Beans, beans, heart-healthy. As they say, “You are what you eat.” What happens if we eat beans is common knowledge. Where do we leave our animals? When searching the question “can dogs eat baked beans?” you might have found conflicting answers.
Simply put, your pet shouldn’t eat baked beans because they aren’t poisonous but also aren’t a healthy treat. Keep reading to learn why feeding your dog beans can be dangerous and if beans are safe for your dog to eat.
Can Dogs Eat Baked Beans?
Don’t even think about feeding your dog some baked beans, because they’re not dog food. Many cans of baked beans have unhealthy amounts of sugar, fat, sodium, and preservatives in addition to potentially harmful ingredients like onions and garlic. Be on the lookout for any signs of illness in your dog if they consume baked beans, and take them to the vet if necessary.
Broad (fava) beans, refried beans, coffee beans, chili beans, raw beans, dry beans, and canned beans are also off-limits to canines. Your dog’s digestive system may have trouble handling these beans.
Are Heinz beans okay for dogs?
In the United Kingdom, Heinz baked beans are practically a national institution. The absence of synthetic flavors, colors, and preservatives is certainly a plus for this bean brand. But that isn’t good enough to make them suitable for your pet kitty or kitty.
The problem with baked beans, and Heinz is no exception, is that they contain a lot of sugar and salt. The “spice extracts” and the “herb extract” in Heinz beans are also included.
Because it’s impossible to tell what kind of spices and seasonings are inside a can, it’s best not to give them to your dog in case they contain poisonous ingredients like garlic or onion powder. Actually, it’s preferable to err on the side of caution.
Can dogs eat beans?
There are many other bean varieties that are not only safe for dogs to eat, but can also make a nutritious snack for your pet. If you want to give your dog a healthy snack, try giving him some of these bean types.
- Those are some green beans
- Beans, kidney
- Those pesky black beans
- Lima beans, or butter beans, are a type of bean.
Beans, in general, should be fed in moderation because they can lead to flatulence. Dogs can experience a medical emergency due to bloating if they eat too many beans at once and their gas production increases.
Beans are easier for your dog to digest if you cook them before giving them to him. Except for green beans, which can be fed raw.
Do not give your dog any of these beans. Both raw kidney beans and broad beans are toxic, and the former can cause vomiting and diarrhea. (However, cooked kidney beans are completely safe for canine consumption.)
Can dogs eat tomato sauce?
It’s not the baked beans themselves that are bad for dogs, but rather the sauce. While red tomatoes themselves aren’t harmful to dogs, the other ingredients in the sauce could make them sick.
Tomato sauces typically include a wide variety of spices and seasonings in their recipe. We’ve covered the issue with sugar and salt; now let’s talk about some other ingredients to watch out for.
It’s not always clear whether or not the “herb extracts” or “spice extracts” in many baked beans are safe for canine digestion.
Dogs tend to have delicate digestive systems, and many of the spices and other ingredients commonly used by humans can lead to stomach problems in canines.
What’s more concerning is that many popular ingredients in human foods are actually toxic to dogs. Toxic ingredients such as onions and garlic, which are commonly found in baked beans, can be found in the form of garlic powder and onion powder, respectively.
The best course of action is to keep your dog away from the beans because they may contain harmful substances. (Although it’s unlikely that even a small amount would hurt them.)
Are baked beans harmful for dogs?
Baked beans can have negative effects on your dog’s health if given to it in excessive amounts or if given to it on a consistent basis over time. One possible risk factor for pancreatitis in canines is the consumption of baked beans.
Because of the presence of garlic and onion in baked beans, excessive consumption can be harmful. Dogs can develop anemia and even damage their red blood cells from consuming either of these ingredients in large enough quantities or on a consistent enough schedule.
Flatulence is another possible side effect of eating too many beans. While this may be unpleasant for your nose, it can cause severe discomfort and even vomiting and diarrhea in your dog.
As a human, bloat isn’t a major concern, but for dogs, it can be fatal. Actually, bloat is an extremely urgent situation in the medical field.
You should rush your dog to the vet if you notice any of the symptoms of bloat. In the minutes following a meal, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Having a hard, bloated stomach
- Pain in the stomach
- Retching
- Restlessness
However, eating a few baked beans probably won’t make you sick. It’s safe to assume that your dog won’t get sick if he or she licks up some spilt sauce or eats a spoonful of beans instead of their regular meal.
Just keep an eye out for any unusual behavior or symptoms and have them checked out by the vet immediately.
Can baked beans kill dogs?
If your dog is healthy and only eats a small amount, then the answer is no, baked beans won’t hurt them. Overfeeding baked beans to your dog can make them sick. However, your dog’s health shouldn’t be in jeopardy from eating baked beans.
Nonetheless, you should consider it an emergency if your dog eats a large quantity of baked beans and then becomes bloated.
