Question
I am considering feeding my dachshund some hot dogs and/or sausages. I witnessed my friend feed his dachshund multiple sausages, and the dog seemed fine afterwards.
Is this wise?
Beyond having society label him a "cannibal", are there any actual inherent dangers to feeding my dachshund (or, for that matter, any canine) a hot dog or variant thereof (frankfurter, sausage, bratwurst, kielbasa, blood sausage, etc.)? If there are dangers, what are they?
Does it matter if the hot dog is pork, beef (Kosher or not), other meat (chicken, turkey), or vegetarian (soy, etc.)? Are there safe hot dog-esque alternatives?
Essentially, I'd like to know how safe it is to feed hot dogs to a dog.
Answer
There's nothing inherently wrong with hot dogs. In fact, they're a popular treat used in training. But, they are treats, and as such should be given in moderation.
The meat shouldn't make a difference really (though pork should be cooked to avoid parasites, the same as you would if you were planning on eating it). What matters is what has been added to the meat. For safety, I would suggest avoiding flavored hot dogs, as they usually contain ingredients that can be harmful to dogs (e.g. Cheese-filled or beer batter bratwursts).
Although it's important to check the ingredients even with plain hot dogs, as all hot dogs will have various amounts of sodium added. Sausages worry me a little bit, because generally they're packed with various spices, which can include garlic and salt.
Since hot dogs are generally considered safe for dogs, there haven't been any alternatives that I know of, but there are pet-safe condiments you can add if you want. Something like Petchup and/or Muttstard should be fine to add if your dog likes them. (For cats, see Catchup and Meowstard)
Answered By - Spidercat