# Are Hot Dogs OK?



## JojoTobyMax (Jul 10, 2012)

My dogs always get some meat mixed in with their food. Sometimes cooked hamburger which I know is OK but usually cheap chicken based hot dogs sliced up and mixed in with their dry food. Is there any reason not to do this? My dogs are not over weight.


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## iloveshepherds (Jul 10, 2012)

I wouldnt see a real big issue...I would just check the sodium levels and the other ingredients in the hot dogs first...if its something you would eat...then feed it to your dogs. I wouldnt use something like that all the time..but more for a treat.


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

Watch out for nitrites. 

Hot Dogs and Nitrites


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I wouldn't do this as hotdogs aren't the healthiest things you can give your dog with all the salt, sugar, nitrates, and fat, in them. Give your dog whole foods, like the burger, egg, chicken, or turkey, not processed foods.


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## JojoTobyMax (Jul 10, 2012)

I appreciate the replies. I would never eat these cheap hot dogs but they ARE made for people. They do have sodium and nitrites though. If this is OK for people why is it not OK for dogs? Is there a specific reason or just that they are generally not healthy for people OR dogs? BTW, they love the hot dogs more than burger or eggs (raw or cooked).


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Hot dogs are very high in fat. I did a chem17 the day after feeding 2 hotdogs for training treats and it jacked her pancreatic level up to about 2000 over the high limit. You are better off using the foods that Elaine suggested

fyi....hot dogs are NOT healthy for people either.

If you are going to use hot dogs, at least bake or nuke them until the fat has drained out of them. They would be a bit crispy at that point.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

Nobody is ever going to say that hotdogs are good for people either. You can eat them and they are tasty, but they aren't healthy.


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

Hot dogs are definitely not good for people, and are linked to childhood cancer. 

Although I must admit I had a pretzel dog at the mall the other day - YUM. I do let my kids eat them occasionally (older teens), but not very often.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Overall we eat pretty healthy but on the 4th got a package of all beef hotdogs for the grill, I accidently dropped one off the grill onto the ground. Gave it a about a minute to cool down then released my boy to get it, he felt like he hit the jackpot. After he ate it he ran around the yard with the zoomies

As a high value training treat in small bits every now & then, ok. Adding to his food to entice him to eat, no.


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

Thanks, this thread has made me think of pretzel dogs all day!


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## rooandtree (May 13, 2012)

ill prob get blasted for this...but i will cook my dog a chicken or turkey hot dog and slice it into tiny tiny pieces and thats what i use to train him with..i did it with my 9 yr old and now im doing it with my new guy


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

A lot of us will use them as training treats because they are perfect for cutting, spitting, taste good, and don't spoil all that fast. But nobody wants to feed them more than they have to and adding them to dinner isn't necessary.


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