Can Dogs Eat Goldfish?

In this research you will know the answer to the query “Can Dogs Eat Goldfish?“.

Goldfish crackers are everyones favorite right? Aside from being shaped like a fish these are small crunchy and delicious snacks! Despite the fact that we enjoy eating this salty Goldfish cracker we sometimes feel generous and share it with our dogs. To be sure find out if Goldfish is safe for your furry friends before giving one to them. 

Can dogs eat Goldfish? One or two pieces of Goldfish are fine for dogs but they should not eat Goldfish in large quantities. These crackers contain a lot of salt and fat. There are also seasonings and colors in Goldfish that can be harmful to dogs. For this reason its best not to keep Goldfish around your canine companions.

Can dogs have Goldfish?

Dogs should not be allowed to have Goldfish. Goldfish crackers are a high-calorie snack full of salt and fat so you should keep them away from your pet.

Goldfish are fun snacks for humans to eat. The ingredients in this cheddar snack are healthy for humans but they are not safe for dogs.

Can dogs eat Goldfish Crackers?

Goldfish crackers should not be eaten by dogs as we can see. The cute golden Goldfish Crackers may seem harmless but their size is deceiving. Since these Crackers are very small dogs can consume a lot of them at one time since they’re so small.

Heres what Goldfish Crackers can do to your dogs safety.

Are Goldfish safe for dogs?

Goldfish Crackers might end up in your furry friends mouth if you are not paying attention. It is potentially dangerous especially if you are not aware or are not present.

In the beginning Goldfish Crackers can be choking hazards if you eat a lot of them at once. It is potentially life-threatening if the Goldfish Crackers get stuck in your dogs throat.

The second rule is to make sure there is always a fresh bowl of water on hand in case your pup becomes very thirsty after eating Goldfish Crackers.

Are Goldfish bad for dogs?

Goldfish are bad for dogs if they are regularly consumed. We will discuss the ingredients used to make Goldfish and why they are bad for dogs in detail. 

As of now you’re probably wondering what the harm is in feeding Goldfish to your furry friends since these baked snacks are cute and small. You may wonder “Can dogs eat Goldfish crackers?” or “Can dogs eat Goldfish snacks?” but we recommend that owners keep Goldfish crackers away from their pets. 

It would not hurt to give your pet dog a few Goldfish if you must but do not give them more than that.

We will explore the ingredients in Goldfish to determine why this snack isnot suitable for dogs.

Goldfish Crackers ingredients

Goldfish crackers contain the following ingredients. 

There are several primary ingredients in Goldfish crackers including: 

• Wheat flour with added niacin iron thiamine mononitrate riboflavin and folic acid (flour iron thiamine mononitrate riboflavin folic acid)
• Cheese (cultured milk enzymes salt annatto)
• Oils from vegetables (canola sunflower soybean)
• Salt

The following ingredients are found in less than 2% of each Goldfish cracker:

• Yeast.
• Sugar.
• Autolyzed yeast extract.
• Paprika.
• Spices.
• Celery.
• Onion powder.
• Monocalcium phosphate.
• Baking soda.

If you look at the ingredients in Goldfish crackers you can see that they are made for human consumption. 

Here we will discuss some of the ingredients and how they may potentially affect your pups health in order to understand how some of them can harm them. 

Enriched wheat flour provides no nutritional value to dogs

Goldfish crackers are primarily composed of enriched wheat flour. Despite not being toxic to our furry friends it certainly isnot good for them either. 

In order to be considered enriched wheat flour it must not be 100% whole wheat. Natural nutrients are removed when flour is enriched so manufacturers add back nutrients like niacin folic acid thiamine mononitrate and riboflavin to compensate. 

In addition the highly processed and refined grain only contains simple carbohydrates which means it does not provide any nutritional value for your pooch. When your furry friends consume enriched wheat flour snacks their sugar level spikes briefly making them feel energetic for a short period of time before their energy level drops.

