Can dogs eat beef jerky?

Jerky is lean meat sliced thin, marinated, and dried at low heat. The marinade gives it flavor and helps preserve it, which is why salt and soy sauce levels are so high. Popular flavors such as teriyaki, peppered, and sweet chili add sugar, black pepper, or chili, and garlic and onion powder appear in most recipes.

Some brands also use liquid smoke and preservatives such as sodium nitrite.

Dried meat is tough and stringy. Dogs rarely chew it thoroughly, and a long strip can be swallowed half-chewed. Small dogs and fast eaters are the most likely to gag on a piece. The foil or plastic packet, which smells strongly of meat, is another thing dogs tend to swallow when they raid a bag.

If you do offer a dog-made jerky treat, break it into pieces smaller than your dog's mouth can gulp whole.

Jerky treats sold for dogs are usually single-ingredient dried chicken, beef, or fish with no seasoning. Look for a clear country of origin and a simple ingredient list. Even so, they are dense in calories, so count them within your dog's daily treat allowance of about 10 percent of calories.

You can make your own by drying thin strips of plain lean meat in the oven at around 80°C (175°F) for three to four hours.

Make sure plenty of fresh water is available and check the flavor on the packet. Note how much is missing and whether any packaging was eaten. Very salty food can lead to excessive thirst, vomiting, and in large amounts more serious salt poisoning.