You will agree with me if I say, we should declare Parle-G as a national biscuit of India!
Parle G is the most popular biscuit brand in India for last severald decades. From metropolitian cities to the village, it is widely available at an affordable price.
Its delicious to taste and makes a great snack with a tea. No wonder every indian had it alteast once in their life. You love it or hate it but you can’t ignore the fact that it become staple biscuit in India.
Its availibility and affordability leads to feeding these human biscuits to the dogs. Often people feed the Parle-G to street dogs.
Is Parle G Good for Dogs?
Parle-G biscuits are not good for dogs. They contain whole wheat flour, high amount of sugar, palm oil, salt & several other ingredients that are harmful for the dogs. Dogs usually can’t tolerate too much sugar, salt & gluten in wheat flour, so avoid feeding dogs with human biscuits like Parle-G.
Dogs need sugar in the form of carbohydrates which is further broken down into the glucose in their body. We should never give them sugary products like biscuits, cocke, candies and sweets.
The same goes for the salt. Dogs do need some amount of sodium but in very less quantity. We should avoid feeding them salty snacks like namkeen, wafers, pickles etc.
Street dogs loves eating human biscuits, specially Parle G, since it has sweet taste and being offered by people to them on regular basis. But they are loaded with ingredients that may harm the dog.
What are the ingredients for Parle-G biscuits?
Parle G includes wheat flour whole, sugar, RBD palm oil, invert sugar syrup, Sodium metabisulphide, Ammonium bicarbonate, salt, skimmed milk powder, lecithin/finamul-ghee paste and Parle flavor mix. [source]
When you a look at these ingredients, you can certainly say that these ingredients may not be good for dogs. No matter how popular this brand among the country, and how easily human can digest & tolerate these biscuits, feeding them to dogs can be harmful in long term.
Wheat Flour – Parle G contains 67% of whole wheat flour. Wheat flour is famous for its richness in gluten and dogs digestive system usually can’t tolerate the gluten-rich diet when feed on daily basis.
Food like biscuits, chapati that are made with wheat flour should be avoided for the dogs. Check out why you should avoid feeding roti made with wheat flour – Can dogs eat chapati/roti?
Sugar – The very next ingredient of parle g biscuit is sugar. Dogs doesn’t need the sugar in the way human eats. Dogs digestive system is capapble to break down the carbohydrates into simple sugar, so feed them a balanced diet with proper amount of carbohydrates .
The other ingredients of Parle G like salt, sugar syrup, & palm oil are used in minute quantity, it can cause some side effects when dogs feed with multiple number of biscuits at a time on daily basis.
Salt – Dogs require salt in their diet to maintian the natural cellular functioning like intra-cellular fluid balance, nerve-signal transmission, and acid-base balance. Dogs need salt between 0.25g – 1.5g per 100g of food and above this level it can be harmful for dogs.
Palm Oil – When eaten ocassionally in very small amount, palm oil doen’t trigger any health issue but does have laxative effect on dogs which can upset the digestive system of dogs.
Sodium metabisulphide – Sodium metabisulphide is used as food preservatives and when dog eats the food containing the Sodium metabisulphide, it liberate sulphur dioxide.
Sulphur dioxide known to cause thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency in the dogs and cats. So it is better to avoid giving the food that has Sodium metabisulphide.
Is it okay to feed expired Parle-G biscuits to stray dogs?
Any food item (including Parle G) that crosses the “expiration date” may potentially spoiled and should be avoided giving to the dogs. Parle G biscuits as such are not made for the dogs and should not be given to the stray dogs as it is rich in wheat flour, sugar and salt which can trigger the several health hazards in the dogs.
What biscuits should I feed to stray-dogs?
If you feeding the stray dogs for long, you kown what they prefer and what don’t like. In any case, dont feed them sugary, salted food.
Instead of feeding dogs with Parle-G, you can buy the biscuits that are made for the dogs. Such dog biscuits are available to buy at Amazon as well as at pet shops and approximately cost Rs. 300 to 400.
Can dogs eat biscuits?
Biscuits are safe for your dog when eaten in moderation, though we recommend you avoid feeding them to your dog. But if you can avoid them completely, then that would be great as they have added sugar which is harmful for your pet.
Biscuits have minimal nutrition and are not the best option for your furry friend. If your dog is healthy then you may give biscuits to your dog as an occasional snack.
As you know biscuits do not have any nutritional value and thus it can be given occasionally as a treat. Make sure you never substitute biscuits for your dog’s meal.
Just like humans, your pet may be allergic to some grains. Apart from the grain flour, biscuits have added sugar and chocolate, which should be avoided by dogs.
If your pet likes biscuits, you can give him/her grain-free biscuits that are specifically made for dogs considering the items that should be avoided. It is better to avoid feeding human biscuits to your dog.
Ingredients to Avoid in Biscuits and Dog Treats
Sugar
Fructose, dextrose, corn syrup and sucrose are all forms of sugar. It can be the cause of many healthy issues in your pet like insulin resistance, diabetes and weight gain, which can be the cause of many other diseases.
Cheap Cereal Grains
Choose whole grains like brown rice, oats and barley to feed your furry friend. Cheap and low-quality grains use fillers and do not provide any nutritional benefits to your dog.
Meat By-Products
Meat by products are unhealthy for your furry friend. They have little or no nutritional value which makes them an unhealthy food choice. Sometimes, they are indigestible and may cause stomach pain.
If you treat your dog with meat, make sure to purchase high-quality meat (human-grade meat). Only give the meat that you would be able to eat. Dogs require human grade quality meat to get a good amount of nutritional value.
Glutens
Wheat and corn are harmful for your dog. Most dogs have allergies to gluten and they even have minimal nutritional value.
Artificial Colors or Flavors
The fact is that colour doesn’t matter to your furry friend. Artificial colours only tempt your dog to eat the low-nutritional and low-quality treat. The aroma of the artificial flavour prevents you from getting the bitter taste of the food. Completely avoid treats that have artificial colours and flavours in your dog treats and food.
Chemical Preservatives
Chemical preservatives are a big no-no just like artificial flavours and colours. Consuming chemicals is harmful for your pooch too.
Look for foods and treats that have natural preservatives, essential vitamins like C and E, extracts from sage, rosemary or clove. Consuming natural preservatives is completely safe for your dog.
What are healthy & affordable Indian food to feed the dogs?
Cheap and healthy foods for Indian street dogs includes the boiled egg, boiled rice & fish, affordable dog biscuits, boiled potato, milk diluted with water etc.