Can dogs eat Chinese takeaway food?

Stir-fried dishes typically start with garlic, ginger, and spring onion in hot oil, then add soy sauce, oyster sauce, or hoisin, all of which are very salty. Sweet and sour dishes are battered, deep fried, and coated in a sugary sauce. Egg fried rice and chow mein contain soy sauce, oil, and often spring onion.

Onion and garlic can damage a dog's red blood cells, the risk depends on the dog's size and how much was eaten, and small dogs are at particular risk.

Monosodium glutamate often gets blamed for problems, but it is not known to be toxic to dogs in the amounts used in food. The salt, fat, and alliums in takeaway food are much bigger concerns. A single takeaway meal can contain over 3 g of sodium.

Chili dishes add stomach irritation, and satay sauces contain peanuts, sugar, and garlic.

Spare ribs and chicken wings come with cooked bones that can splinter. Satay chicken may be served on wooden skewers, which can pierce the gut if swallowed. Foil trays, plastic tubs, and fortune cookie wrappers are also chewed and swallowed.

Collect all packaging as soon as the meal is over.

Plain boiled rice, a tablespoon or two, is safe for most dogs. Plain steamed vegetables without sauce are also fine, though rarely available on a takeaway menu. Keep your dog's portion very small and do not mix anything from the sauced dishes into it.

List the dishes eaten and roughly how much, check whether bones or skewers are missing, and look at the packaging. Make water available. Call your vet, particularly for small dogs, dogs that ate bones or skewers, or dogs that ate any garlic or onion-heavy dishes.