Can Dogs Eat Jalapenos? Is It Safe?

I love Jalapeños, in small but spicy bite of a jalapeño, you will surprising combination of health and flavor. Once day I was just thinking if these spicy flavorful things can also be added dog food. Can Dogs Eat Jalapenos? Is It Safe? I decided to do a little research and find out.

Jalapeños are unfortunately harmful and generally unhealthy for our dogs. So Jalapenos are not recommended for dogs. Spicy foods, in their entirety, are never really recommended to be included in a dogs diet, and jalapeños are no exception. 

Why Your Dog Should Avoid Jalapeños

As mentioned, jalapeños are actually relatively abundant in vitamins in minerals such as Vitamins A, B, C and K, Folate and Manganese. Containing little to no toxins, they can prove to be beneficial for your own health.

But, these health benefits are pushed to the side when it comes to our dogs digestion of it, due to jalapeños being a spicy food. Spicy foods, digested by your dog, could lead to a multitude of problems.

Your dog’s jalapeño + spicy food consumption can lead to issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, stomach pains and other discomforts.

Spicy foods are not common in dogs diets, and even a slight consumption can lead to digestive distress, not allowing them to properly digest the jalapeño and other foods.

Dogs gastrointestinal processes that lead them to be unable to properly digest jalapeños essentially means that there is no point, in general, of feeding them the food because they will not be able to absorb and realize the health benefits of the vitamins and minerals contained.

There is a chance that your dog may be allergic to jalapeños, which makes the risk of them eating them even greater. Dogs with underlying gastrointestinal issues such as gastritis and ulcers should also steer clear of spicy foods, as it can exacerbate problems.

As there are little to no toxins in jalapeños, the risk of toxin contamination is very low, so if they were to consume jalapeños, there is little risk of long term health issues. The side effects of your dogs spicy food consumption can be short-lived, but uncomfortable for them to say the least.

Our dogs are less sensitive to spicy foods then we are, so if they happen to get into your jalapeños, they may consume an excess amount before they notice something is wrong. Be sure to keep them and other spicy foods far out of reach from your beloved pups!

Maybe Other Peppers?

Jalapeños and spicy foods are a big NO for your dog, but are other peppers and foods alike, such as bell peppers, okay for your dog?

Bell peppers, in served in very small amounts with careful moderation, can work to help improve your dogs health through the contained Vitamins A and C with other minerals. They are not spicy and are able to be processed digestively more efficiently, in comparison to jalapeños and other spicy foods.

What To Do If Your Dog Ate Jalapeños

Like most human foods, a very small amount of jalapeño ingestion will not call for rushing your dog to the vet. Likely, they will experience small side effects such as some of the ones listed above, to different degrees depending on how much they ate. These issues will be short-term and will go away after some time and healthier food consumption.

If you believe your dog ate an excess amount of jalapeños, it would be best to get in contact with your veterinarian immediately, and seek their advice as to what you should do next. An abundance of jalapeño consumption can cause your dog a lot of discomfort, and should be attempted to remedy as soon as possible.

Jalapeños Should Just Be Left Out

In all, jalapeños are simply not worth introducing into your dogs diet. Likely, it will only cause them discomfort, and they will not be able to properly ingest the health benefits jalapeños contain. Spicy foods in their entirety should be left off the menu for your dog, as they only serve to upset their digestive processes and lead to discomfort. Help your dog get the vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats they need through other healthy options out there, especially from their commercial or home-cooked meals.

Sources

Julson, Erica. “7 Surprising Health Benefits of Jalapeños.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 10 Mar. 2018, www.healthline.com/nutrition/jalapeno-health-benefits#nutrition.