It’s movie night, and you settle down on the sofa with snacks and drinks. You open a family-sized pack of Doritos, and then next thing you know, your canine companion is eyeing the bag expectantly.
So, you toss a few Doritos chips in their direction, which are snapped up instantly with obvious enjoyment. Maybe at the back of your mind, you’re thinking, is it okay to do this? Can dogs eat Doritos?
Surely a few corn chips won’t harm them?
Alternatively, you enter the kitchen to find to your dismay, that your furry pal has helped itself to a whole bag of Doritos. You find your pooch squished up in a corner consumed with remorse, licking guiltily at their suspiciously orange nose.
Any responsible dog owner will pause to consider the risks of giving their dog corn chips, as many human foods are harmful to dogs, and some are even fatal. That’s why some pet parents Google things like, my dog ate Doritos; what should I do?
Without further delay, let’s help by finding the answer to this question: Can dogs eat Doritos?
So, Can Dogs Eat Doritos?
As with so many other human foods, the answer is that they can, but they really shouldn’t.
The good news is that Doritos are not toxic generally to dogs, so they’re unlikely to affect your pooch too severely. This is particularly important in the second scenario given above. The most likely effect will be that your dog will have a stomach upset for a day or two.
To find out more, let’s look at what these tasty snacks are made from:
• Corn
• Salt
• Canola oil
• Antioxidants
• Sunflower oil
It doesn’t look too bad, does it? Wrong.
Why Is This Bad?
The corn is genetically modified, and GM crops have been linked to potential long-term health issues in humans, such as increased allergies, inflammation, and problems with the digestive system.
Also, they are fried in oil, increasing the amount of free radical particles that can cause diseases and cancer. They are high in trans fats, a significant cause of obesity and heart disease.
Although salt is an essential part of a dog’s diet, too much salt can have severe consequences as dogs are prone to salt poisoning.
And this ingredients list is for plain Doritos before any other flavors are added!
Can dogs eat Doritos? It’s not looking like the best idea to allow your dog to munch its way through a bunch of these snacks.
Sadly, the bad news doesn’t end there…
Are Doritos Bad For Dogs?
On the whole, yes, they are bad for dogs. Can a dog eat Doritos and survive? Of course, but they will harm your dog if fed in large amounts over a long time.
As we saw above, there are risks involved, basically because these are fried snacks.
However, the list of potential side effects worsens depending on which flavor you choose.
Aside from salt, other flavors are added along with MSG (monosodium glutamate). Now, we could write an entire piece on this subject alone, but that’s not what we’re here for.
Suffice to say that, despite claims to the contrary (usually made by the manufacturers or ‘scientists’ paid to find the results), MSG has been linked to a range of health problems in humans.
These include:
• High cholesterol
• Neurotoxicity
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• High blood sugar levels
• High insulin levels
• Liver toxicity
• Metabolic syndrome (a group of conditions including type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease)
Does This Mean MSG Is Bad?
As you can see, MSG is not your best friend. It is specifically designed to make you want to eat more, and it overrides leptin, a hormone let’s the body know when you’ve had enough to eat.
On top of this, the MSG is served up with an unhealthy side of salt and sugar, making them unsuitable for dogs.
We should stick a quick disclaimer in here to say that Doritos are by no means the only culprit. Most savory snack foods have the same selection of highly-processed ingredients, no matter what brand!
When Doritos are eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet, humans shouldn’t suffer any long-term effects. However, our fur babies don’t have a choice, so it’s up to us to decide whether to give them any.
But wait! We’re not finished with the question, can dogs eat Doritos?
And the news doesn’t get any better.
Can Dogs Eat Cool Ranch Doritos?
We looked at plain Doritos, and these were bad enough for dogs. So what about other flavors? Surely this one can’t be too bad!
Unfortunately, Cool Ranch flavor has some extra risks in the form of:
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Corn syrup
• Dairy (cheese, milk, buttermilk)
First, a dog’s diet should never include any member of the onion family as they are highly toxic to dogs. In powdered form, it isn’t easy to assess quantity as it will be concentrated. Onion contains a compound that attacks and destroys a dog’s red blood cells, leading to anemia and kidney damage.
Also, corn syrup is terrible for anyone’s health, let alone your pooch! This substance is directly linked to obesity and heart disease. And if your dog has problems with hypoglycemia or high blood sugar, this ingredient is something to avoid.
Finally, many dogs are lactose intolerant (in fact, all dogs are, to some extent), so the inclusion of cheese and milk may upset your dog’s stomach.
So much for Cool Ranch flavor, then!
Now let’s move on to another popular flavor to see if it fares any better.
Can Dogs Eat Doritos Nacho Cheese?
You guessed it – that’s a big NO!
We’ve already mentioned the problem with dairy, but nacho cheese flavor has a cheese overload. In addition, it has lactose and lactic acid, making it highly likely to trigger an adverse reaction.
On top of this, you still have garlic and onion powder, MSG, high salt content, sugar, and the fact that these snacks are fried in processed oils.
Let’s look a bit closer at fried foods to see the problem.
As we saw earlier, fried foods increase free radical particles in the body, which is bad. Also, trans fats can cause obesity and compromise the immune system.
Another potential outcome of fried or fatty foods in your dog’s diet is the risk of pancreatitis. Essentially, this is where the pancreas becomes inflamed and starts producing toxic chemicals that will damage the dog’s bowels.
Although pancreatitis can be treated, the condition often remains undetected for months, if not years. The damage can be severe and can even be fatal by this time.
Let’s be clear: a few corn chips or tortilla chips aren’t the problem here; this results from an unhealthy diet of fried chicken, bacon, table scraps, potato chips, and whatever ‘treats’ you feed your pooch over the years!
We’re focusing here on the question, can dogs eat Doritos? But there’s a broader issue here about what we should and shouldn’t feed our furry companions.
On that subject, we need to ask…
Can Dogs Eat Doritos Dinamita?
No. Absolutely not.
If you’re not familiar with these snacks, they’re rolled tortilla chips coated with a range of intense spicy flavors.
Never under any circumstances should you feed dogs hot spicy food. No matter what anyone says, it’s cruel and unfair. Some people out there claim that certain dog breeds can cope with spices or that they’ve been feeding their dog hot chilis with no problems.
However, the facts show that dogs don’t enjoy spices and that it upsets their digestive system. Anyone who feeds these to their dog is guilty of cruelty and abuse, end of story.
Can Dogs Eat Doritos? What To Take Away
It won’t do any lasting harm to give your doggie friend one or two Doritos once in a while, but a whole bag of chips is a bad idea. Whether fried or baked, large amounts of salty snacks loaded with artificial flavors will undoubtedly damage your dog’s health.
As always, there’s no substitute for good-quality dog food.
A healthy dog needs a balanced diet that doesn’t include human junk food. That means avoiding things like Doritos, Cheetos, etc., that have zero nutritional value.
Next time you’re helping yourself to tasty treats and your furry pal asks for some, try finding a healthy treat instead. There are plenty of branded dog treats on the market, but you might also want to consider a natural, homemade option.
So, now that you know the answer to ‘Can dogs eat Doritos?’ (hint: It’s a no!), here are a few treat ideas to get you started:
• Apple slices
• Cooked sweet potato
• Peanut butter (check that it doesn’t contain Xylitol first! This artificial sweetener is highly toxic to dogs)
• Banana
• Carrot
• Watermelon (without seeds)
• Blueberries
• Brussels sprouts
• Broccoli
• Cucumber
These are much healthier and will do your furry friend good, helping to keep them around longer.
And that’s what all pet parents want, isn’t it?
