Are Jalapenos Bad for Dogs – Facts that You Should Know (#7 will Surprise You)
At First Glance
Every once in a while we like to savour the exotic flavors of spicy food. Thanks to the popularity of the Tex-Mex cuisine, we get a lot of options when it comes to spicy foods. Now, one of the key ingredients of such food is Jalapenos. These chili peppers are like little balls of fire! I don’t know about you but I am great fan of Jalapenos.
I see a lot of dog owners feeding to their dogs whatever they eat, even Jalapenos. But the question is – Are Jalapenos Bad for Dogs? In the following post, we are going to look at some of the facts that you should know about Jalapenos and dogs
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Facts That You Should Know
#1. Jalapenos are Not Toxic for Your Dog
There are some people who think that Jalapenos are toxic for their dogs, just like chocolates. While it is true that there are some things that are safe for us but toxic for our pet, but Jalapenos are not one of them.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) states that Jalapenos are toxic for horses and certain other animals but they are not particularly toxic for dogs. This means that even if your dog eats some Jalapenos, it might not cause serious health issues.
#2. Jalapenos are Not Good for Your Dog, Either
Just because Jalapenos are not toxic for your dogs, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are good for your dogs. They might irritate your dog and cause him to vomit or face an acute case of diarrhea.
In fact, your dog might experience the same things that you might experience when you ingest jalapeno peppers yourself. Your dog would get irritated and might vomit the pepper out almost immediately after eating the pepper. He might even face problems with his stomach.
You can check out this video to get an idea about how your dog might behave after eating Jalapeno peppers.
#3. Jalapenos Contains Capsaicin
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, Jalapeno peppers when mature, consists of a chemical substance called Capsaicin, which is a type of apsaicinoids. The leaves of the Jalapeno plants contains solanine and scopoletin.
These chemical compounds cause serious effects on the gastrointestinal tract of the dog. This is the reason why Jalapenos can cause stomach problems to your dog.
However, it should be pointed out that none of the chemical substances cause severe health problems. Once the substance is passed out, either through vomit or faeces, your dog probably wouldn’t face any problems.
#4. Excess of Jalapenos are Toxic
While small amounts of Jalapenos or any other type of chilli peppers might not be toxic to your dog, an excessive amount of Jalapenos might be toxic. This is because the body of the dog would be unable to flush out the harmful substance readily and some of the substance might stay inside the body of the dog for a longer duration of time. That might give rise to serious health problems.
In fact, jalapeno peppers in large quantities is harmful for you as well. It might cause all sorts of issues with your stomach and in worst case scenario, you might have to deal with stomach inflammation. Therefore, it is recommended that both you and your dog stay away from the excessive amounts of jalapenos and similar spicy foods.
#5. Dogs would Eat Grass to Soothe Their Stomach
Sometimes, you might see that your dog might vomit a little and then run to the backyard to graze on the grass. You might worry about it, thinking that only cows graze on grass. My dogs do it too and let me tell you, that there is nothing to worry about it.
Grass is not a part of regular diet of your dog. However, dogs sometimes eat grass when their stomach is upset. Grass helps them to soothe their stomach. So, eating grass after eating Jalapenos or other such spicy stuff, is perfectly normal for your dog.
#6. Jalapenos Can Cause Cardiovascular Diseases
Jalapenos are known to cause Cardiovascular Diseases in human beings. However, studies show that Jalapenos can cause cardiovascular diseases to your dog as well.
Scientific studies show that the Capsaicin in the Jalapenos might cause severe cardiovascular diseases if they are taken in large amounts. Capsaicin also increases the risk of hypertension in your dog and that might cause it to be agitated.
#7. The Leaves of Jalapenos are bad as well
It is not only the peppers that are bad for the dog, but the leaves of the Jalapeno plant are bad for your dog as well. So, if you have Jalapenos growing in your garden, then you might want to keep your dog away from the plants.
The leaves of Jalapeno plants contain the same components as the pepper itself. It even contains some other elements which might cause several other complications. So, you should avoid feeding your dog the leaves of Jalapeno plant and ensure that it doesn’t ingest it accidentally. If your dog does eat it, you must be prepared for the same consequences.
One of the most effective remedies is to mix some canned pumpkin with the dog food. This would clear the gastrointestinal tract from all such harmful substances. This is the best way to ease the stomach of your dog.
So Can Dogs Eat Jalapenos?
These were some of the facts that you should know. To finish things off, let me just say that Jalapenos are not toxic to your dog but the answer to the question "Can dogs eat jalapenos?" is no. You should avoid feeding your dog such spicy stuff, even a bit. I hope you liked the article and found it helpful. If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to write it down in the comments section below. If you have some more information to share about the matter with our fellow dog lovers, then you can write it down in the comments section as well.
If you really like the article, please don’t forget to share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. You would find the buttons below. I would love to hear from you. Please take care of your dog and ensure that he gets fed only what’s right for him.
