Summer is a season for grilling and backyard barbeque of corn. As the season approaches, the enticing smell of corn spreads everywhere for the next few months. Corn can be eaten in many ways. Its different type of delicious foods is loved by you and your four-legged friends.
This is a summertime staple food, both on and off the cob can be eaten. Chances increase for your pet friend to eat this delicious corn with you. Some of the foods you are grilling and serving might be unsafe to share with your dog. Luckily for him and you, corn is safe to eat for your dog.
Safe Food for Dogs!
It is quite safe and healthy food for dogs. Addition of a small amount of corn in dog’s food always work wonder. Dogs can enjoy this healthy cereal by your tricks of giving them in moderation.
Many food manufacturers favour this food grain not only for its nutrition and quality to bulk the food but also relatively inexpensive. So, you will find corn in a variety of dog food.
Corn is one of the most famous cereal grain with different varieties. Corn is loaded with several vitamins and minerals depending on the type of corn. All veterinarian nutritionist agree that it can be a part of the balanced diet of your dog if given in limits.
Nutritional Values of Amazing Grain
Corn has many nutritional benefits and there is no evidence that it is harmful to health. Corn is a stable food across the globe due to high dietary significance enriched with an ample number of macronutrients like starch, fibre, protein, fat along with several micronutrients: b complex vitamins beta carotene, essential minerals: magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, copper and oxidants. Corn is generally known as starchy grain (the major part of carbohydrates). Carbs can be a good source of fibre. Regardless of all facts about carbs getting a bad rap, these promote gut health and motility. Corn boasts its goodness of nutrients.
Corn Cob as A Dangerous Stick
No, it is not safe for your dog to eat corn on the cob because dogs don’t know that the cob is not supposed to be eaten. They don’t differentiate between cob and kernels. you might have seen that your dog would have a hard time in consume something like this cob. Or sometime if he is very hungry, he will whittle down that cob in minutes with ease. If they ingest the cob, it can cause a serious intestine blockage.
Corn is not a big necessity in dog food, it can be skipped because most of the elements are present in dogs’ diet already. So why should you invite trouble for your dog? This situation can be very painful for a dog. Always remember when you are enjoying a piece of barbeque corn on the cob, slathered in butter, never share it with your lovely pooch.
While at first, it might seem normal. Your dog cannot digest the cob. Some visible health problems might seem if your dog has ingested the cob: dehydration, bloating, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy and diarrhoea. You observe any kind of symptoms then gets veterinary help right away. After observation, your vet suggests that your dog has any need for the emergency of medication or surgery for removal of the cob. The difficulty level of this problem depends upon dog size and cob size which is in the intestine of your dog. If you have a small furry friend the problem becomes gnawing.
Types of Corns
Corn is a good staple food item that humans consume for many years. Corn can be eaten in a variety of forms like corn on the cob, canned corn, popcorn, corn starch and cornflour (the additional ingredient in most cheap dog foods). Humans enjoy this nutritious corn by cooking in different ways. It is easily accessible all over the world. Problems of intake of corn in dogs depend on the form of corn.
Difference between corn starch and cornflour
- Cornflour: it is a fine powder of whole corn kernel.
- Corn starch: it is a powder of corn kernel having only starchy centre called endosperm. Protein and fibre of grain are removed first.
What Is Cob
Cobs are made up of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. These substances are easily digested in small to moderate amounts. They help to make all process smoothly related to dog’s intestine. But too much amount of these substances in the form of cob overwhelm the dog’s intestine tract and cause a blockage or obstruction.
When is corn safe for my dog to eat?
To know more about different varieties of corn continue reading and learn how to feed your dog these corns:
Sweet Corn
Dogs can eat sweetcorn easily than the corn on the cob. Sweet corns are kernels that are removed from the cob (harmful and indigestible part). These are safe for dogs however your dog should be non-allergic. Moreover, sweet corns can add nutritional benefits to their diet. If you feed your dog corns just make sure you do so in moderation. But as with any new food, make sure you know about all its side effects on health and give a small quantity of food to your dog as a precaution.
While dogs digest probably all sweet corns. So, don’t be too alarmed if some kernels are found in their tools. Sweet corns are very similar to other cereals like wheat, rice etc in essential elements. Skipping out corn sometimes from your dog’s meal, doesn’t let down the nutrition value in its body.
Fresh corns or frozen corns are considered as the first choice of owners to add the bulk to the dinner or feed a healthy snack. These works extra filling for your furry friend.
Many dogs love the taste of these sweet corns. Sometimes these sweet kernels become craving stuff for your puppies.
Corn Starch
It is a very common ingredient in dog foods. It does not add much nutrition to the food yet it is better than other filler. It is a powder form of corn. As corn is rich in carbs it is used in many eatable products like high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oil. Corn starch is less allergic than cornflour. So, it seems to be less harmful than corn flour. Corn starch or corn flour mainly are used as a thickener to the kernels of dog. They work like a starchy filler.
It can be used as corn starch baby powder a flea repellent in dogs. Different dogs have different sensitive skins. It is very helpful for dogs to enjoy the massage position of its dry bath. All-time use of this makes a leathery and shiny coat of your puppy.
