Most Germans eat cold cuts several times a week.
A popular variety is salami.
When your dog looks at you while you’re having breakfast, you’re probably wondering, «Can dogs eat salami?»
You can find out here why you shouldn’t feed them and resist the begging dog eyes
In a nutshell: Can my dog eat salami?
No, your dog must not eat salami. Processed sausages are heavily salted. There is a risk that your four-legged friend will develop kidney problems.
Raw pork salami is toxic due to Aujeszky’s virus and, if infected, leads to death within hours.
Why can pork salami be toxic?
Pigs carry the Aujeszky virus. It is not toxic to humans, so the virus is not tested in the slaughterhouse. Unfortunately, an infection is fatal for dogs and cats.
While the risk of infection is low and is more likely to affect hounds when they come into contact with pigs, it is important not to take this as reckless and continue to feed them salami. By the way, you should also be careful when you go for a walk in the forest that you don’t meet any pigs!
To date, there is no antidote for an infection in the veterinarians.
This is an animal disease that your vet is not legally allowed to treat.
The only thing the vet can do for your dog is to put him to sleep and thus save your four-legged friend from suffering.
Raw pork salami is toxic due to Aujeszky’s virus and, if infected, leads to death within hours.
Reading tip: You may ask yourself, are dogs allowed to eat sausage and ham? If you want to know the exact answer to this question, we recommend that you read our article on «Can dogs eat sausage and ham».
Is Any Sausage That Contains Pork Dangerous?
The Aujeszky virus is only found in sausages that are raw. This applies to smoked and air-dried salamis. Likewise ham.
If the sausage is boiled or boiled, the Aujeszky virus has already been killed. This applies, for example, to Viennese sausages, liver sausage or hunting sausage. Your four-legged friend can eat these.
The same applies to salami if you heat it up or, for example, give a slice of your pizza.
Even so, it’s best not to give your dog any of it. There is no danger, but the spices, salts and high fat content are not health-promoting.
Can dogs eat smoked salami?
No, your dog must not eat smoked salami either. Contrary to what you might think, salami is always cold smoked. The temperatures are up to 25 degrees. The Aujeszky virus only dies at a temperature of over 80 degrees.
Attention, toxic!
Never leave salami and other types of sausage out in the open. There may be a risk that your darling will eat the salami and, in the worst case, die from it.
Consequently, feeding smoked salami is also very dangerous.
My dog ate salami – what to do?!
If you catch your dog doing it, you should watch him. In most cases, he will be very thirsty in no time due to the spices.
Maybe he gets diarrhea because of the amount.
Look at the salami’s packaging and see if it’s made from pork.
One danger is when your dog starts scratching. Vomiting and restlessness are also signs. In any case, you should immediately go to the nearest veterinarian. These signs speak for the Aujeszky virus.
You can feed your dog this salami without hesitation
If you want to make your darling happy, you can use salami from the feed trade. The dog salami specially produced for four-legged friends is free of spices and other questionable ingredients. It also contains very little salt.
At the same time, you can be sure that the dog salami does not contain a virus and is therefore not harmful to your furry friend.
It usually consists of beef, deer or lamb.
Conclusion: Can dogs eat salami?
No, your dog must not eat salami. It is one of the raw sausages, and that is why salami with pork can lead to death within a few hours due to the Aujeszky virus.
You should also not feed beef or chicken salami because of the spices and high fat content. In addition, the high salt content can cause severe thirst. If you do decide to give your dog a small piece, always heat it before feeding.
You can get unseasoned dog salami in the feed trade, which your dog can eat without hesitation.
Do you have any questions about dogs and salami? Then leave a comment now!