A very common question among the dog owners is: “Can dogs eat hummus”? Hummus is a very popular and tasty dish therefore a lot of people can’t resist it. It includes a lot of healthy ingredients and it has a really nice creamy flavor.
Simple answer to the question whether dogs can eat hummus is NO. It can harm them, hurt their stomach and it’s most definitely not advised to feed them with it. Hummus is made with onions, oil, sesame seeds, lemon juice, garlic and other ingredients that are bad for your dog.
One of the good ingredients is chickpeas. Chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans which are as other beans good for your dog as long as they are cooked without spices and other additives. Chickpea is often part of the recipes of various dog food because it has a high portion of protein.
In this article:
Can dogs eat hummus? Here are 7 reasons why hummus is bad for your dog:
It contains garlic which is poisonous for dogs
Garlic is really bad for your dog’s health. If the dogs eat garlic, the red blood cells of doesn’t work properly, they cannot carry enough oxygen and the dog can have issues with breathing. Moreover, there is also a risk for anemia in dogs that ingests garlic.
Hummus contains lemon juice
Lemon juice is harmful for your dog. It’s an acidic citrus fruit and includes psoralens that can cause poisoning. It causes indigestion and becomes dangerous when it is blending with the dog’s digestive system. Lemon can cause discomfort and abdominal pain in dogs. It can lead to vomiting and diarrhea.
It contains olive oil
Basically olive oil is harmless for dogs, but in larger quantities it becomes unhealthy. A large amount of olive oil will harm your dog’s digestive system and health. According to The farmers dog the daily servings should be limited to one teaspoon of olive oil per 20 pounds of your dog’s bodyweight.
Hummus contains onions
Onions produce possible risks to a dog’s digestive system and health. As garlic, onions can also cause hemolytic anemia where dog’s red blood cells can be destroyed. Onion poisoning may reach to the unexpected death of a dog if it is not treated quickly.
Sesame seeds
Sesame seeds aren’t risky as long as your dog doesn’t have any allergies. Similar to us, dogs can also have an allergy to sesame seeds which can cause coughing, vomiting, skin irritation and itching. If you will decide to make your own homemade “dog hummus” make sure to have an eye on any changes in dog’s behaviour, just in case if you wouldn’t be aware of any allergies he might have.
Parsley
In hummus, parsley is usually sprinkled on top. Parsley is a really healthy and “safe” ingredient if it’s used in a small amount, but it depends on the parsley type.
Curly parsley can be very healthy ingredient, on the other hand ASPCA says the spring parsley can be poisonous for dogs. Do you know the difference? It’s hard to know which one is used in human food, this is why parsley is the sixth reason why hummus isn’t safe for dogs.
Sugar
A lot of brands add sugar to hummus because of its better taste and because sugar also acts as a preservative. While sugar is not toxic to dogs it can be bad on a long run. Over time it can cause diabetes or other related diseases that reduce his lifespan.
What to do if my dog eats hummus?
It depends how much hummus your dog ate. If your dog just ate a small portion of hummus, then he is most probably going to be fine.
Keep an eye on him and watch his behaviour and health signs. Symptoms of illness and a poisonous reaction involve signs such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, drooling, fatigue, and vomiting after consuming too much hummus. These are the first signs you have to take him to the vet. If you need to visit the vet we would also advise you to take the hummus packaging with you where all the ingredients are written.
What about homemade hummus?
Hummus without lemon juice, salt, garlic, and any other acidic and harmful ingredients can be good for your dog. So here are the good alternative ingredients that you can use in making homemade hummus for your dog.
How to make homemade hummus for dogs without harmful ingredients
Chickpeas and roasted beets are two essential ingredients for the homemade “dog hummus”. By adding these two your dog will enjoy the benefits and different flavors.
Make sure to remember that an extreme quantity of these ingredients may cause gas in your dog’s stomach. This leads to abdomen pain, and your dog feels uncomfortable the whole day.
Below you can find a homemade recipe that will definitely help you make tasty, dog-friendly, and healthy hummus. Follow the simple steps and save your time which you can spend later with your dog.
Step-1
Mix all the ingredients in 1 bowl. Ingredients are:
- 1 bowl of chickpeas
- Cumin powder 1 tablespoon
- Tahini 4 tablespoon
- Pinch of paprika
- olive oil half tablespoon
- Coldwater 2 tablespoon
Step-2
Blend all the ingredients with the help of a blender according to your desired texture. Now your dog-friendly and healthy hummus is ready to serve. What is more, you can store it for a week in your fridge.
Always make sure to check ingredients whether they are good for your dog or not. Never add garlic to the hummus, as it is really harmful to your dog’s health.
Final word
Hummus is a delicious snack for humans, since it has an amazing taste and several benefits on health. However, it is not recommended for animals if it is not prepared cautiously.
Make sure that you do not add hazardous ingredients if you want to give hummus to your dog. Especially lemon and garlic are really harmful to your dog as they cause problems like diarrhea and vomiting. Think about making your own “homemade” hummus. This way you can avoid unpleasant consequences on dog’s health.
Remember that chickpeas is in general good for health. You can feed your dogs straight-up with just cooked chickpeas rather than giving hummus to them. This is because chickpeas contain phosphorus, fiber, and iron. It is also a good source of zinc, Vitamin K, choline, magnesium, copper, and Vitamin B6. Chickpeas is extremely nutritious and healthy, plus your dog will definitely appreciate this delicious meal.
What do you think about giving hummus to dogs? Have you already tried with homemade humus?
