Many people love to eat hummus, but can dogs have hummus? In theory they can, though there are some risks involved. In this blog post we will discuss the health benefits and risks of giving your dog hummus.
WHAT IS HUMMUS?
Hummus (also spelled hummous, humous) is a type of food made from ground chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), olive oil, tahini (sesame seed paste), garlic and lemon juice. For us humans, it makes a delicious appetiser with various garnishes such as vegetables sticks.
Let’s take a look at the different ingredients in hummus to see their benefit or effect on dogs:
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CAN DOGS EAT CHICKPEAS?
Chickpeas are a type of legume and can be toxic to dogs if they have an allergy or sensitivity. However, only a small number of dogs suffer from allergies to legumes.
Chickpeas can also cause intestinal upsets such as diarrhea and flatulence in some dogs, so they are not recommended for dogs with sensitive stomachs.
However, chickpeas have various health benefits for dogs. They are high in protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre and they can be a great addition to your dog’s diet as long as they are cooked.
Dried chickpeas should never be given to a dog. The chickpeas in tahini are cooked.
CAN DOGS EAT OLIVE OIL?
Olive oil is safe for dogs to eat and even has health benefits, especially extra virgin olive oil. With antioxidants, and omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, it helps to give our dogs a shiny coat and healthy skin. It can also help with inflammation.
CAN DOGS EAT TAHINI?
Tahini is a paste made of ground sesame seeds. The most common use for tahini is as an ingredient in hummus recipes.
Like chickpeas, tahini has lots of nutritional and health-related benefits for dogs. It’s full of healthy fats, minerals and vitamins. It also contains antioxidants.
WHAT ABOUT LEMON JUICE? IS THAT OK FOR DOGS?
Lemon juice does provide lots of vitamin C, but it’s also very acidic for dogs. Too much of it is likely to disagree with your dog’s digestive system and give her an upset tummy. However, unless you gave her an entire pot of hummus, the small amount of lemon juice in hummus is unlikely to cause tummy upset for most dogs.
BUT ISN’T GARLIC TOXIC TO DOGS?
Garlic is perfectly safe for dogs in moderation. You would have to give your dog a huge amount of garlic for it to have any detrimental effect.
In fact, the whole ‘garlic is bad for dogs’ debate arose as a result of a study on just 4 dogs, in the year 2000, that gave the equivalent of 25 garlic cloves to a dog that weighs 50 Lbs. Who wouldn’t get sick on that amount of garlic?
A follow up study in 2004 in fact concluded that garlic is beneficial for dogs.
Garlic has many health benefits, so it is a good idea to give your dog small amounts of garlic.
SO, IS IT SAFE FOR DOGS TO EAT HUMMUS?
Most dogs will have no problems eating hummus in moderation,. However, like many food items, there are some potential risks involved when it comes to giving your dog hummus. Some of the possible side effects can include a stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting or an allergic reaction.
TYPES OF HUMMUS YOU SHOULDN’T GIVE A DOG
The ingredients in classic hummus are dog-safe in moderation. However, be careful with flavoured and speciality hummus which has added ingredients that may not be dog-safe. Watch out especially for onions, which are of course toxic to dogs.
CONCLUSION
In small amounts, hummus is perfectly safe for dogs for most dogs. However, there are potential side effects for some dogs.
It’s not uncommon for people to share their food with their dogs, or give them leftovers. So, if there happens to be a little hummus left on your plate, and Fido cleans it up, it’s unlikely to be a problem.
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