My wife and I are huge fans of the Beyond Burger, as well as Beyond Meat’s sausages and other products, but we wouldn’t feed them to our dogs. First of all, there’s the cost… At roughly $8 per package – 2 patties – in our area, I’d say that’s some pretty expensive dog food.
But let’s forget about the cost for a second, and ask the question: Is Beyond Meat even safe for dogs?
The simple answer is: Giving your dog a small bite of a Beyond Burger or Sausage won’t hurt them, but feeding them a whole one is too much sodium and fat in one serving to be healthy for them. Beyond Burgers, specifically, also contain cocoa butter, which is bad for dogs.
Continue reading to learn more about feeding your dog Beyond Meat…
Beyond Meat shared this picture on their Twitter, but should they really encourage people to feed their products to dogs?
Why You Shouldn’t Feed Your Dog Beyond Meat (But a Small Taste Won’t Hurt)
After reviewing the ingredients in Beyond Burgers and Beyond Sausages, I was surprised that I didn’t find lots of ingredients toxic to dogs, such as onions and garlic; though I did notice that the Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef – basically the same thing in a different package – contain cocoa butter, which is toxic to dogs.
However, it really all comes down to salt and fat. All of Beyond Meat’s products contain high amounts of sodium and vegetable oils. In fact, various types of oils, such as expeller-pressed canola oil and refined coconut oil, appear to be the third and fourth ingredients in all of their products.
Dogs just simply cannot tolerate the same amount of salt and fat that humans can, especially when the fat is coming from processed sources. In a previous article I wrote about feeding dogs gammon, I discuss this in depth, so be sure to give that a read if you want to learn more about why high amounts of sodium and fat are so bad for dogs.
As for the cocoa butter, it’s hard to find out exactly how much cocoa butter is in a Beyond Burger, but considering it’s the eighth ingredient, it’s probably not enough to harm your dog, especially if they only have a small bite.
Theobromine is the chemical in chocolate that makes dogs sick, and cocoa butter does not contain as much theobromine as cocoa powder or chocolate do. Nonetheless, cocoa butter can still give most dogs an upset stomach, and in some cases, depending on the dog and the amount consumed, it can cause seizures, and in the most extreme cases, death.
In general, I would not recommend feeding your dog Beyond Meat, but if you want to give them a small taste as a treat from time to time, it won’t harm them.
What to Do if Your Dog Accidentally Eats Beyond Meat
So, your dog just jumped on the counter and scarfed down two freshly cooked Beyond Burgers while you weren’t paying attention? What should you do?
First of all, don’t panic. It’s very unlikely your dog is suddenly going to drop dead. If we’re talking about Beyond Burgers or Beyond Beef, specifically, you might be worried about the cocoa butter, but bear in mind that most dogs have to eat a fairly large amount of chocolate relative to their weight to actually get sick enough to die from it; and your dog didn’t just eat an entire Hershey’s bar, they ate an entire veggie burger that is mostly water, peas, and vegetable oil.
What will most likely happen if your dog eats a lot of Beyond Meat in one sitting is they will get an upset stomach and probably throw up the food. They will also get very thirsty from all of the salt, so you should monitor their water intake to ensure they are not drinking too much too fast, which can cause bloat – about 4 to 8 oz per hour is a safe amount. What’s most important, though, is that you don’t let them slurp down an endless amount.
If your dog is exhibiting more serious symptoms, such as seizures, stupor, or unconsciousness; you should get them to a vet or emergency animal clinic as quickly as possible.
References:
Beyond Meat. Retrieved from: https://www.beyondmeat.com/
North Windham Veterinary Hospital. Chocolate Toxicity. Retrieved from: https://www.nwindhamvet.com/chocolate-toxicity.pml
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