The spice of food has a likelihood with relationships — not only to our significant others but also our dogs.
The way we put effort and understanding with our partners in times of struggle has a relationship with the amount of spice we put into every dish.
When too much salt can make our dinner unbearable, and when too much sweetness can cause us to have a sugar overload.
So, here comes Wasabi — a spicy ingredient that can make or break our relationship with food.
But, while the right amount can make it delicious, can Wasabi take part in the dog’s ultimate cravings? Can we offer this to our dog’s regular diet?
Let’s put a chilling effect on our questions first.
This article guides you on the nature of Wasabi, how it can benefit your dogs, and ways to serve it safely properly.
What is Wasabi?
Wasabi is a spicy green paste that is commonly used as a condiment.
It’s often served with sushi or sashimi, but it can also be found in other dishes like salads and noodles.
The term “Wasabi” originates from the word “Hwasabi,” a plant similar to Wasabi itself.
It’s often mistaken for ‘Western Wasabi,’ but the two are different plants, one being Japanese Horseradish and the other being Giant Knotweed.
Many people assume that buying organic means you’re getting a better quality product.
However, in Wasabi, organic is not always best because chemicals are used to grow it quickly and eliminate any pests.
Therefore, if you’re going for the freshest produce possible, choose non-organic instead.
Traditionally, Wasabi is used for sushi preparations, but now people use it on different dishes such as meat, vegetables, or even drinks like tea and sake.
Even in some countries like Brazil and Australia, people use it in their everyday meals.
Food family of Wasabi
Wasabi is the food family of Brassicaceae. A plant family is commonly referred to as the mustard family.
It’s a family that consists of many other plants such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale.
The Brassicaceae family shared common characteristics like four-petaled flowers, usually white or pink.
Also, the plant’s leaves are scaly with a serrated edge that looks similar to a shark tooth. The texture is shiny when it’s young, but as it gets older, it loses its luster.
As per its nutritional value, this family food provides many benefits. For example, Wasabi has high “isothiocyanates” and “glucosinolates” — plant compounds that offer health protection against certain types of cancer.
With the given conditions, can we say that dogs eat Wasabi?
Can dogs eat Wasabi?
Yes. Wasabi has no toxic components, and it’s safe for dogs to eat.
As earlier mentioned, Wasabi has a great source of benefits, such as potent antioxidant properties.
The antioxidants found in Wasabi are so powerful that they help fight cancer-causing free radicals linked to chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
However, keep in mind that dogs cannot overeat Wasabi because it can cause digestive issues since it’s a spicy food item.
Also, if your dog suffers from allergies or has a sensitive stomach, make sure to give them small amounts at first until their digestive tract adapts.
That’s why to achieve a safe, memorable Wasabi eating. We designed the best ways for your dogs to feed your dogs with this food:
Best Ways to Feed your Dogs with Wasabi
Add some Wasabi on top of your dog’s regular meals.
To make the flavor more interesting, you can add a little Wasabi to their regular meal. If they like spicy foods, this will be an enjoyable experience!
Just keep in mind that as the Wasabi is dried, it becomes more potent.
Just give them some sushi along with Wasabi.
Instead of giving your dog a separate plate, try to add some Wasabi on top of their regular food and let them eat together.
Some people like adding a cooked egg or raw fish (tuna) for even more flavor and variety, but avoid raw meat with Wasabi.
Wasabi in moderation is healthy for dogs, too.
Feed your dog some Wasabi in small amounts, like a little bit of sushi or sashimi covered in wasabi sauce.
If you’re giving them fresh Wasabi (not dried), make sure no pesticides are used on it.
Reasons Why Dogs Can Eat Wasabi
To quite an extent, Wasabi has health factors your dog may benefit from after eating in moderation.
It’s not a spice that comes along, but here are some reasons to take note of:
Relieves skin allergies
Wasabi helps relieve skin allergies because it has anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the chemicals in Wasabi help fight the inflammation associated with skin allergies, which makes this plant a good treatment for your pup’s rashes or other inflammations on their body.
Can prevent allergies and stomach issues
One of the benefits of Wasabi can also help reduce gas, bloating, or even diarrheal problems your dog may suffer from after eating certain food items they are sensitive to.
It’s great for their digestive system.
Promotes healthy digestion
Wasabi contains enzymes called myrosinase, which your dog’s body can use to defend itself from harmful bacteria such as salmonella.
Also, it helps with the absorption of nutrients in the food your dog eats.
Good for their heart health
The isothiocyanates found in Wasabi can help prevent cardiovascular diseases, and its anti-inflammatory properties reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack.
It also contains omega-three fatty acids that help with arthritis symptoms due to inflammation.
Possible Concerns When Eating Wasabi
With too much Wasabi feeding, your dog may incur health damages. As a dog owner, you have to watch out for the health concerns below:
Intestinal damage
If your dog overeats Wasabi, they may suffer from intestinal damage after digesting it. If this occurs, you might see vomiting or diarrhea because their body can’t handle the spicy food item.