Canned Sweet Corn or Frozen Sweet Corn
These are the example of modified starch. Processed food is simply known as less nutritious and harmful health products for your dog. Canned sweet corn is often high in salt. Dogs are on high risk of dehydration and sodium poisoning if they consume it a lot. These are the best for some occasions due to low nutritional values. Be aware of canned liquid which should be drained out thoroughly as having very chemicals.
Frozen corn is a budget-friendly, easily available and easy to make. You have to just boil them till tender, the corn is ready in a few minutes and your dog enjoys it. Corn should be given without butter or seasoning. These corns can be very filling. Put them off their dinner.
Baby Sweet Corn
It is safe to digest as compared to corn. It is an immature vegetable with less developed tough cob and can be eaten whole. There is not much advice on whether dogs can eat baby corn or not. But go for the side of cautions, try to avoid this and go for other options like fruits and vegetables etc.
Pop Corn
These are pop-ups of maize seeds and are different from sweet corn. They are from the same family and a different plant. These are filling food with lots of carbs. So, you must be mindful of the additional ingredients and volume when you feed them. moreover, less nutritional values make them extraneous. Flavoured popcorn is very harmful to dogs.
Hold Back on the Corn: Keep Control
Corn offers carbohydrate fibre. Usually, dogs have already a load of sugar of these carbs in their food so, feed corns to your dog in check. Dogs need up to 25% carbs in their diet. They stay healthy below this number.
Starchy foods like legumes, grains and potatoes are a big source of carbs. Carbs end into sugar. This sugar invites all infections, cancerous cells, harmful bacteria in your dog’s mouth. 80% of dogs are infected with an oral health problem at the age of 3. So, there are many better carb sources like fruits and veggies.
Most cheap dog foods are loaded with corn. It is an ingredient in most commercial dog food. Try to avoid them to feed regularly.
Is sweet corn good for dogs?
Kernels of corns are packed full of carbs, protein, fibre and some vitamins. These can be wonders when are used in moderation. Carbs in corn may be a part of a balanced diet. Protein is important for body issues skeletal muscles while fibre can help to strengthen the digestion and improve the firmness of your dog’s stool.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin minerals are found in corn which is related to eye health. Cooked sweet corns are a good source of antioxidants.
Antioxidants lessen the possibilities of making free radical and reactivate the oxygen in their blood. Vitamin C is found more in raw corn than cooked corns.
Can Corn Sick the Dog
The corn of any variety is very harmful to your dog. Large consumption of any kind of corn is a very important reason to make sick your dog. If your dog has become sick without overeating corn, then observe about its allergies for corns. Consult your vet and take advice. Cobs can cause serious illness so; you should never give a whole ear of corn to your dog. Dogs are tempted to bite off part of the cob and chew on it. This is too hard and tough to break down. Single small piece of cob can be a choking hazard as well as can damage inside of your dog’s respiratory tract. Other forms like popcorn, sweetcorn cause bloating and indigestion. Corn starch or flour is overcoated on dog kernels to make them stuffy and are unhealthily for your dog.
Can Corn Kill the Dog
Primary substances of the cob are part of every cell wall. Probably your dog eats these substances daily in many forms of the food because these are an essential element of dietary fibre.
Dehydrate your dog: ground corn cobs are also remarkably absorbent. They absorb all moisture nearby in the intestine. As a good absorbent, they dehydrate your dog.
- These cobs are used in a variety of industrial application like clean-up of oil spills.
- They work like a naturally occurring eco-friendly rat poison. This cob causes acute dehydration in rats as it absorbs all moisture from digestive tracts. As a result, it causes the rat to die.
- Maybe happened the same with your dog and chances of blockage more likely occur.
- Its abrasiveness makes it very dangerous for the dog. It scrapes the dog’s insides.
It is very rough and hard. So, often is used as industrial cleaners and the sides of the building are even made with it.
What do you do if your dog eats a cob?
Now it is very clear that cob is threatening for your pup. As you confirm about ingestion of cob in your dog, contact your vet right away. You should bring your pup into the clinic as your vet instructs. He/she will examine the dog’s body thoroughly and ask all symptoms and behaviour of the dog since eating the cob. Maybe she suggests X-rayof dog’s body.
- Medication depends upon the location of the cob and size of the piece in its gut after observation.
- Some times your vet advises you to let chewed up cob pass through your dog’s intestine naturally.
- But if the blockage is present, then surgery will be the last option to pull out from the body.
- Sometimes, vet tries to remove it with a special instrument inserted into the dog’s mouth or rectum.
- In some cases, your vet may simply advise you to keep your pup at home. She may simply tell you to watch symptoms of blockage:
- Vomiting
- The obvious sign of pain or discomfort
- Inability to get comfortable
- Panic or anxiety
- Weakness, lethargic and depression
- Diarrhoea
If you have any symptoms put your pup in the car and head to vet.
For some reason, if your vet is not available, go for online services. You can fix your appointment and share your videos and images in the chat. It will help the online vet to diagnose your dog better.
Conclusion
You probably should not give it to your dog, and if you do, make sure to take care of corncobs indigestion. This is a common mistake but a huge risk that your dog is in danger. All aspects of do’s and don’ts have been tried to clear and explain in this article. Now the fact is an occasional bite of corn would not hurt your dog.
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