Can Dogs Eat Hummus?

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

Many people enjoy the classic middle eastern dip hummus as a healthy snack. While preparing your own plate you may have wondered if dogs can eat hummus. I will tell you whether or not your dog can consume hummus.

What is Hummus and what is Hummus made of?

In addition to being a dip hummus can also be used as a spread. The Arabic word for chickpeas is hummus. The dish is typically served in Egypt Turkey and nearby countries. 

Hummus has a history that dates back to the 13th century. The inventor of Hummus is still unknown! In Cairo cookbooks you can find recipes that resemble Hummus.

Histories show that it is primarily used in countries of the Middle East including Greece. Hummus is commonly eaten in Egypt with a special type of pita bread. It is usually eaten as an appetizer for example:

• Dip with crackers.
• Spread on the bread.
• Combine with carrot sticks or potatoes.
• Used as a salad dressing.
• Season with vegetables.
• Bean dip.
• In burgers to make them juicy and tasty.

Hummus is made from chickpeas garlic lemon juice onion sesame seeds olive oil and salt. All the ingredients are blended until they form a smooth paste-like texture and then topped with sesame seeds. Additionally sesame seeds are used to blend all ingredients to make them taste rich.

Can Dogs Eat Hummus?

Hummus should not be given to dogs unless it is plain. Hummus sold in the grocery store often has additional ingredients such as garlic onion and lemon juice. Dogs are actually poisoned by those ingredients.

Check the ingredients on hummus labels before buying it. If it is plain hummus made only with chickpeas and tahini it is essentially safe for your dog to eat in small amounts. It is always possible to make your own hummus if you are having difficulty finding plain hummus.

Why Is Hummus Bad for Dogs?

It is unfortunately not safe to feed dogs hummus because there are other ingredients in it that are not safe. In small quantities dogs can eat chickpeas and tahini but garlic and lemon juice are toxic.

What Happens If a Dog Eats Hummus?

If your dog ate a different type of hummus the answer to this will differ. What kind of hummus did your dog eat? Did you feed him plain hummus from the grocery store? What kind of hummus has he eaten?

Homemade

As long as you are aware of the harmful ingredients that your dog cannot consume and you make hummus at home then your dog will be fine with plain chickpea hummus.

You do not need to worry about any toxic ingredients when making homemade hummus. The only thing you should watch out for is allergic reactions when giving your dog homemade hummus for the first time.

Store-Bought Plain Hummus

Typically store-bought hummus is not plain since it contains four main ingredients: chickpeas tahini lemon juice and garlic either fresh or ground.

If your dog ingests store-bought hummus containing the following ingredients what will happen?

• Garlic is extremely toxic to dogs because it contains thiosulfate which damages red blood cells.
• You can give your dog anemia if he eats even a small amount of garlic.
• Lemons can be very toxic to dogs because of the psoralen and aromatic oils they contain.
• As you may already know Lemons are very acidic which can also cause upset stomachs in dogs if eaten in large quantities.

Flavored Hummus

There is a wide variety of different flavored hummuses available today. Hummus is available in flavors such as roasted red pepper garlic pine nut and even chocolate.

As all the flavored hummus varieties contain the same ingredients that are not good for your dogs already they are not good for them either. This formula is then combined with other things that are probably not good for your dog.

Is it okay for dogs to eat hummus and chocolate? Definitely not. Do not feed them chocolate hummus. Chocolate as you know is extremely toxic to dogs and the same goes for chocolate-based hummus.

Can Dogs Eat Plain Hummus?

Dogs can consume plain hummus as long as no harmful spices or lemon juices are added to the ingredient list. Give your dog plain hummus in moderation if you do give it plain hummus.

You should follow the 90/10 rule when feeding dogs human food which is to give your dog 90% of its nutrition from his or her dog food whether its commercial or homemade.

You can use the other 10% of your dogs’ diet for dog treats and other human’ treats that are completely safe for your pet. Some good examples are human foods like:

• The sprouts of Brussels
• Plums
• Rice

It is possible to mix your dogs food with a small amount of plain hummus. This will also give your dog a new taste profile. Whether he likes it or not will really depend on him.

Can Dogs Eat Roasted Red Pepper Hummus?

Red pepper hummus cannot be digested by your dog. There are many people who think red pepper hummus is just hummus with red bell peppers in it but that isnot true.

Many companies that make roasted red pepper hummus also add other spicy peppers such as jalapenos. Although technically your dog could eat a jalapeno the spicy content can upset his stomach.

It is common for companies making roasted red pepper hummus to add other ingredients such as garlic lemon juice sumac and other spices.

Can Dogs Eat Baba Ganoush?

Baba ganoush can be eaten by dogs. In case you have never had baba ganoush it is very similar to hummus but instead of chickpeas it uses eggplant. Afterward the eggplant is mashed into a sauce with olive oil lemon juice and seasonings.

The store-bought version of baba ganoush will likely contain ingredients that are not safe for your dog. If you’re able to make this delicious creation at home you can leave out the spices and lemon and feed your dog plain baba ganoush which is completely safe.

How to Make Dog Safe Hummus?

A lot of plain hummus products at the grocery store still have too many added ingredients. If you make your own plain hummus at home you can leave out some of those ingredients so that your dog can also enjoy this snack.

You can use dried chickpeas that you have cooked or you can use canned chickpeas. Use canned chickpeas after giving them a good rinse and draining the excess water.

The chickpea mixture can be flavored with carrot shreds or finely diced carrots. You can also blend the chickpea mixture in a food processor with some tahini. Make sure you do not add any spices to the food you share with your dog.

Simply remove the desired amount for your dog then add whatever seasonings you like.

Hummus Alternatives for Dogs

In the event you enjoy some hummus with chips or veggies and feel bad that you can not share it with your dog then I recommend you find an alternative for them.

In small amounts your dog can safely consume fruit and vegetables. You can snack on chips and hummus while your dog eats something healthier and safer.

Chickpeas can be safely given to your dog if you want your dog to have a similar taste to hummus.

It is not toxic for dogs to eat chickpeas. You should prepare them yourself and rinse them when they come out of the can because they have extra salt on them.

When shouldn’t you feed Hummus to your dog?

Hummus should not be fed to dogs. Then go ahead and make Hummus without the onion lemon or garlic if you still think that Hummus is his favorite food. This way he will be able to eat Hummus.

If you are making Hummus for your dog from scratch avoid using canned chickpeas since they contain preservatives that are bad for his stomach and digestive system.

Treatments if your dog has Hummus poisoning

You should see your veterinarian as soon as possible if your pet ate a lot of Hummus. During the physical examination the vet will check your dogs blood pressure and do some lab tests. If your dog has a medical history the vet may ask about its diet and health history. Your dog will undergo several tests to determine the level of toxicity in his body.

To treat Hummus poisoning you must flush your dogs body with the toxic substances. If your dog recently consumed Hummus the vet may activate charcoal to make him vomit. By doing so the digestive system will no longer be poisoned.

To remove all of the toxicity caused by eating Hummus the dogs digestive system will be flushed with a saline solution if this method does not work. 

Conclusion

I recommend making your own version of hummus that is safe for your pet if you enjoy hummus and get dog owner guilt from eating it in front of your dog. Regular hummus is totally safe for dogs to eat.

Hummus can be eaten by dogs in small amounts when it is plain and in small amounts. Has your dog ever eaten hummus mixed with dog food? Share your experience!

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

Can Dogs Eat Hummus? (Watch Video)