Allergic reactions to Wasabi are rare but possible.
Some dogs have allergies to Wasabi and other ingredients found in these foods, resulting in minor symptoms like hives, itching, or swelling.
If your dog is allergic to certain foods, you should avoid giving them Wasabi to prevent any reactions.
Canine pancreatitis
Some dogs have a risk for pancreatitis if they eat Wasabi. As stated in certain studies, it has been seen that canines who ate raw Wasabi had an increased risk of developing this condition because the plant contains substances that may cause inflammation to their pancreas’ tissues.
Signs your dog is sick from eating Wasabi
When dogs develop the above-mentioned possible health concerns, short-term symptoms may manifest first. Therefore, here are the following signs of sickness to look after:
Vomiting or diarrhea
In case your dog overeats Wasabi, they may have vomiting or watery stools. These are the first signs of a possible intestinal blockage if it’s not treated immediately.
This can lead to more significant health problems like perforation and rupture of their intestines which is life-threatening without proper medical treatment.
Increased thirst
When Wasabi enters the body, it can cause a slight dehydration effect. However, if your dog overeats this plant item, they may suffer from excessive thirst, which is a sign their kidneys are working harder to excrete excess fluids from the body.
When you see them drinking more water than usual, that’s an indication something is wrong with their digestive system.
Increase in breathing rate or difficulty breathing
Suppose your dog starts to breathe faster than usual after eating Wasabi.
In that case, that could be a sign their airways are swelling because of an allergic reaction characterized by inflammation and fluid buildup inside the lungs due to hypersensitivity response.
If this condition worsens, they may develop respiratory distress, so it’s best to consult a vet immediately for further diagnosis and treatment.
What to do if your dog is sick from eating Wasabi?
Somehow, the difficulty of breathing or increased thirst of your dog may alarm you to be shocked and panic.
But it won’t help. So instead, you may focus and relax to help your dog recover from this health concern.
If you see that they suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, or breathing difficulties, then take them immediately to the vet for further diagnosis and treatment.
You should also bring along their food history to determine if there’s something wrong with what they ate before getting sick.
For instance, is it possible your dog ate too much Wasabi? If so, let the vet know this information for a more accurate diagnosis.
Take them to their regular veterinarian if you see they start vomiting or have diarrhea.
If these symptoms don’t stop within 24 hours after eating Wasabi, it’s best to consult a specialist because there might be something wrong that can be life-threatening without proper medical treatment.
Avoid similar foods from this family.
Stinging Nettles
This plant contains substances that may cause inflammation in their kidneys and urinary tract tissues, resulting in pain when urinating.
This can also lead to obstruction of urine flow, which requires immediate medical treatment.
Parsley
Similarly, parsley is also harmful to dogs if ingested in large amounts due to its high concentration of apiol, which can cause spasms or contractions inside the intestinal tract.
Ginger
Ginger has a specific substance called “shogaol,” which can affect the nervous system of dogs if they overeat.
As a result, they may start to drool excessively and have diarrhea, vomiting, or become uncoordinated, which are all signs of distress for their body systems.
How to Make Wasabi Safe To Eat
To commence our discussion, we want to put everything into applications by formulating safe means of feeding.
With that being said, we decided to build tips and tricks exclusive only for you!
Now, here are ways on how to make Wasabi safe to eat:
Consult a table diet with your vet
We understand that you want to provide the best food for your dog, which is why we recommend consulting a table diet first with your vet.
This can help determine what foods are safe and unsafe for them to eat, including Wasabi!
Give it a treat or reward during the training session.
If you still feed this plant item, you can treat them as a reward during a training session. This means you don’t give Wasabi in large doses but instead are given sparingly to teach your pup something new like learning how to sit, stay or shake hands!
Check the ingredients first.
When buying a Wasabi paste in some stores, it’s best to check the ingredients first.
This is essential to determine if other substances can be harmful to your dog to ingest or not!
Give them fresh Wasabi.
If you have a choice, then it’s best to give them fresh Wasabi instead of buying ready-made paste from stores that may contain preservatives and chemicals in large quantities!
It’s best to use fresh Wasabi so you can gain the most benefits from it.
Key Takeaways
Yes, dogs can safely eat Wasabi since this food has no toxic components. In addition, Wasabi has a great source of benefits for your dog, such as anti-inflammatory properties for skin allergies, prevents stomach issues, and promotes healthy digestion.
The antioxidants found in Wasabi are so potent that they help fight cancer-causing free radicals linked to chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
Yet, with too much Wasabi feeding, your dog may incur health damages, such as intestinal damages, allergic reactions, or canine pancreatitis.
So, to prevent these possible health concerns from occurring, you may consult a table diet first with your vet, check the ingredients for Wasabi paste, or give them fresh Wasabi plants.
Relationships, too, have their spices. To achieve harmonious, peaceful partnerships, you have to maintain balance — not too much sweet, not too spicy — everything in between creates a perfect memory. And that relates to why dogs can eat Wasabi!