In addition enriched wheat flour is what we call empty carbs. Goldfish crackers have no nutritional value for dogs that consume them. As a result they can gain weight. Continually feeding your pooch Goldfish can result in health issues like obesity and diabetes. 

Last but not least their digestive system does not digest grains well. Canine-friendly food that is easy on their digestive systems should be fed to dogs. 

According to the nutrition label for Goldfish crackers the enriched wheat flour was made from flour niacin reduced iron thiamine mononitrate riboflavin and folic acid. 

The B vitamins include thiamine riboflavin folic acid and niacin. Providing your dog with B vitamins is essential for his health and well-being. 

Your furry friends enzyme function is crucially influenced by niacin and riboflavin. 

Our canine friends benefit from folic acid in the following ways: 

• Dogs are able to stay healthy and active with mitochondrial protein synthesis.
• Dogs have a nucleotide metabolism (which makes DNA and RNA).
• The amino acids in your dogs body build and synthesize protein..

Your pups carbohydrate and energy metabolism are controlled by thiamine. It also opens ion channels in their neural tissue.  

Although these nutrients are safe and beneficial to your dogs its best for them to receive these nutrients through their regular dog food and dog-friendly treats.

Cheddar cheese with annatto vegetable dye is harmful to dogs

Dogs can consume cheddar cheese. It is actually a great source of protein for your four-legged pups who will probably enjoy the strong smell of the cheese as well. 

You can give your dog cheddar cheese because it contains essential nutrients such as vitamin B and calcium.  

If your dog has lactose intolerance cheddar cheese may not agree with their digestive system since it is a dairy product. According to the nutrition facts label on Goldfish crackers cheddar cheese is made from cultured milk salt and enzymes. Check to see if your dog is tolerant of dairy foods before feeding him cheddar cheese. 

In addition the goldfish crackers’ yellow color is a result of a plant dye called annatto. The Washington Post reports that annatto is an artificial coloring that is used to make Goldfish crackers extremely yellow and can cause seizures in some dogs.

Instead of feeding your pup yellow cheese with high salt content you should feed them white cheddar cheese or low-fat mozzarella cheese instead. It is not necessary to feed your pup salted foods. Goldfish can cause dogs to become sodium poisonous if they consume too much of it.

Too much salt can lead to sodium poisoning in dogs

Goldfish crackers contain 250 mg of salt per serving size or 55 pieces. This means that just one piece of Goldfish cracker contains 4.5mg of sodium. The health of your pup can be threatened if he eats too many Goldfish crackers accidentally. 

Goldfish crackers are small so your dog can eat a lot of them at once because they are so small.  

Remember that our furry friends should only get their normal salt intake from their main meals. Every 100g of regular dog food should contain no more than 0.25g to 1.5g of salt. Adding more salt to the food can lead to sodium poisoning. 

Dogs suffering from salt poisoning show the following symptoms: 

• Frequent urination is caused by excessive thirst.
• Facial and body swelling.
• Diarrhea.
• Vomiting.
• Disorientation. 
• Muscle tremors.
• Weakness.
• High temperature. 
• Depression.
• Seizures (in severe cases).

Please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible if you notice any of these symptoms in your dog after eating Goldfish crackers. 

You could give your four-legged friends almost half of their daily salt allowance if you just gave them 27 Goldfish crackers. 

You should not feed your pooch Goldfish crackers because of this reason. You can feed them in moderation some Goldfish if necessary. 

Vegetable oils used to make Goldfish are not healthy for dogs

Goldfish are made from vegetable oils except for sunflower oil which is safe for dogs. Our canine companions benefit greatly from sunflower oil coconut oil fish oil flaxseed oil and olive oil. 

Because canola oil and soybean oil are used its best to avoid giving our pups Goldfish crackers. Dogs with soy allergies may experience major discomfort and even distress after eating food containing soybean oil. 

Even though canola oil is not toxic to dogs its best to give our precious pooch oils that are safe and healthy for them such as those we have mentioned. 

