Can Dogs Eat Teriyaki Sauce? Is It Safe for Them?

Introduction

Teriyaki sauce is a very common ingredient of many fusion and Japanese foods. Many people add it to their cooked dishes to take the taste to a new level. But can dogs eat teriyaki sauce? Can it put their health in danger?

That is the question that we are answering in today’s article, so keep on reading!

Is Teriyaki Sauce Good for Dogs?

Teriyaki sauce is a heavily processed food, so off the bat, it does not make the best thing that you can feed to your dog. It can contain certain problematic ingredients, which we will discuss in the following sections. 

While it might increase your dog’s daily caloric intake so it could make them feel fuller, we do not advise using this sauce as a common ingredient for your dog’s canned or dry food. 

Is Teriyaki Sauce Bad for Dogs?

Onion and garlic

All of the members categorized as being part of the Allium family, whether chives, onion, or garlic, are dangerous for dogs. Naturally, larger quantities are riskier than smaller ones, but no amount of these condiments are safe for pets. 

Teriyaki sauce contains both garlic and onion, so it should not be a staple of your dog’s diet. 

Ginger

Even though you might come across some sources online that state that giving dogs ginger aids their immune system, this is entirely false. As you probably know if you’ve ever cooked with ginger before, it has a very potent taste and smell. 

For this reason, it can significantly affect your pet’s gastric mucous membrane, causing an episode of digestive distress (mainly consisting of diarrhea and vomiting). Gastric acidity can be another result, so your dog can feel ill for one or several days after eating Teriyaki sauce or anything containing ginger. 

Soy sauce

This ingredient is another that makes teriyaki sauce very unsafe for dogs. Soy sauce is extremely rich in salt, and sodium is not something that pets should have on a regular basis. 

Although commercial dog diets do contain very small amounts of sodium, they are merely added to maintain the balance of electrolytes inside your pup’s diet. Very large amounts of salt, such as those that can be found in this sauce, are dangerous for pups and can lead to severe cardiovascular changes (including death by a heart attack, in some cases). 

Sugar

Teriyaki sauce has a considerable amount of sugar in it, so it does not make the best option for dogs. Those that have diabetes or are overweight will have a hard time coping with a spike in their blood sugar, so you might end up with your pet at the veterinary clinic. 

On top of that, we’d like to note that some sauce varieties (especially the ‘light’ ones) might contain artificial sweeteners. Out of all of these added ingredients, xylitol is by far the worst for this species as it can cause death in a matter of several hours. 

Vegetable oil

Almost all types of oil, except for that coming from natural sources such as seeds and nuts (but only some of them), are unsafe to give to dogs. Most teriyaki sauce products out there can contain canola or soy oil, so they are deemed as being risky for pets. 

How Much Teriyaki Sauce Can My Dog Eat?

None!

No amount of teriyaki sauce can be considered a good addition to a dog’s diet. Not even the foods that have it pre-added can be seen as less dangerous, such as meals that you heat up in your microwave. 

Perhaps half a teaspoon per week might not necessarily put your dog’s life in danger, particularly if they are otherwise an entirely healthy adult, but why take any risks whatsoever?

What Happens if My Dog Eats Teriyaki?

There could be several different outcomes depending on various factors. For example, the exact type of teriyaki sauce can have unique effects, such as whether it contains xylitol or sugar. 

Hypertension, hyperventilation, weakness, and collapse are the most common symptoms that your pet might experience in this case. A severe lowering of your pet’s blood sugar level can happen if the sauce has xylitol, so they might experience vomiting, incoordination, tremors, or convulsions. 

As such, the best advice we have for you if you find that your dog ate any kind of food that contains teriyaki sauce is to go to the animal hospital right away. Time is of the essence, and your pup could lose their life in a matter of hours. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

So, can dogs have teriyaki sauce? The short answer is no. This ingredient is quite unsafe for dogs and should never be added to their food. 

If you intend on giving your pet table scraps (although we advise against doing so), make sure that you skip all of the ingredients that could be harmful to them.

Whether that means steering clear of salt, sugar, oil, or condiments such as onion or garlic, you should cook your dog’s food as unseasoned as possible in order for it to be deemed safe. 

For any other questions regarding your dog’s diet, make sure you get in touch with your veterinarian. 

Sources

1. Hypertension after ingestion of baked garlic (Allium sativum) in a dog, Min-Hee Kang, Hee-Myung Park, 2010
2. Salt, hypertension and renal disease: comparative medicine, models and real diseases, A.R. Mitchell, 1994 
3. Hypoglycemia following canine ingestion of xylitol-containing gum, Eric K. Dunayer, 2004