional value, and should be avoided in your dog’s diet when possible. Over time, their cholesterol level will rise, and exacerbate their weight gaining process, leading to obesity.

All In All, There’s No Point

As you can see, there is little to no nutritional value to be seen through your dog’s french fry consumption, and will likely only lead to health issues. For this reason, they are better off being left out of their diet, being only left for you to enjoy when you want. There are many other healthy alternate human foods out there to feed your dog, so there is no point in letting them unnecessarily consume the salt, oils and fats that french fries contain.