Is pepperoni safe for dogs to eat?

Did you order a large pepperoni pizza and drop a slice on the floor? Are you a fan of charcuterie boards but have just a piece or two of meat left? In either case, you may be wondering whether or not it was safe for your pup to indulge in a bit of a treat with either the pizza or those extra bits of charcuterie magic.

While we may love pepperoni, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is good for us. And if it is something that we shouldn’t eat a lot of, what does this mean for our dogs?

Is pepperoni safe for our dogs to eat?

Can dogs eat pepperoni?

According to the American Kennel Club the answer is no, our dogs should not be eating pepperoni. Not only is it a meat that is generally too fatty and in a lot of cases spicy, but

"pepperoni can make your dog sick, potentially putting them at risk for pancreatitis."

And that is not the only condition that they may be at risk for. Another issue they may deal with is gastroenteritis. Of course, there is also the issue of obesity in our dogs, which can be bad for their overall health and wellness, and which salty meats like this can cause.

Although a single slice may not cause such drastic problems, it can still upset their stomach, especially depending on the spices used in the curing of your pepperoni (remember that garlic and onion can be deadly to dogs, and if you have ever read the ingredients list on a package of pepperonis, you may see these ingredients listed). And with the levels of salt that are in this particular meat, your pup is also at risk for salt toxicosis, which is basically just salt poisoning.

Honestly, as much as we might want to spoil our pups, especially if it is just a single slice of pepperoni off of a charcuterie board or off the top of that pizza, knowing all of the issues that can result from them eating this particular meat, we definitely won’t be letting them snack on this particular treat.

Are you surprised by how bad pepperoni can be for our dogs? Did you know that it could cause health problems like this?