Dogs are for sure suckers when it comes to junk foods. As a pet owner, it’s tempting to give your four-legged friend a treat to compensate for the guilt you have for leaving them behind.
Vienna sausage is one tasty sausage dogs love to eat. The moment you introduce the irresistible bite of Vienna sausage, you’ll have a real problem persuading them to eat their food.
Many think Vienna sausage has its origin from Vienna; however, that’s not the case. The sausage was invented by a German butcher from Frankfurt, who had moved to Vienna. The butcher made the sausage using German ingredients and no wonder Vienna people named the sausage Frankfurter.
Vienna sausage, whether made of beef, turkey, pork or chicken is not healthy for your dog. It is made of processed meat, plus contains an unhealthy high quantity of fat & sodium, which is risky to human and dogs.
Still not convinced? Let’s see why this sausage should be off your dog’s menu.
How Dogs Fall in Love with Vienna Sausage
A habit is a disease, which is a hilly task undoing it. Your furry friend will most likely not develop hunger pangs for Vienna sausage alone, but pick from your habits.
According to safety and health magazine, over 37% of Americans regularly eat fast foods. Out of this percentage, some are dog owners who are more likely to pass the habit to their pets.
The habits start by giving your friend a treat because you can’t withstand the kind face it gives you wagging the tail with anticipation. Due to that, your dog begins to snack more following your footsteps. Human bond towards dogs is not comparable with any other pet.
As the bond progresses, the dog is involved in many of your daily habits. Dog Vet, Dr. Ernie Ward has said that as human go for a treat of fast foods (e.g chips/ Sausages) they are compelled to extend the treat to dogs. Now, you can imagine if this habit happens so often.
The Mintel site shows that 51% of pet parents would rather cut on personal items in order to lavish dogs. The interviewed pet parents said that they treat dogs with goodies as a way to reciprocate their love for them.
You know, the way to a dogs heart is through food, therefore, a quick fix of Vienna sausage you may consider it justice for your absence probably while at work. And that action is seemingly genuine, but can easily lead to addiction.
Feeding your dog from table scraps and human food is unacceptable. You may not see it as harmful giving your dog Vienna sausage from time to time since they don’t exhibit external signs immediately.
Now if you are confused about switching your dog to raw food in general, we created a comprehensive guide to raw food which covers:
- The best method to switch depending on your dog’s age, health and prior exposure to raw food
- The best methods to switch your dog to raw food
- Example recipes and preparation instructions
You can access the Complete Guide To Switch Your Dog To A Raw Diet eBook here or click on the image below:
Vienna Sausage is Unhealthy for Your Dog
Your dog health is no different from yours. So, make sure what you feed your furry friend is healthy and meant for dogs only. From a nutrition point of view, Vienna sausage has zero value to your body and so it to your dog.
In fact, in the sausage family, VS is the worst to adding calories as it’s dangerously packed with fat (over 80%) and high-level of sodium.
According to my food diary, it shows that Vienna sausage has 82.2% of fat, 2.9% of carbs, and 14.9% of protein. Unless eating the sausage for gustatory effect, it has no nutritional benefit to your pet. Its better you figure out another way to shower your dog with love rather than killing it slowly inside with killer meat disguised as sausage.
Probably, your focus is on whether the consumption could have an immediate toxic effect to the dog, but Vienna sausage does not show the ugly side instantly. It takes time and at that time the situation could be irreversible.
In May 2019, CNN reported that Vienna beef hot dogs were recalled from foodservice locations across the US after it was discovered they contained metal fragments.
So, what does this tell you as a dog owner? There is a reasonable probability giving your dog Vienna sausage can cause serious health consequence or even death. Dogs don’t mind eating whatever you give them including those things that are harmful. Maybe is because they trust you.
Dogs by nature have numerous cells that function full time to smell any type of danger. But it’s funny those cells do not warn them what kind of food is dangerous to eat.
Vienna sausage is made of high level processed meat. Further, it is salted, smoked, cured, dried, canned and preserved. Various studies have shown that, intake of processed meat contributes to a higher rate of heart disease, some cases of cancer, and diabetes.
This tells you, if your dog is snacking just like the human does, there is a high likelihood of inheriting sicknesses the same, accelerated by processed meat.
Fat, excess salt, spices, and preservatives in Vienna sausage are the one to blame for effects that follow after.
How Vienna sausage Affects Your Dog
For many years, dogs and humans have been companions. However, this companionship does not mean your canine friend can eat and digest food the same way as you do. Learning about your dog digestive system and how it works, can help you to provide him with the diet that matter.
About 70% of your dog’s digestive system is connected with the gut. Dogs can eat anything you give them, but that doesn’t mean it is helpful. Most diseases you see dogs suffer from are associated with the food they eat.
Who is to blame? Lack of information is the cause of many dogs getting sick or dying in the hands of people who should be taking care of them. According to daily mail, third of pet owners do not understand the type of diet in the pet food.
On the other hand, two out of five pet owners are clueless about what’s the best diet and not aware of the one available.
