It’s pretty common for your dog to crave some of your food while you’re eating dinner. But not all types of food are safe for your canine. So, can dogs eat wasabi?
Help! My dog ate wasabi! Is wasabi bad for dogs?
Wasabi is not toxic to dogs, so if your pup eats a small amount of wasabi, you shouldn’t panic. It’s not a life-threatening situation, and you don’t need to rush your pooch to the ER or the vet unless your dog eats a large amount of wasabi.
Dogs and Wasabi
First off, what is wasabi? Wasabi is a delicious condiment that is usually served with sushi. Wasabi, or Japanese horseradish, is a type of radish. It has a clean spicy taste that comes from isothiocyanate, unlike capsaicin that makes peppers spicy. It’s traditionally served with sushi but can also be used to season several recipes.
So can dogs have wasabi? Too much wasabi can cause discomfort to you and your dog, so if your dog accidentally eats a large amount of wasabi, you’ll probably have to take him or her to the vet. However, if the dog eats only a small amount, things will eventually be fine.
Your dog is most likely going to experience some mouth discomfort and nose and mouth burning sensations. It might also experience some digestive system discomfort, like gas, diarrhea, or vomiting for the night. Other than that, your pooch will probably be safe.
You should never intentionally feed wasabi to your dog because most of the wasabi already sold is actually called fake wasabi. It’s made of horseradish, mustard, lemon juice, and other spices that you should never feed to your dog.
Similarly, you should not feed your dog wasabi peas, which contain a combination of wasabi and spices that will cause major discomfort for your pup.
How to Know If Your Dog Ate Wasabi
Dogs can be too curious, and your pooch might try some wasabi behind your back. Here are some signs that your dog has eaten wasabi.
- Your dog is trying to rub his or her mouth and nose excessively to get rid of the spiciness of wasabi.
- Your pooch is licking its lips excessively.
- Your dog is sneezing all the time.
- You can see that your dog is drinking more water than usual.
- Your pooch is running around looking uncomfortable with their tail between their legs.
What To Do If Your Dog Eats Wasabi
If you have some wasabi and you notice that your dog has eaten some, here’s what you need to do.
- Remove all the wasabi away from your dog to make sure that he or she won’t eat more wasabi.
- Provide your pooch with a large amount of water. This will help wash down the wasabi and reduce any mouth discomfort that your dog might experience. Wasabi can also make your dog overly thirsty, so you need to make sure that your pup is properly hydrated.
- Keep an eye on your dog to see how it reacts. It will most probably experience mouth discomfort and gas. Diarrhea and vomiting are also common; however, if the symptoms continue for a long time, or you can see that your dog is exhausted, you need to take him or her to the vet.
Wrap Up
Wasabi isn’t toxic to dogs but can cause a lot of discomfort. If your dog eats a small amount of wasabi, you shouldn’t worry much, but you keep an eye on your pooch to see if it’s experiencing serious side effects.