We should supplement our poochs diet with healthy dog foods that are well-balanced and rich in fatty acids. Goldfish crackers especially salty snacks like them do not need to be added to their daily diet because they contain unnecessary or excess oil. 

Onion powder is toxic to dogs

All forms of onions are toxic to dogs whether they are powdered dehydrated cooked fried or raw. Its crucial that pet owners keep their canine companions away from food that contains onion powder or onions. 

Even though onion powder may seem harmless to us it is extremely harmful to dogs. Including the powders juice leaves and flesh of the onion everything about it is toxic to dogs. 

Despite the fact that Goldfish crackers contain 2% or less onion powder its best to keep your dog away from this crunchy snack. The risk of feeding our pets food with onion even a tiny amount of onion powder is not worth the risk as onion is one of the most toxic human foods.  

Red blood cells can be damaged if dogs consume food or snacks containing onion. It is likely that eating too much onion will cause hemolytic anemia in dogs in severe cases. 

Onion toxicity includes the following signs and symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing.
• Vomiting.
• Loss of appetite.
• Weakness.
• Fainting. 
• Lethargy.
• Panting.
• Jaundice.
• Reddish color urine.
• Loss of color in the gums.
• Increase heart rate.
• Death (in severe cases).

Goldfish contains an onion powder that is unfortunately more potent than fresh onions. Despite their powerful noses dogs may be attracted to the smell of Goldfish and may happily chomp down an open bag of Goldfish crackers if their owners are not looking.  

We recommend that you do not feed your furry friends Goldfish crackers because onion powder is an ingredient. Please contact your vet as soon as possible if your dog has eaten Goldfish crackers or is experiencing some of the symptoms listed above. 

Get your pooch to the veterinary hospital for a checkup if your vet recommends it. Several tests including blood work will be performed by your vet to diagnose your pups condition. Your vet will diagnose onion toxicity if a blood smear shows hemolytic anemia or the formation of Heinz bodies. 

Goldfish crackers nutrition

Nutritional Profile of Goldfish crackers (1 serving size 55 pieces 30g)

Name Unit	Amount
Calories cal	140
Total Fat g	5
Saturated Fat g	1
Cholesterol mg	10
Sodium mg	250
Total Carbohydrate g	20
Protein g	3
Calcium mg	40
Iron mg	1.3
Potassium mg	50
Thiamin mg	0.15
Riboflavin mg	0.17
Niacin mg	2.3
Folate mcg	75
Folic acid mcg	45

The serving size of 55 Goldfish crackers has 140 calories 5 grams of fat (1 grams saturated) and 20 grams of carbohydrates. 

There is about 40% fat in 1 serving of Goldfish crackers. If you give your canine friends this crunchy snack they will feel very much like they’re eating raw fat. It should be fine for your pooch to eat a few pieces of the Goldfish cracker but since it is small and looks appealing it would not be surprising if he ate a lot of it when you are not aware. 

Therefore we strongly recommend that you keep the Goldfish packet out of the reach of your furry friend to prevent it from being eaten. This can be placed on top of your refrigerator or inside a closed cabinet. It prevents the Goldfish packet from accidentally spilling. If there is a Goldfish cracker spilled on the floor you know who will eat it.

Take a look at how many calories and fat are in one Goldfish cracker. 

Nutritional Profile of Goldfish crackers (1 piece 0.5g)

Name Unit	Amount
Calories cal	2.5
Total Fat g	0.1
Sodium mg	4.8
Total Carbohydrate g	0.4
Protein g	0.1
Calcium mg	0
Iron mg	0
Potassium mg	1.1

It is unlikely that your furry friends would suffer any harm from just one Goldfish cracker. There are 3 calories 0.1 grams of fat and 0.4 grams of carbohydrates in one serving. 

What if my dog ate Goldfish crackers?

Whenever your pooch eats too many Goldfish crackers provide them with plenty of cool water. You can expect your dogs to become very thirsty after eating a lot of Goldfish crackers. 

It will help to flush out the toxic ingredients from your dogs body if he drinks plenty of water. Watch your pooch carefully and see if any of the symptoms listed above are present. 