Dogs love eating table craps, whether the Vienna sausages are leftovers or full pieces never underestimate the calories hiding in them. Your kindness for your furry friend is speedily taking him to the grave. Just avoid the mournful voice and the pity face he gives you while on the dinner table, that way his precious life will be saved.
The main reason Vienna sausage is not recommended for a dog is because of spices and high concentration of sodium content. Sodium can introduce health problems to dogs such as kidney problem, heart issues, weight increase and more.
The way human digest food is not the same as for dogs. When your dog consumes Vienna sausage, he may experience bloating which is a serious condition due to the presence of high content of salt. To the human, bloating is normal as the digestive system is more stable than that of dogs.
Vienna sausage brings about dehydration to dogs, which is a life-threatening. Presence of sodium causes stomach upset during the digestion process and sometimes you may see your dog diarrhea or vomit. When you spot such instances, ensure it consumes a lot of water to neutralize the sodium concentration.
Some Vienna sausage contains garlic powder, a very toxic substance to your dog digestive system. If he consumes plenty of them, alert Vet immediately as garlic is risky to his life.
Vienna sausage could also lead your dog to develop a very serious condition known as pancreatitis. The high percentage of fat in the sausage is the cause and it doesn’t matter your dog consumed for a long period or short period. The effect is almost immediate, for dogs system is very poor at controlling excess fat. Not so much different with human, just that dog cases are almost instant.
One bite of Vienna sausage can create an addiction to your dog. Therefore, avoid leaving them unattended after you are done with your meal. Discipline is the only way you can fight the addiction of your dog has for Vienna sausage.
Sausages are not advisable to give your dog, how about Vienna sausage which is considered the worst when it comes to health matters. Not only is Vienna sausage unhealthy, but it also shortens the lifespan of your dog.
Alternative Food for Your Dog over Vienna sausage
The longevity of your four-legged friend is determined by the discipline you adopt in giving him healthy food. The struggle normally comes where you refuse to accept your dog is part of you, but of different family species. Friends have their friends back, but when it comes to food, that’s different. Dog’s body responds positively to carnivore food.
Not giving your dog Vienna sausage treat to bribe him especially if you are feeling compelled to make it up, can be tricky at first. It is all about habit where with time he will get used, also prioritizing health for his sake doesn’t hurt that much.
If you have no idea what a healthy diet might be fine for your dog, consult your Vet. Dogs are carnivores, but there are omnivorous foods you can introduce in their diet. However, doing it from a professional point of view is the only way so as to prevent exposing your dog to more danger than a Vienna sausage would.
Shifting from Vienna sausage to a proper meal of your dog can be a daunting experience. Raw diets work perfectly for dogs, but under the guidance of a Vet as some of them are not appropriately balanced to meet expected health conditions.
When choosing a dog’s meat, take human-grade as pet meat has preservatives not good for his health. Below are some of the human foods that you can combine with dog’s food.
- Eggs
- Popcorn (without added ingredients)
- Pineapple (for vitamin, fiber, and minerals in small amounts)
- Watermelon (contains vitamin A & C)
- Bread (with no added ingredients)
- Corn (Moderate)
- Green peas (Don’t give canned ones as they contain salt)
- Broccoli (Give moderate)
- Chicken (Avoid giving your dog while raw)
- Sweet potato (small amounts)
- Pork meat (cooked meat is good with no additives)
- Milk (limit how much you give)
- Beef (lean meat is safe while plain)
The list is endless to what you can add human food to a dogs diet. But to reiterate, always follow Vet diet to feed your dog. When you start the new diet, observe how your dog suddenly drops weight for cutting Vienna sausage. Intake of Vienna sausage adds unnecessary weight to your dog, which is a gateway to diseases.
Dogs are said to have the same digestive system as that of a wolf. So, for good health, happiness, and long life feed your dog a raw diet. Over 70% of the dog’s food should be raw. Pet food manufacturers Association recently produced a report showing that over 40% of dogs in the UK alone are obese.
The leading cause of obesity in dogs is the consumption of processed food such as Vienna sausage. On the other hand, the majority of dog food manufacturers are producing processed food. Now you can see your dog digestive system is not different from that of yours.
Junk food is bad for human and for dogs as well. Bigger percentage of junk food is processed food, which is a leading cause of terminal illnesses to your companion.
Conclusion
Would the only treatment that your dog love be Vienna sausage? You can throw broccoli and other veggies and still be the best of buddies.
If your new trick fails, you can sprinkle the raw vegetables with meat on top and see how your buddy responds. For Vienna sausage, has no nutritional value, so, avoid feed them intentionally. Your dog may wear gloomy face for seeing you change treat agreement, but doing that is showing love.
It may hurt you betraying your four-legged friends, nevertheless, tough love call for tough measures. You can search for an alternative treatment to give your dog that is beneficial. Check the nutrients first and then let it be something to satisfy the cravings.
Avoid goodies that are packed with salt or sugar. Otherwise, they make no difference with the Vienna sausage you are trying to get rid of.
