Breadsticks make for a delicious and versatile snack, perfect for all kinds of occasions.
Whether it’s a quiet night in with loved ones or party snacks for you and your friends, breadsticks are tasty, moreish and great for dipping into sauces or hummus.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that your dog might show some interest in them. But can dogs eat breadsticks?
Before feeding your pet any new food it’s important to understand whether it’s suitable or poses any risks.
In this article, we’ll let you know whether dogs can eat breadsticks as well as outline the type of diet they should be consuming.
What Is A Dog’s Diet?
Before we consider the question of ‘can dogs eat breadsticks’ we should probably make sure we fully understand what a healthy dog’s diet should consist of.
This includes the following:
Kibble
One of the most important parts of every dog’s diet is kibble. This is dried, commercial dog food that is shaped into pellets and includes all of the great nutrients and minerals that your pooch needs to be happy and healthy. Typically, kibble will include meat, vegetables and grains. Kibble is designed to maintain your pet’s diet alone without any other food necessary. However, it’s always worthwhile providing dogs with a number of fresh food options in addition to kibble for variety.
Meat
It’s no secret that dogs love meat. And luckily, pretty much all meat is suitable for your pet pooch. This includes chicken, pork, beef and more. While it has been known for dogs to consume raw meat due to their strong stomachs, we’d always recommend only feeding cooked meat to your pet. This is because eating raw meat increases the risk of your dog becoming ill from the likes of listeria, salmonella, E.coli and other food-related illnesses.
Vegetables
While they’re more synonymous with their love of meat, dogs are omnivores. This means they will also eat vegetables. Your pet might not be as enthused by this prospect as it would be with a big, juicy joint of meat, but vegetables include great health benefits so it’s always worth giving them some now and again.
Water
It’s essential that your dog consumes plenty of water as part of its diet. Just like with humans, staying hydrated is crucial for your pet’s health. If it becomes dehydrated it can be extremely dangerous so make sure your dog always has a frequent, steady supply to clean water.
Rice
You might be surprised to learn that dogs also love rice! It’s common to see rice used in commercial dog food, and if you have some on your plate that you can’t finish then feel free to feed it to your pet. As well as this, dogs are often fed rice if they’re unwell as it is easy to be digested and won’t cause any stomach problems.
By providing your dog with a diet that consists of the above, you can rest assured your pooch should live a happy and healthy life.
But can dogs eat breadsticks? Let’s take a closer look…
Can dogs eat breadsticks?
Yes, your dog can eat breadsticks. However, you should only feed them to your pet in moderation.
Feeding breadsticks to your dog now and again is pretty harmless, but if you do it too often it can result in a number of health conditions that we will go into more detail about in the further sections.
While feeding them plain breadsticks is ok, we’d recommend avoiding seasoned or flavoured options.
For example, cheese and garlic breadsticks shouldn’t be fed to your dog as these ingredients can cause stomach problems.
The nutritional value of breadsticks
As they’re low in calories, many people choose breadsticks to snack on as they consider them a healthy alternative to other options.
However, they’re not particularly nutritious.
Breadsticks are made from wheat flour, water and salt as well as small quantities of protein and fibre. However, this protein and fibre are not good sources of nutrition for your dog as it’s far too small. As a result, they shouldn’t make up a big part of your dog’s diet and absolutely never replace the core elements we discussed earlier.
As well as these ingredients, breadsticks contain a lot of carbohydrates which can boost your pooch’s energy, but only a little. Complex carbohydrates are far better for this than breadsticks.
So, while your dog might enjoy breadsticks as tasty treat, nutrition wise it isn’t doing a great deal for them.
The risks of feeding dogs breadsticks
Now we’ve covered the nutrition of breadsticks, let’s take a look at some of the risks that can occur if you feed the snack to your dog.
This can include the following:
Weight gain
As mentioned earlier, breadsticks contain a high amount of carbohydrates. While carbs are good for boosting energy, dogs that consume too many of them could become overweight. If your pet is overweight, it could lead to a whole host of health issues so it’s vital that breadsticks are only fed in moderation and your pooch gets plenty of exercise.
Digestive problems
Bloating, diarrhoea, gas and other digestive issues are all indicative of a dog that’s consumed too many breadsticks. Plus, the snack may just not agree with your pet’s individual digestive system so if you notice any of the above be sure to avoid breadsticks in the future.
Intolerance
The aforementioned digestive problems could also be a sign your dog has an intolerance to breadsticks, or more specifically gluten. If you notice adverse signs from your pup after it’s consumed breadsticks or other gluten-based foods, such as diarrhoea or vomiting, it could be a sign of gluten intolerance. Avoid these foods in future and consider consulting a vet.
Dehydration
We’ve already touched on how dehydration could be dangerous for a dog. With this in mind, it’s worth being aware that too many breadsticks might cause dehydration to occur. Again, this is why moderation is so important.
Lack of nutrition
It’s worth reiterating that breadsticks are a bad source of nutrients for your dog. While ok as an occasional treat, you should not rely on them to keep your dog healthy. They miss out on a wide range of crucial vitamins and minerals and there is a risk to your pet’s health if you don’t moderate the consumption of breadsticks.
In summary, while an occasional munch of a breadstick might make a nice treat for your dog and is unlikely to do harm, it should never be considered a replacement for your dog’s normal diet and should always be fed in moderation.
