Can Dogs Eat Summer Sausage?

The purpose of this research is to explain the “Can Dogs Eat Summer Sausage?“.

Many meat-loving dog owners wonder whether summer sausage is good food for their pets to eat or whether they should avoid it at all costs.

Lastly there are dog owners who ask about this not because they want to feed it to their dog occasionally but because their dog just ate a summer sausage off the kitchen counter in one sitting.

Dogs do not need more than a whiff of sausages and poof to be happy! Now all you have is a broken plate.

In this research we will examine whether a large vets bill will be incurred as well. 

The first thing we need to know is what a summer sausage is.

What are summer sausages?

The summer sausage is a fermented sausage made from a blend of beef and pork meat that is semi-dried losing about 15% of its moisture during the process. There are two types of summer sausage the regular summer sausage made with pork and beef and the beef sausage made with only beef.

Its great quality lies in the fact that summer sausage can remain fresh for a long time without refrigeration if it is not opened. Originally it was prepared during the winter to be eaten during the summer hence its name. 

Summer sausages need not necessarily be refrigerated however. The shelf life of this product is increased by refrigeration since it can be stored for up to 6 months. Once opened it should be consumed within three weeks of purchase.

Is summer sausage a healthy food?

Summer sausage belongs to the junk food category. They are high in fat and contain many additives and preservatives which are detrimental to your dogs health. You should therefore keep its intake to a bare minimum unless you are making it yourself.

Summer sausage contains about 26 grams of sodium per 100 grams. In other words your dog eats about 26% of its body weight in fat for every summer sausage he eats. They have a high sodium content (about 1175mg per 100g) which can also cause kidney and heart cancer in your dog.

Summer sausage also has some protein in it (about 16g) but I’m pretty sure your dog can get by with other treats. Summer sausage has little nutritional value to offer; that is it has too many downsides and not enough upsides to make it a popular dog snack

What are the different ingredients and flavors?

Depending on the preference of the cook beef and pork are ground together to make summer sausages. Then curing salt nitrites garlic or onions and spices are added to the ground meat. Various spices are used but mainly mustard seed nutmeg allspice black pepper white pepper and coriander. Round meat is then fermented until a low PH (of abpH (approximately 4.5) is reached the meat is dried.

Adding these spices to your dogs summer sausage can cause stomach pains diarrhea and gas. If you feed your dog summer sausages imagine the mess you’ll have to deal with; trust me it does not compare to the amount of pain you will cause him by providing spicy foods.

What flavors or ingredients might be poisonous to dogs?

Dogs have a different metabolism than humans. Garlic and onions may be safe for us to eat even medicinal but they are harmful to your dog.

Onions and garlic contain thiosulphate which reduces the ability of your dogs red blood cells to carry oxygen since it attaches itself to the oxygen molecules in the red blood cells. Your dogs body also treats the blood cell as an invader and destroys it in a process called hemolysis causing hemolytic anemia.

Anemia is characterized by reduced appetite fainting panting elevated heart rate weakness jaundice lethargy and reddish urine. As well as gastrointestinal upsets garlic and onions can cause nausea diarrhea abdominal pain and dehydration. 

Although small amounts of garlic and onions may not be significant to your dog it should also be noted that consuming large amounts of harmful bits over the course of a few days may also be harmful to them.

Store-bought summer sausages contain a high level of salt which can also cause mild to severe digestive issues pancreatitis kidney damage and salt poisoning in dogs.

Are our summer sausage casings dangerous for dogs?

You should also consider how safe the casing is for your dog when deciding whether or not to keep giving your dog summer sausages as a treat.

There are three main types of sausage casings. As well as natural casings which are cow and sheep intestines edible but not often used for summer sausages there are collagen casings which are made of beef protein.

Depending on their types they can both be edible and non-edible. Summer sausages are usually encased in fibrous casings which are made from plant cellulose. These casings cannot be eaten.

Your dogs eat everything they can get their mouths on because they do not know the difference between edible and inedible. It is therefore imperative that you dispose of your sausage casings properly and away from your dog. 

If your dog consumes these casings your dog may suffer from indigestion vomiting diarrhea lethargy and inability to poop. My best advice is to visit your local veterinarian as soon as possible if this happens to you.

How should I prepare summer sausage for my dog?

It is not healthy to feed your dogs summer sausage. Still lets say that you want to give them this meal.

I would suggest that you make your own summer sausages as you are in control of the beef the spices and peppers as well as the quality of meat used. Your dogs should be fed onions and spices in moderation and they should be cut into small chunks to avoid choking.

Could small dogs or puppies eat summer sausages?

As summer sausages pose a tremendous choking hazard to small dogs and puppies they should not be fed to them.

In addition the delicate puppies’ tummies would be adversely affected by the rich flavors in the sauce the same way that it poses a significant risk to adult dogs it poses a greater risk to your puppies.

What are the best training treats for dogs?

You have a lot of food in your kitchen which is not harmful to your dogs. These can be used Instead of buying store-bought treats you can use these as training 

Its best to start with small amounts of new treats to see how your dogs respond to them before choosing it as a new threat. 

Among other things safe kitchen foods for your dogs include apples green peas carrots green beans watermelon spinach rice pumpkin cooked sweet potatoes bananas broccoli cooked squash peanut butter strawberries and blueberries.

In addition bananas strawberries and blueberries can be given to your dogs because they contain a lot of nutrients. Nevertheless you should give them in moderation because of their high sugar content.

These foods can be prepared for your dogs at home as treats in the form of treats such as cakes or biscuits. You will appreciate the extra effort your dog will show by eating this treat.

Can dogs eat summer sausage?

After reading this research I’m pretty sure you have a better understanding of whether or not summer sausage is a safe treat for dogs.

To answer the question I would say yes but in tiny chunks and doses. Stay away from it as much as you can.

There is no way for your dog to know how to take care of himself so its up to you to decide whats best for him. 

Next time you eat summer sausages make sure you have a healthy snack by your side. So do not give in to your dogs request for a bite when he wags his tail and asks for one! Lets try something else instead.

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

Can Dogs Eat Summer Sausage? (Watch Video)