Can Dogs Eat Spicy Food?

No, dogs should not eat spicy food.

Spicy food such as chili beans and curry may be delicious for humans, but this may not be the case for dogs. Spicy dishes are made with hot peppers such as chili peppers, cayenne, jalapenos, and serrano—all of which cannot be eaten by your dog. When eaten, the active component capsaicin found in spicy food may trigger severe digestive issues and leave a burning sensation in the mouth. This may cause your dog to experience nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, excessive thirst, vomiting, dehydration, gas, and abdominal pain. 

What to do if your dog accidentally eats spicy food: Find out how much of the spicy dish your dog ate. Check the nutrition facts label to discover all the ingredients used in the dish. If it includes harmful ingredients such as salt, garlic, and onion, contact your veterinarian immediately. Depending on what he ate, he may display common poisoning symptoms such as nausea, difficulty breathing, vomiting, and drooling. 

In addition, high salt intake may cause seizures, coma, depression, tremors, and high temperature. Meanwhile, garlic and onion poisoning can manifest as lethargy, weakness, lack of coordination or energy, pale gums, increased heart rate, labored breathing, discolored urine, abdominal pain, and anemia.

In summary: Dogs only have about 1,700 taste buds, so they are unable to discern spicy flavours. But more than not being able to fully appreciate this particular taste, spicy food should not be given to dogs because of the digestive complications that may result from eating it. Instead of giving him spicy food, find out which vegetables and fruits you can safely feed to your dog under our “can dogs eat” category.

References:

Food dogs should not eat and some they should

Can Dogs Taste Spicy Food, and Do They Like It?

Can My Dog Eat Spicy Food?

Dog poisoning: Signs of poisoning in dogs and what you need to do