Dogs can eat baked beans like many human foods, depending on the ingredients. However, while some beans are very good for your dog and provide them with rich protein, baked beans can cause many issues for your furry friend.
The rest of the article will explain what baked beans are okay for your pup, and which ones to avoid and why.
Can Dogs Eat Baked Beans?
As with most foods, some beans are safe to eat, while other baked beans can have toxic ingredients that can make your dog sick.
When choosing a baked bean to feed your dog, it is best to figure out what the ingredients are before giving it to them.
What Beans Can Dogs Eat?
There are over 19,000 types of legumes, so it may be hard to find out what types are safe for your dog.
When looking for beans, you should try to stick to kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, soybeans, garbanzo beans, green beans, butter beans, lima beans, and lentils.
If you stick to that list, you should also make sure that you avoid seasonings and always make sure they are cooked all the way.
Beans should not take up more than 10% of your dog’s diet, just like treats. In addition, you should ensure that your dog’s diet is made up of nutritionally balanced dog food.
It’s important to remember that all beans must be fed in moderation, as they can cause flatulence and increased gas and bloating. Also, beans should only be provided to your dog cooked, as they are easier to digest for your pup.
Pinto and Cannelli Beans
These beans are full of fiber and can help your dog’s digestive system as long as they are fed to your dog cooked with no other sugars, oils, or seasonings. They can be a great addition to your dog’s diet.
Black Beans, Green Beans, and Kidney Beans
Feeding your dog some of these with some fresh chicken or other meat, vegetables, and other things can be a healthy meal to feed your dog.
These will help give your dog energy and will also lead to muscle growth and tone, keeping them energized and free from disease for a more extended period of time.
What Beans Should You Avoid?
Although humans love coffee and coffee beans, they aren’t suitable for your pet!
Here are some beans that you should avoid giving your dog:
Coffee Beans
Ingestion of coffee grounds or beans can cause toxicity in dogs, as their stomachs are pretty sensitive to caffeine.
Fava Beans
Also known as broad beans, these can cause dogs to vomit, have diarrhea, and can also cause them to suffer from abdominal pain.
Refried Beans
Refried beans contain preservatives and seasonings that dogs should not eat, such as salt, cumin, garlic, and chili powder.
Chili Beans
These usually contain onions, spices, and garlic.
Baked Beans
Baked beans can contain high fructose corn syrup, as well as tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, and other ingredients that will lead to stomach upset and blood sugar issues for dogs. We will dive into why this is and what baked beans are safe for dogs further below.
Raw Kidney Beans
Your dog should never have these beans since they contain a very dangerous toxin for dogs.
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Health Benefits of Beans
Beans can help regulate blood sugar levels in dogs and are also full of nutrients.
In addition to protein, which is so essential for a healthy diet, beans also have vitamin A, which is excellent for the heart and the eyes, vitamin c, which supports your dog’s immune system, vitamin k, which helps them recover if they are injured, and iron, which creates red blood cells in your dog’s body.
Beans also contain potassium, which supports muscle and bone health; magnesium, which helps the body absorb nutrients more effectively; and antioxidants, which lowers cholesterol, helps fight cancer and has been known to minimize arthritis.
Though these are all excellent for your dog and make beans a great alternative to animal-based proteins in small quantities, your dog still must have protein from an animal source as the majority of their diet.
Bean Dangers
If your dog has eaten too many beans, it can lead to excessive gas, abdominal pain, and loose stool.
Beans themselves are not generally toxic to pets, but they can cause some GI discomfort. The main issue with many beans is the ingredients they are cooked with, like onion, garlic, salt, and chemical preservatives.
What To Look Out For With Baked Beans
When it comes to baked beans, many of the canned varieties are high in fat and sugar, which can lead to weight gain in large quantities and can also cause diabetes.
Baked beans have been known to be made with tomato-based ketchup, which is not suitable for dogs at all. So although your dog will probably not have any real adverse side effects if they get their paws on a small quantity of baked beans, you should try as hard as you cannot to allow them to eat them often.
Over time, eating too many baked beans can cause your dog to develop pancreatitis and suffer damage to its red blood cells.
