Can Dogs Eat Teriyaki Sauce? Vet Reviewed Nutrition Facts & FAQ

Teriyaki sauce can spice up many of our meals. However, while it is tasty, it isn’t safe for our canines. Teriyaki sauce contains many ingredients and spices—some of which may be toxic to dogs. For instance, this sauce often includes onion and garlic, both of which can be toxic and are best avoided.

If your dog eats a small lick of teriyaki sauce, you probably don’t have anything to worry about. Still, we wouldn’t recommend giving your dog teriyaki sauce on purpose due to the potential health effects.

Teriyaki sauce is mixed with different ingredients, so there isn’t a huge amount of any one ingredient. Furthermore, it’s often added to a dish—diluting the potentially toxic ingredients even more. 

Toxic Ingredients in Teriyaki Sauce

There are several potentially toxic ingredients in teriyaki sauce. These ingredients may be tasty for us, but they can cause a range of problems for our dogs.

Onions and Garlic

Onions and garlic are related—they’re both Allium family members. All members of this family are toxic to dogs but the toxicity level depends on the dog’s size and how much they eat.. So it does take quite a bit to be deadly, though smaller dogs need to eat a lot less than larger dogs and some dogs are more sensitive to garlic and onion poisoning than others. Commercial teriyaki sauce often contains garlic and onion powder which can be more concentrated than raw or cooked versions.

Symptoms can start within 24 hours of eating the onion or garlic but often take a few days to appear, this can make it difficult to determine the cause of the medical issue. Symptoms include gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting and diarrhea but if large amounts have been eaten or it has been consumed regularly over a long period of time—onion and garlic ingestion can also damage your dog’s red blood cells leading to anemia.

Symptoms of anemia can take up to 5 days to be apparent and include low energy, weakness, and trouble breathing.

Salt

Dogs do need sodium to live, just like other animals. However, they need far less than humans due to their smaller size. A dog’s commercial diet should contain all the salt they need, so they don’t require any extra. Anything added through snacks is extra and may lead to health problems.

Ingestion of large amounts of salt can cause salt toxicity but your dog would need to consume a large amount of teriyaki sauce for this to be a problem.

Xylitol

Most varieties of teriyaki sauce do not contain xylitol but it may be included in some "sugar-free" recipes and is an ingredient you definitely want to watch out for. Xylitol is a sugar replacement and is extremely toxic to dogs even in small amounts. It can rapidly cause low blood sugar, seizures, and liver failure.

If your dog may have consumed even a small amount of sauce that contains xylitol then you should contact your veterinarian straight away.

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How Much Teriyaki Sauce Can a Dog Eat?

Your dog should not consume any teriyaki sauce. A small amount is unlikely to endanger your dog’s life unless it contains xylitol. However, it has no benefit, and it may cause problems in at-risk dogs.

If your dog laps up a few drops, there usually isn’t any reason to rush to the vet. A very small amount is typically safe unless you have a very small dog (like a Chihuahua puppy) or your dog has underlying health problems. However, if your dog consumes a lot of sauce, or the sauce is known to contain xylitol, we recommend contacting your vet to ask about your next steps and following their advice.

Often, the vet may tell you to watch your pets for signs of toxicity. Other times, your vet may recommend that you go ahead and bring your dog in, especially if they are already showing signs of toxicity.

Conclusion

Teriyaki sauce is not safe for dogs. Very small amounts of the sauce aren’t likely to cause problems for dogs. However, even a few drops can be problematic for small dogs or those with underlying conditions. The more you give your dog, the more likely they will experience problems. Therefore, we highly recommend not giving your dog any teriyaki sauce—especially if your dog is prone to gastrointestinal problems or is very small.

The garlic and onion found in teriyaki sauce are toxic to dogs. High amounts require veterinary treatment, though clinical signs may not appear for days.

If your dog consumes a bunch of teriyaki sauce, or there was any chance of it containing xylitol then we recommend contacting your veterinarian straight away.

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