Can Dogs Eat Ritz Crackers? Which ones are Safe?

Have you ever thought that ritz cookies are safe for dogs? I know we love to feed human food to our furry friends but is that food is healthy? Today we are talking about ritz crackers and their effects on your doggo’s health.

Almost every household has Ritz crackers in their kitchen. And if these houses have a dog, they will share ritz crackers with the dog.

Since you are reading this, I guess you do the same. To know is it safe for your dog to eat ritz crackers, you are reading the right piece of article.

Can a dog eat ritz crackers safely?

Ritz crackers are a common snack for humans, and you can give them to your dog once in a while.

However, feeding your dog ritz crackers regularly can be dangerous. Ritz crackers contain fat, salt, and carbohydrates that can harm your dog badly.

The contents of Ritz crackers have zero nutritious value. Hence, it is better not to feed your dog ritz crackers.

What’s wrong with Ritz crackers?

Carbohydrates

Ritz crackers contain a high quantity of carbohydrates that can make your dog ill. Ideally, dogs do not need carbohydrates to have a healthy life. It doesn’t mean that there are zero benefits of carbs.

You need to understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy carbs. Dogs can achieve healthy carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, grains contain unhealthy carbohydrates.

Since dogs cannot digest carbs, it converts into glucose. As a result, your doggo can have diabetes and weight gain.

Wheat

Wheat is the main ingredient in ritz crackers. That is why it is better not to feed ritz crackers to your furry friend. Wheat contains gluten, and many dogs are allergic to it.

The common symptoms of gluten allergy are diarrhea and throwing up. Therefore, if you see these symptoms in your dog, take him to the vet as soon as possible.

Sugar

Sugar is the most dangerous ingredient for a dog. It is also present in ritz crackers.

Sugar is an empty carbohydrate. It has no nutritional value. Hence, it will not benefit your dog in any way. But consuming sugar can cause diabetes and weight gain problems to your doggo.

Also, sugar is very addictive for dogs. Therefore, your dog may start loving sugar and demand it often.

Corn syrup

Corn syrup gives a sweet taste to any product and is present in ritz crackers. The difference between corn syrup and sugar is that the former is in the liquid state and later is in the dry state.

But it will affect your dog’s body the same way and processed in the form of glucose. Since corn syrup is more processed, it is more harmful to your furry friend.

Salt

People have two different opinions on salt. Some say that it is good for dogs and others say it is bad. If you study the composition of salt, it is made of sodium.

Sodium is an essential mineral for life. Hence, it has some benefits, like it regulates blood pressure.

But it can harm your dog if consumed too much. Salt can regularize your doggy’s blood pressure and even cause hypernatremia.

Are Ritz crackers toxic?

All the ingredients mentioned above make us say NO to ritz crackers. Let us understand them better.

The first ingredient that we see in ritz crackers is wheat. Ritz crackers are 95% made of wheat. Wheat is bad for dogs for two reasons.

The first reason is that the digestive system converts it into glucose. This can cause problems like diabetes and weight gain.

The second reason is that most of the dogs are gluten allergic. This is because dogs are not used to having a gluten-rich diet.

Common symptoms of gluten allergy include diarrhea, skin irritation, and throwing up.

Also, Ritz crackers have a sugar content for flavoring. And everyone knows that sugar is very harmful to dogs.

Corn syrup is also present in Ritz crackers, which is more harmful than sugar.

Can dogs eat ritz crackers with peanut butter?

You can feed your dog ritz crackers once in a while. Also, the crackers must be fed in a small amount. If given in large amounts, ritz crackers can harm your doggo.

Eating too many Ritz crackers can change the taste buds. Also, if you combine Ritz crackers with peanut butter, it will be more dangerous now. 

Ritz crackers and peanut butter have a high concentration of fats, sodium, and carbohydrates that affects your furry friend for the long term and short term.

Ritz crackers with peanut butter must never be a part of your dog’s diet. Serving this once in a while is considerable.

Can dogs eat graham crackers?

Graham crackers are a big NO for your dog. There are different reasons why graham crackers are not healthy for your furry friend:

First of all, dogs do not need sugar. Dogs require carbs that are broken down into glucose or sugar. But external sugar can cause inflammation. 

There are two types of sugar: granulated sugar and natural sugar(fructose). Natural sugar is good for your dog, and coarse one is very harmful to the health.

When you let your doggo eat granulated sugar, it may result in:

Weight gain

Excess sugar can cause weight gain in dogs. According to the size of your dog, you must know how many calories the dog needs.

Hence, eating graham crackers can lead to weight gain, which negatively affects your doggo’s health.

Cavities

Bacteria is responsible for tooth cavities. It affects the enamel and starts decaying the tooth. Dogs can also have cavities.

Excess sugar can cause cavities in your dog. Cavities are rare in dogs because their diet usually contains less sugar than humans.

 As graham crackers contain sugar, they can cause cavities in dogs. Hence, it is better not to feed your furry friend with graham crackers.

Diabetes

Diabetes occurs when your doggo’s sugar level is not normal. When your dog consumes excess sugar, he can have diabetes.

Diabetes affects the glucose-insulin balance and increases the build-up of sugar in the blood. This results in organ damage to your dog.

• Do Dogs Like Fruit Snacks?
• Can Dogs Eat Rib Bones?
• Can Dogs Eat Egg Shells?

Final thoughts

When it comes to your dog’s diet, you must not feed every human food. Before feeding anything, check the list of ingredients present in the food.

It is important to take care of your doggy’s health. The ingredients present in ritz crackers are harmful to them.

As a responsible pet parent, you are responsible for keeping harmful food away from your precious furry friend.

Frequently asked questions

Can dogs eat prawn crackers?

Prawn crackers can be fed to the dogs. It does not contain toxic ingredients like onion and garlic. Prawn crackers are crispy food that everyone enjoys. Still, you must control the number of prawn crackers you feed your dog.

Can dogs eat cheese crackers?

Yes, you can give cheese crackers to your furry friend. It contains calories, dairy, and salt. Your furry friend is sensitive to salt.

If he eats excess salt, he could get sodium poisoning. The common symptoms of sodium poisoning include diarrhea and vomiting.

Can dogs eat rice crackers?

Yes, dogs can eat rice crackers only in a small quantity. The plain rice crackers are best for your furry friend. Any seasoning and flavoring can be harmful and result in various diseases.

Also, all the packed food products are processed and are high in salt. Hence, these products can be considered as occasional treats.

Can dogs eat unsalted crackers?

Unsalted crackers solve the problem of salt content. Still, they are not good as a treat. They still contain flour that does not offer any nutritional value to your dog.

Can a dog eat crackers safely?

Crackers are ok when given occasionally. But you should not add sugar, garlic, or onions to it. They do not contain any nutritional value; hence, your dog must not eat them.

Can dogs eat saltine crackers?

Saltine crackers do not harm your doggo but do not let him eat too many of them. Saltine crackers contain soda that is safe if consumed one or two.

Can dogs eat goldfish crackers?

Dogs should not eat goldfish crackers. However, it tastes good but contains onion and garlic powder. Both of these ingredients are toxic for your dog.