If your dog has eaten baked beans, you should watch them to ensure they are not suffering from decreased appetite, fever, lethargy, and upset stomach.
Another reason baked beans are unhealthy for your dog is that they are high in saturated fat content. They are a fatty food that can put a strain on a dog’s digestive system, especially their pancreas.
Are Heinz Beans Okay?
Many online will ask if Heinz beans are okay for dogs. In the UK, they aren’t much different than baked beans!
Although this particular brand of beans is free of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, they are not much better for dogs altogether.
These beans are still high in salt and sugar, and they still contain ingredients such as herb extract and spice extract, which you cannot really know what that means, and whether your dog could be ingesting something toxic.
Can Dogs Eat Tomato Sauce?
Tomato sauce, one of the common ingredients in baked beans, can be harmful to your dog depending on the ingredient.
Although red tomatoes are not toxic to your dog, other ingredients included in the sauce are. Most sauces will be made with seasonings and spices.
A dog’s stomach is sensitive when it comes to spices, and some of them can cause GI issues if our pets eat them.
Can Dogs Eat Canned Beans?
Dogs can eat canned beans as long as they do not contain any other ingredients other than the beans and water. If the beans are high in sodium, you should wash them off before feeding them to your dog since they cannot process a high-sodium diet.
Is Baked Beans Harmful To Dogs?
If your dog eats a large bowl of baked beans regularly over time, it can lead to some adverse effects on their health.
Since most baked beans contain garlic and onion, eating large amounts of them can be incredibly toxic for your dog. Over time, having too much of these can cause anemia and do a lot of damage to their red blood cells.
If your dog has eaten beans and shows signs of bloating, you should take them to the vet immediately. They will also appear to have the following symptoms: retching, abdominal pain, swollen, hard stomach, and restlessness.
Small amounts of this food are not going to be very harmful to your dog, but they are fatty foods that will end up having a negative effect on your dog over time.
Can Baked Beans Kill Dogs?
Most of the time, baked beans will not kill your dog, as long as they are healthy and you are not giving them a significant amount. However, if they eat a large amount of baked beans filled with toxic spices, it can hurt your dog, though it will not usually endanger their lives.
If your dog becomes bloated in any case, it should be treated as an emergency, and you must take them to the vet so that they can be checked out and carried for.
Because of this, it is good just to stay away from feeding your pet baked beans. There are not many nutritional benefits to them, and you should stick to providing your dog with cooked beans, meats, and veggies when possible so that they don’t develop symptoms of pancreatitis or worse.
How to Add Beans to Your Dog’s Diet
If you are looking to add beans to your dog’s dog food, there are a couple of different ways.
- Mash beans before giving them to your pet, unless they are green beans. Most dogs do not chew their foods well, and the mashed beans will aid digestion and get more nutritional value from them.
- Wash beans well and cook before you give them to your dog. They should not be cooked with any seasonings, sugar, or oil.
- Find healthy recipes to add beans, too, since they add fiber, antioxidants, and protein to many homemade dog treats.
- If you are looking for a less expensive way to give your dog beans, you can purchase dried beans in bulk. You can let these soak overnight, and you should rinse them multiple times before you cook them, avoiding salt and seasonings.
- You should rinse the beans, if from a can, in running water for about two minutes before serving them to your dog, as this can eliminate up to forty percent of the sodium canned beans have.
- If you want your pet to start eating beans, but they are unsure of them, try mixing them with meat and veggies they do enjoy.
Final Thoughts- Can Dogs Eat Baked Beans?
Dogs should not be fed baked beans when they can be avoided since they are high in fat, sugar, and salt. However, there are many different kinds of beans that dogs can eat, and they are a healthy, nutritious addition to their foods.
DoIf your dog has eaten baked beans, it is not the end of the world, and you should just take care to make sure that they are not showing any symptoms that could mean that other health issues are lingering.
If your dog consumes baked beans and has symptoms, you should take them to the vet immediately to be cared for, as some toxicity is hazardous for dogs.
Dogs eat beans all the time, so your pup should be okay if they accidentally eat some. Just make sure to take care of your furry friend and get them the care they need.