Can Dogs Eat Popcorn? Everything You Need to Know

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Imagine you are enjoying a movie night with your family and having the “must-have” movie snack- Popcorns. With your precious dog sitting around, you might want to give a piece or two of the popcorn to it to enjoy with you too.

But then again, you stop because you don’t know whether popcorns are good for your beloved pet or not, or, how much you should feed him of this snack.

To help you with such a dilemma, in this article, we have discussed everything about your dog having popcorn so that you know what to do the next time you sit around having this snack.

Is Popcorn Good For Dogs?

Whether popcorn is good for your beloved puppy or not is a bit controversial topic to discuss. This is because while in a broader sense this snack is hazardous and harmful for your dog, on some rare occasions popcorns are good for your dog and you can feed your dog this item to make it happy.

Now you might wonder about the rare occasions when this delicious snack item is good for your furry friend.

Well, popcorns are good for dogs in a small amount when they are plain and unsalted. Moreover, when these kernels are air-popped rather than popped using butter or oil, they are good for the doggo.

We are emphasizing plain, unsalted popcorns is because they contain fiber, vitamins and minerals including zinc, magnesium, and manganese and are beneficial to your puppy’s health.

When Is Popcorn Bad For Dogs?

In most cases, popcorns are bad for your dog’s health. As this leisure time snack is full of salt, butter [or oil] and other seasonings, and taste amazing, it can cause several health hazards in your beloved furry friend.

Why these flavored popcorns are bad for your pup?

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For starters, butter and oil are rich in fat and calories. When your dog eats the popcorns popped using butter, their fatty content would not only upset the stomach severely but would also lead to obesity and other health problems in the future.

Salt and other seasonings also have an adverse effect on your dog’s health. They can cause salt-poisoning in your dog leading to vomiting, serious stomach upset, loose motion and even seizures in your dog.

What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Popcorn Kernels?

It’s not uncommon that from time to time your pet might eat popcorn kernels that you have stored for you. If such a thing happens and you understand that it happened, then you must monitor your dog for some time to see if anything unusual occurs or it feels uncomfortable. If nothing you see alarming then there is nothing to worry about.

However, if you see your puppy is experiencing uncomfortableness, don’t wait to consult your vet immediately. More often than not, the kernels of the popcorns get stuck in your dog’s teeth and cause choking hazard that might lead to life-threatening incidents.

Can I Give Salted Popcorn to My Dog?

Salted popcorns are tasty, salivating and a great snack. But that’s for you. For your dog, the story is different. Salty popcorns are life-threatening for your little furry friend and can lead to death in some cases.

Salt is used in popcorns as a seasoning to enhance the taste.

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This means that there is quite a lot of sodium chloride in this snack. When your precious puppy eats this tempting snack in a liberal amount, the salt content in it makes the pup real thirsty and lead to sodium ion poisoning if it doesn’t drink a lot of water immediately.

This dangerous condition can cause severe stomach problems including vomiting, diarrhoea, high temperature, tremors, seizures and even depression in your dog. That’s not all. An overdose of salt can also lead to death in some severe cases. And therefore, you must refrain from giving your little pet salted popcorn even if it asks for this snack.

Can My Dog Eat Caramel Popcorn?

As tempting as caramel popcorn sounds, this snack item is actually bad for your favorite pet, and you should never treat your doggo with it.

Caramel is made from an excessive amount of sugar, which means that it has high sugar content. And we all know that sugar not only adds extra calories and fat to your furry little friend but it also leads to a number of stomach problems for your little pup. From an upset stomach to vomiting and even seizures, the dog can suffer from severe health issues from ingesting sugar.

Moreover, aside from an excessive amount of sugar, caramel also contains butter or oil, both of which are damaging to your dog’s health.

And when you mix this caramel with the already damaging popcorns, the mix will be severely harmful to the stomach of your dog.

How Can Dogs Eat Popcorn?

Even though in general, popcorns are bad and sometimes life-threatening to your pet dogs, there are actually some amazing ways you can prepare it for your pup and make it happy with your treat.

Let’s discuss a few ways you can give this popular snack to your furry friend as a treat.

Bacon Popcorn with Cheese

This cheesy popcorn snack can be a great way to full-fill your dog’s demand of having popcorn. It is not only simple to make but it is also a healthy option for your little puppy.  Spread your unsalted popcorn over a baking sheet and sprinkle fat-less cheese and bacon bits on it. Bake this mix until the cheese melts, and voila, you have a healthy yet tasty popcorn snack for your beloved pet.

Popcorn with Peanut butter

Unsalted peanut butter can be a great alternative to caramel. You can mix a bit of peanut butter with any unflavored, unsalted popcorn and mix it well. This will give the snack the look of caramel popcorn but it’s a healthier option.

How Much Popcorn Your Dog Can Have?

Even though popcorn itself is not the best snack item for your precious little friend, there are exceptions when you can feed it this snack as a treat.

For instance, if your pet is too much tempted to have the popcorn that you are having, you can give a few pieces to satisfy its wants. However, make sure that the popcorn is without any salt or butter. Also, make sure to keep an eye on it to see how it reacts after having the salivating snack.

If you see any alarming signs in your pup even after having a few pieces of popcorns, be sure that this amazing snack is out of limits for it. And you must never give popcorn in any way to your beloved pet.

Some Alternatives to Popcorn

If your dog has an adverse reaction to popcorns and you don’t want to feed it this snack, then there are amazing alternatives to popcorns. These alternative snacks would not only make your furry friend happy but would also satisfy your eyes.

Some common alternatives to alternatives to popcorns that you can give your puppy as a treat are:

Apples with Peanut Butter

If you want to treat your beloved puppy with something healthy, then the apple with peanut butter can be an excellent option to try. While apples are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, the unsweetened peanut butter enhances the taste of the apple and makes it tempting for your pup.

However, make sure that you remove the seeds and cut the apples into small cubes so that your pet doesn’t suffer from the risk of choking. Also, don’t be generous with the peanut butter. As it is quite fatty, a generous amount can lead to obesity.

Air-fried Oatmeal

Oatmeal is loaded with vitamins and fiber and is an excellent snack for your dog. When you air-dry this snack in the air-fryer, then it becomes even more crunchy and delicious for your little pet. Moreover, as air-frying doesn’t require oil or butter, it is completely safe and healthy for the doggo.

But then again, make sure that the oatmeal you are using as a snack doesn’t have any artificial flavors or additives in it to enhance the taste.

Sliced Boiled Eggs

Dogs love boiled eggs. And eggs can be an extraordinary alternative to popcorns if you want to give your puppy a healthy treat to make it happy. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, eggs not only make your furry friend happy but also assists in digestion for a healthy system.

Air-fried Chicken

Another air-fried snack that you can give your dog is fried chicken. Not only chicken is one of the healthiest meats for your puppy but it is also tasty, and therefore, your dog loves it too. Moreover, when you air-fry this meat, it becomes crunchy and even more delicious.

However, before preparing this snack make sure to remove the bones in order to ensure the safety of your beloved furry friend.

Wrapping Up

From the above discussion, it is very clear that popcorns can be a good treat for your dog if you give them on rare occasions with the much-needed precautions. Even though the type of popcorns you eat regularly are not the best for your furry friend, you can always use alternate ways to make popcorns snacks to treat your little puppy and make it happy.