Do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian if you are unsure or concerned. You may be asked to get your dog checked out by a vet or given instructions on what you can do to help. 

Treatments if your dog has poisoning from Goldfish crackers

Food poisoning in dogs should be treated as soon as possible. Depending on the type of poisoning or toxicity your canine friends have your veterinarian can offer you a variety of treatment options to stabilize their condition. 

The treatment includes IVs to keep your pups hydrated and flush the toxin from their bloodstream. Vomiting may be induced or your puppys stomach may be flushed to remove toxins. Activated charcoal can also be used by your vet to absorb toxins from your dogs digestive tract.

The vet may have to monitor your dogs body closely and ensure he starts producing red blood cells again while he stays in the veterinary hospital overnight.    

Your vet may need to do a full blood transfusion or oxygen supplementation in some severe cases of poisoning where your dog ate the whole package of Goldfish crackers. If your pooch ate a lot of Goldfish crackers it might not be necessary to do this.  

Healthy alternatives to Goldfish crackers that are dog-friendly and safe

Here are some healthy fruits and vegetables that will provide your pooch with complex carbohydrates vitamins and minerals instead of Goldfish crackers.

Brussel sprouts

Cooked Brussels sprouts have a distinctive aroma that dogs adore. The sprouts are loaded with essential nutrients. If you feed them to your pooch be sure to cook them thoroughly. 

Watermelon

Slice up some cold watermelon on hot summer days. It is a refreshing snack for your four-legged friends and will keep them hydrated and cool. Additionally this fruit is sweet and crunchy making it a favorite snack of dogs. Watermelon is low in calories and high in essential vitamins minerals and antioxidants. 

Oranges

Why not try some real oranges instead of the artificial orange color of the Goldfish cracker? Oranges contain fiber and key vitamins that your dog will benefit from. If your pup is diabetic or overweight do not give it this fruit since it contains sugar. 

Pumpkin

Pumpkins are another fruit that is good for dogs. Their taste and ease of digestion make them a great snack. The minerals vitamins and fiber in them are beneficial to your pooch. Also the pumpkin is good for your pets digestive system. 

So can dogs eat Goldfish?

You should always consider your dogs’ health when deciding what to feed them. It is highly recommended that owners keep salty fat and calorie-filled snacks away from their canine family members. It can lead to many of the health problems we discussed above if you give them these unhealthy snacks. 

Dogs prefer healthy snacks and treat such as dog-friendly fruits and vegetables if they want a snack or treat. Health is happiness for your pet! 

Related Questions

Can dogs eat extra cheddar Goldfish?

Absolutely not. There are more harmful ingredients in Extra cheddar Goldfish than in the original Goldfish crackers such as garlic powder and citric acid. In addition the sodium content of Goldfish Xtra cheddar is higher at 260 mg per serving compared to 250 mg per serving in Goldfish 55 pieces. 

A Goldfish Xtra cheddar piece or two is fine. Please do not give your pup too many extra cheddar Goldfish.

Can dogs eat original Goldfish crackers?

Goldfish crackers should not be fed to dogs in their original form but a few Goldfish crackers should be fine.

Can dogs eat cheddar Goldfish?

It is not recommended that dogs eat cheddar Goldfish. Goldfish crackers are unhealthy for dogs and they also contain ingredients that can harm them. 

Can dogs have flavor-blasted Goldfish?

It is not recommended for dogs to eat flavor-blasted Goldfish. In addition to being harmful to dogs it contains unhealthy ingredients such as dehydrated onions and garlic citric acid and butter oil. Goldfish crackers contain 270 mg of sodium in one serving size or 51 crackers. Goldfish crackers that contain more sodium contain 290 mg of sodium. 

Donot give your dog too many flavor-blasted Goldfish but one or two should be fine. 

It is generally true that the more creative the Goldfish snack the more toxic it is to your canine companions since there are more ingredients that are harmful to them.

If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.

Can Dogs Eat Goldfish? (Watch Video)