Can Dogs Eat Grit?

In today’s episode on what dogs can or can not eat, we have GRITS!

“Go! eat what you want, how you want, when you want, and if people whine about it…eat them too!” Haha, funny yeah? No, not funny, do that and risk the dangers of poor health due to terrible nutritional intakes. The same goes for our canine friends! Just as much as we humans tend to watch what we eat taking into consideration the nutritional compositions, health accrued benefits, the purity and organic integrity of our edibles, our doggies are not left out as well.

Owning a pet can be a lot of responsibility and as a pet parent decision-making for your canines is solely yours to bear. Making the right catering decisions is very crucial to your dog’s health.

One of the most frequently asked questions on dog catering almost always veers toward healthcare in relation to dog nutrition.

Can your dog eat GRITS?

Are GRITS safe for dogs?

Short answer, no. Long answer, NO. Absolutely not. In very small amounts grits can prove less threatening but still, it is better safe than sorry.

Grits are high in carbs which are needed only in micro amounts for your pooch. Grits are basically just fillers with minimal calorie intakes. They are not nutritionally beneficial for your dog and feeding them grits can lead to health complications arising from obesity, weight gain, diabetes, and of course an expensive trip to the vet.

Are Grits Toxic to Dogs?

No, grits are not chemically harmful to dogs. When served plainly they are less threatening to your dog’s health but in total contrast, they can prove fatal when served with toppings like seasonings, pepper, butter, cheese and salt. These ingredients are not safe for dogs when taking in sufficient amounts.

If you must serve grits remember that the portions must be in small amounts and only given as a treat on rare occasions as too much can put your pup’s health in rapid decline and cause general ill health of your dog.

Can Your Dogs Eat Grits When Cooked?

If you love grits so much I’m sorry, but cooking them for your dogs is just as harmful to them still. These Grits are made from corn kernels that are in your dog’s digestive system. These corn kernels can cause hindrances in your pup’s GIT and can cause long-term health issues for them.

To be safe, if you cannot serve them plainly avoid using them at all as they’re better alternatives than grits.

Brief Note About Grit

Grits are a corn-based food primarily consumed at breakfast and are very much popular in the United States bearing dominance in the southern region of the country and here are a few things you should know about grits:

Grits are made of corn that has been ground where the color is bleached off by using an alkaline substance such as limewater. The process undergone is that the corn used here is being soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, using mostly lime, and the outer covering is peeled off as well. This process is called nixtamalization.

It is ground into gritty coarse particles and then boiled thereafter. There is the white corn variation called hominy. This creamy goodness is usually best served with toppings like salt, pepper, butter, milk, and cheese.

The word “grit” is coined from an Old English word called “grytt” which has its meaning defined as a coarse meal.

The states of Texas have an abundance in grits manufacture and from Texas to Virginia is tagged the Grits belt.

April is Grit month. Yes, the infamous grits have their own day too! So much for a creamy breakfast meal huh!

In South Carolina, World Grits Day is celebrated in the month of April every year. The state of South Carolina has been dubbed the “ The world’s Grits Capital ” consuming a massive amount of grits more than anywhere else on the planet.

These grits present themselves in several varieties to taste:

Hominy grits

Corn grits

Fast-cooking grits

Stone-ground grits

Instant grits

What Are The Health Benefits Grits Offer?

Grits are packed with macronutrients composed of high levels of carbohydrates, proteins, and amino acids which of course are essential elemental nourishments for any living thing. So yes, they’re safe for human consumption completely and provide their own benefits. Then why isn’t it safe for my furballs? you ask. Keep in mind that this corn kernel variation has a 9% composition of sodium. Sodium which is required in minute amounts in dog nutrition, these grits serve as overkill.

Note that for every 100grams of grit there is an approx. 223 milligrams of sodium content. An average-weighted-sized dog has its maximum recommended daily sodium allowance pegged at 100mg and grits offer more than twice that amount! Showing that sufficient consumption of grits in your canine diet can prove detrimental leading to the high concentration of sodium in the blood plasma promoting a condition known as hypernatremia putting your pup at risk.

Note that corn generally is not fit for consumption in a dog’s diet and it should be avoided in all variations it comes in.

Are Dogs Eating Grits Risky?

Grit has its rich components ranging from the presence of the Vitamin B9 or folic acid, high amounts of carbohydrates and protein as well as essential amino acids too without dispute. Still, in comparison of its health benefits to its unhealthy dangers, it is safe to say that its conventionally negative costs trump its benefits.

Below are a couple of reasons why grits are not encouraged for your doggies:

High carbohydrates content –

In a dog-specific diet, carbohydrates are not prioritized as much as it is for us humans and are not needed in overly sufficient amounts in your pup’s dietary requirements. Then again, while carbohydrates that can be gotten from fruits, vegetables and other food sources are considered healthy, the carbs that are gotten from grain foods like corn and wheat are tagged as bad carbs. Carbohydrates most certainly do not only make available rich nutritional contents it also increases the blood sugar concentration of your dog.

Highly sodium rich –

As stated above a 100 gram of grit comprises about 223 mg of salt/sodium elements and this is a red flag as high sodium concentration can prove very much dangerous to your pup’s health.  These grits have over twice the amount of the required sodium requirements for dogs and should be avoided completely.

Grits contain corn kernels that screws up the dogs digestive system –

It has been established that nutritionally grits are not your go-to fast food for your pups. What’s more is that they mess up the gut of your dogs, halting the peristaltic flow of food, blocking the intestinal tract, and generally causing gut issues.

Grits do not digest properly –

They block the gastrointestinal tract and are hard to digest. As with every other corn-based food, dogs have difficulty digesting them as their guts are not cut out for these kinds of food.

Corn based foods provoke allergic reactions –

Corn kernels and corn have been said to constitute a list of dog allergens that can set off a mild allergic reaction and in worse cases anaphylaxis. Your dog might be allergic to corn and you should proceed with caution if you must feed them grits.

Danger of Obesity –

Grits are high in carb content and in large amounts in your dog’s diet can prompt overweight and obesity issues which opens up the door to other health conditions ranging from blood vessel plaques to coronary ailments.

What If Your Dogs Happens To Eat Grits?

Once in a while, you can give them grits albeit very rarely and in very small amounts. It won’t do much harm. But in any case, if they happen to eat grit and you find out, place an observing eye on them and monitor them for the next couple hours to see if they have allergic reactions to ingesting them. But if the grit they consumed has toppings or ingredients that are unsuitable or toxic to them, it’s advised you get them to go see the vet as soon as possible

In conclusion: Can Dogs Eat Grit?

Grits in our diets pose no problem and are perfectly fine since you consume them even in sufficient quantities without any harm at all. But in retrospect it does not do really well for the health of your dogs as it provides no nutritional values, is merely just fillers, and poses dangerous health conditions for your dogs spanning from overweight, obesity, diabetes, severe allergic reactions, and your dog’s gut ill health. Rather than spending money on buying foods that are harmful to your dog’s health, there are healthy and better alternatives like boiled eggs, sweet potatoes, oatmeal amongst others.

If you need help with finding the right diet for your dogs consult with your vet or make your own very informed research. Whatever you do, keep grits in your dog’s bowl. It’s safer that way.