Can dogs eat burgers?

A quarter-pound patty weighs about 113 g raw and has roughly 250 to 300 calories once cooked, depending on the fat level of the mince. Restaurants and fast-food chains usually season the meat with salt and a spice blend, and some use onion or garlic powder in the mix.

Toppings are where the bigger risks sit. Raw and fried onion are toxic to dogs, pickles are salty, and ketchup, mustard, and burger sauces carry sugar, salt, and often more onion or garlic.

Burgers cooked on a grill are often charred outside and pink inside, and dogs tend to find the ones that roll off the grate onto the grass. Undercooked mince can carry E. coli and Salmonella. A dropped burger that lies in the sun for an hour is an even bigger bacterial risk.

Keep dogs on a lead or in another room while the grill is being loaded and unloaded, and clear dropped food straight away.

Shape a small patty from lean mince with nothing added and cook it through in a dry pan or on a clean part of the grill. Cool it and cut it into bite-sized pieces. For a 20 kg (44 lb) dog, a quarter of a standard patty is a generous treat; for a toy breed, a couple of fingertip pieces is plenty.

Skip the bun. Bread is not dangerous in itself, but it adds calories without much benefit.

If your dog snatches a whole burger with onions, note the size of the burger, which toppings were on it, and your dog's weight. No amount of onion is known to be safe, and the risk depends on the dog's size and how much was eaten, so call your vet for advice rather than guessing. Keep takeaway bags off low tables and car seats.