Product developer Beatrice Ojakangas found a gold mine when she created pizza rolls in Duluth, Minnesota, in the 1960s; a time where quick-and-easy snacks and meals were becoming increasingly popular. While pizza rolls are undeniably moreish, they aren’t a healthy treat for your pup, and some ingredients are even toxic to dogs.
Additionally, our pets aren’t accustomed to eating hot foods, and could easily burn their mouth and tongue in their haste to eat this forbidden snack, something plenty of humans have done as well! If your dog was to steal a small piece of a pizza roll, there’s likely no reason to panic, but they are a food that should stay squarely on your plate, and not in their bowl.
Why Shouldn’t Dogs Eat Pizza Rolls?
Although there are many foods that both we and our dogs can consume, it doesn’t apply to everything. Some foods that are perfectly safe for humans are extremely toxic to canines, while others can just make them unwell. Let’s face it, pizza rolls aren’t exactly a health food, and the same aspects that make them an indulgence, not a diet staple, have an even greater impact on our dogs.
Thanks to domestication, our canine companions have evolved to metabolize carbohydrates better than their wild counterparts. Exposure to the foods we consume triggered adaptation in our pets. Many animals ate table scraps people gave them. So although your dog may be able to digest food like pizza rolls, it doesn’t mean they should.
Calories
The first red flag involves calories. Depending on which specific brand you buy, a serving size of six rolls contains 200 calories, or about 33 calories per pizza roll. That may not sound like a lot until you consider the recommended calorie intake for dogs versus humans. The suggested amount is 2,000–2,500 for humans. On the other hand, a 10-pound pup should get only 275 calories.
The 33 calories in a single roll comes mostly from fat, so it’s not the best use of their daily allowance. Beyond this, there is very little in the way of nutritional value to be found in a pizza roll. Their primary benefit is being tasty, not healthy.
Sodium
Sodium is a problem for dogs and people. Our bodies have an optimal concentration of electrolytes like this one. If you consume too much of this mineral, your body will retain water, which may increase blood volume, putting pressure on the cardiovascular system. This tends to be more of a chronic issue affecting humans, but theoretically, dogs consuming foods high in sodium could suffer similar consequences.
The amount of sodium contained in a pizza roll is unlikely to cause sodium toxicity, but in very small dogs, it is a possibility.
Dangers of Feeding Pizza Rolls to Dogs
They say that ‘the dose makes the poison’, and the same can be said for a snack like a pizza roll. A single roll to a 70 lb Labrador is unlikely to be a problem, but to a 7 lb Yorkie, electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal distress, and pancreatitis are well within the realms of possibility.
Other dangers of feeding pizza rolls to dogs rest with the individual products and flavors. Therefore, the red flags vary with what you get, although we found some common denominators in all versions that take them off the menu.
Garlic powder and onion powder are found in most types of pizza rolls, and although they often appear far down the ingredients list, they are still an issue. Both onions and garlic are toxic to dogs, and they need only consume 15–30 grams per kilogram of body weight of either one to cause toxicity. And as the powders are concentrated forms of these ingredients, a small amount can trigger a problem.
Signs of poisoning include the following:
Tips for Treats
Treats are part of our bonding experience with our pets, and we love doing what we perceive are good things for our dogs. Part of that involves sharing. However, we strongly urge you to avoid giving your pup pizza rolls. Too many potential issues exist. It is far safer to stick to treats that have been formulated for dogs, or even some pieces of plain, cooked meat.
While treats may be safe for your dog, they aren’t nutritionally complete. They should not make up any more than 10% of their daily caloric intake. We recommend restricting them as training aids to optimize their inclusion in your pet’s diet. For most dogs, the treat is more to do with ‘how’ and ‘when’ it is given, rather than the ‘what’. Therefore, using a small handful of their normal kibble can be a safe and easy way to reward them without adding unnecessary calories or risking stomach upset.
Conclusion
We’ll admit to enjoying pizza rolls occasionally, even if they aren’t the healthiest choice. However, you shouldn’t offer them to your dog. Many things support this recommendation, from the high sodium content to possible poisonous ingredients. Dogs aren’t like humans. They are different species with specific dietary needs suited to their biology. You’ll find that there are many other safer and more nutritious options for your canine companion, such as plain cooked chicken, doggy treats, or just regular dog food.
Featured Image Credit: Rimma Bondarenko, Shutterstock