Can Dogs Eat Seitan?

Yes, dogs can occasionally eat seitan.

A well-known vegan substitute for meat, seitan consists of wheat gluten and water. Water is kneaded with the wheat flour to create gluten protein, then repeatedly washed to remove the starches. Low in fat and carbohydrates, seitan contains protein, selenium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, and copper that may be beneficial for dogs.

Dogs are allowed to consume seitan. However, only a small portion of it should be given as a treat. Additionally, dogs with wheat allergy must not be fed seitan. Since soy is a common seasoning used for seitan, it is best for dogs with soy allergies or intolerances to avoid store-bought seitan.

Read the label before feeding seitan to your dog. Commercially produced seitan usually contains salt, onion, and garlic that are toxic for your canine pet. Common salt poisoning symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, decrease in appetite, incoordination, excessive thirst or urination, lethargy, tremors, seizures, and coma. Meanwhile, eating seitan with onion or garlic may lead to oxidative damage to the red blood cells, gastroenteritis, lethargy, pale gums, weakness, exercise intolerance, increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, and collapse.

How to feed seitan to your dog: Cook the seitan by boiling, simmering, steaming, or baking it. Do not add seasonings or artificial flavourings that are harmful for your dog. Let the seitan cool then slice it into smaller pieces. Give some as a treat after a training session or a visit to the vet clinic.

In summary: A useful meat substitute, seitan can be safely given to your dog as an occasional treat as long as he is not allergic or intolerant to wheat. However, seitan should not be given on a regular basis since it contains high levels of sodium. Following your vet’s recommendation, the seitan consumed by your dog must not go beyond 10% of his daily food intake.