Instant noodles are affordable, filling, and flavorful when added to soups and other tasty dishes. These convenient noodles are found in households across America that almost every family enjoys. As a pet parent, you are probably wondering, “Can my dog eat instant noodles?”
Packaged noodles, also known as Ramen noodles, are made with wheat flour and various seasonings and oils. While plain noodles that are only made of flour and water can be healthy for your dog to eat, the packaged kind with added flavorings is not.
Can My Dog Eat Instant Noodles?
So, to answer the question, Can my dog eat instant noodles? 
The answer is yes and no, depending on the ingredients. Many Asian grocery stores carry plain noodles, and that’s fine for your dog, but you need to put away the instant ramen noodles because you will be surprised to know the unusual ingredients in those convenient packages.
Instant Ramen noodles are made of enriched wheat flour, canola oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, soy sauce, salt, TBHQ preservatives, and water.
While some of these ingredients are good for your dog, such as wheat flour, the other ingredients, including salt, are hazardous to your dog’s health. So, in this case, the answer is no, don’t feed your dog instant noodles of any kind or brand.
While it’s not toxic to dogs, it is filled with flavorings and salt that can cause dehydration and stomach upset.
If your dog has already consumed some instant noodles and seems like they are perfectly healthy, that’s great but don’t continue feeding it to them regularly or at all.
Dangers of Feeding Your Dog Instant Noodles
The preservatives, artificial flavors, and salt content in instant noodles can cause the following issues:
- Diarrhea
- Excessive gas
- Stomach upset
- Dehydration
- Weight gain
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Pancreatitis
- Poisoning if onion or garlic is part of the ingredients in the noodles.
Symptoms to Watch Out For
There’s a chance you might be reading this because your dog slurped up your hot bowl of ramen noodle soup that was sitting on the table. It’s right to be concerned, but don’t panic yet. Keep an eye out for the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Swelling of the lips, eyelids, earflaps, ears, or face
- Hives
- Itchiness
- Itchy ears
- Ear infection
- Sneezing
- Excessive licking of the paws or other areas of the body
- Runny eyes
- Itchy eyes
If you suspect your dog is having an adverse reaction to eating instant noodles, contact the local animal hospital or veterinarian immediately.
Bottom Line
Dogs and human’s gastrointestinal make-up is similar, but it doesn’t mean they should eat everything humans eat and vice versa. Most commercial dog foods have ingredients humans eat, but it doesn’t mean you will find pet parents snacking on their dog’s kibble.
Humans have saliva that breaks down instant noodles during the chewing and digestion process, while dogs have saliva, but it lacks the enzymes found in human saliva that create the breakdown of the noodle.
Dogs vomit after eating instant noodles because they have a strong gag reflex that rejects the noodles if they are not chewed correctly. For this reason, throwing up the noodles as soon as they get into their mouth doesn’t mean they are having an allergic reaction. However, if vomiting occurs after the noodles have been consumed and reached the digestive tract, it can be an allergic or toxic reaction.
As a responsible pet parent, you want to make sure your dog is healthy and happy. You can prevent an adverse reaction to instant noodles by seeking the advice of a veterinarian before introducing any human food into your dog’s diet. Make sure you ask, “Can my dog eat instant noodles?”
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