Pancreatitis is a less pressing problem that can occur if your dog regularly consumes baked beans. Pancreatitis can range from mild to severe, and severe cases can be fatal.
Therefore, baked beans are not a good choice for canine nutrition. It is strongly recommended that you refrain from giving your dog a regular diet of beans. Your dog will likely be fine if it ingests a small amount, such as a spoonful.
What Happens if Dogs Eat Baked Beans?
The most harmful parts of baked beans are the additives or potentially toxic ingredients in most recipes.
Even though there would be no preservatives in a completely homemade dish, most baked bean recipes still have unhealthy amounts of sodium and sugar, as well as onions and garlic.
Your dog may experience diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration if it eats too many baked beans. Keep an eye out for any unusual behavior or symptoms and schedule vet visits as needed.
Health Risks of Baked Beans for Dogs
Dogs do not benefit in any way from eating baked beans. Baked beans are bad for your pet because they are:
1. A high-fat food
Saturated fats, like those found in baked beans, are difficult for your dog’s stomach to digest, and can cause gastrointestinal distress, bloat, and other digestive issues.
Potentially serious long-term effects include elevated danger of cardiovascular disease and pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation).
2. Dense in calories
The high calorie content of baked beans makes them unhealthy for your dog. Calorie-dense human foods can cause your dog to gain weight quickly and cause health problems down the road, so it’s not a good idea to feed them in large quantities.
3. High in sodium
It’s important to keep in mind that canned beans have a high sodium content. An overly salty diet can cause dehydration in your dog and, in extreme cases, sodium ion poisoning (also known as “salt poisoning”) or kidney damage.
Excessive thirst, decreased or absent urination, loss of appetite, dry gums, vomiting, and diarrhea are all signs of sodium toxicity in your dog’s diet.
4. High in sugar
Too much sugar or other sweeteners in your dog’s food can lead to short-term issues with blood sugar or long-term issues like obesity and diabetes.
Dogs shouldn’t eat baked beans because they’re high in sugar and might also contain the artificial sweetener xylitol, which is toxic to them in even small doses.
5. Likely to contain toxic ingredients
Onion powder, garlic powder, and xylitol, an artificial sweetener, are all common ingredients in baked beans recipes. These are not healthy options for canine diets.
Canines shouldn’t eat baked beans because they might contain ketchup or tomato sauce. Even if your dog only eats a little bit of one of these foods, it could cause severe stomach upset, diarrhea, and vomiting.
6. Pancreatitis and baked beans
Though it’s unlikely that a single serving of baked beans would harm a dog, feeding them on a regular basis raises the canine’s risk of pancreatitis.
Certain dietary factors can increase your dog’s risk of developing this painful condition, though the underlying causes aren’t always known.
The following signs and symptoms may indicate pancreatitis, but they could also be related to something else entirely:
- Dryness of the mouth
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Inability to eat
- Symptoms of abdominal swelling
- bad sitting or standing posture
What should I do if my dog has eaten baked beans?
The small amount of baked beans your dog ate probably won’t cause any problems unless your dog is allergic to one of the ingredients. For immediate veterinary attention, please check the label and throw away the product if xylitol is an ingredient.
If your dog has eaten baked beans, you should monitor it closely for the next day and a half. Get in touch with your vet if you see any worrying signs, like dehydration or an upset stomach.
What Kind of Beans Can Dogs Eat?
Beans and legumes, with the exception of baked beans, make excellent canine nutrition.
Although beans can be a good source of fiber, potassium, iron, and other nutrients for your dog, they shouldn’t make up more than 10% of his or her diet. Inclusion in a dog’s healthy diet of beans is:
- Those pesky black beans
- Bollito de res (Chilean) beans
- Soybeans
- Consisting of green beans
- Beans, or garbanzo
- Beans, Lima
- Lentils
- And finally, butter beans
- Pinto beans
Avoid giving baked beans to your dog if you are unsure about whether they will like them. A small amount of baked beans probably won’t hurt your dog, but they’re not good for him in any way and could do more harm than good.
Recap: Can dogs eat beans?
To answer your question, a dog can technically eat a small amount of baked beans without getting seriously ill.
However, due to the high levels of sugar and salt in beans, they are not a good choice for your dog’s diet. You shouldn’t give your dog baked beans because they already have too much sugar in their diet from eating kibble.
Regular or excessive consumption of baked beans by a dog is unhealthy for it. Instead of feeding your dog baked beans, you should consider feeding him other types of beans or peas.
As a matter of fact, we incorporate peas into our Pure recipes because we know they add a lot of nutritional value to your dog’s meal. Benefit your immune system and digestive system with their high vitamin C and fiber content.
Chicken, beef, salmon, turkey, and duck are just some of the human food items that make their way into Pure, along with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.