There are all kinds of sites online that will lecture you on the evils of giving your dog pizza. Here we are discussing pizza rolls – bite size appetizers made with a few of the ingredients used on pizzas. So, that’s not precisely the same thing as a pizza. You can buy frozen pizza rolls at the store or make your own with a few ingredients. That means that it’s easier to tailor these party pleasers in a way that you like or in a way that could make them safe for your dog to eat. Can dogs eat pizza rolls? Let’s find out.
Nutrition
Keep in mind that pizza rolls are not the same as pizza.
According to information we found online, six pizza rolls contain 24 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of fat, and 7 grams of protein. They have 220 calories. They have one gram of fiber.
They have low amounts of vitamins and minerals though they do have 420 mg of sodium.
These are the frozen pizza rolls you can buy at the supermarket.
If you are making your own pizza rolls, the nutritional values can vary. Based on the recipes we found, expect he calories and fat to be much higher. The amount of protein will also depend on what you add to the recipe.
No one will claim that pizza rolls are very nutritious for people or for dogs.
Can You Give Your Dog Pizza Rolls to Eat?
Many of the web sites online make exaggerated claims about the dangers of giving your dog pizza. For example, most of the cheeses used on pizza, such as mozzarella, are very low in lactose. They are highly unlikely to be a problem for any dog that is lactose-intolerant. Mozzarella, along with Cheddar, provolone, and Swiss, contains less than 1 gram of lactose per ounce.
Tomato sauce itself is not harmful to dogs. As for green tomatoes (containing solanine) and dogs, has anyone seen pizza sauce made from green tomatoes? If it exists, don’t give it to your dog. But the typical red sauce made from ripe tomatoes is not harmful to dogs as long as it is plain.
It’s true that most pizza is high in calories and fat. Pepperoni and other meats used on pizza are usually processed and may contain a lot of salt. However, your dog would have to eat an enormous amount of salt to receive a toxic dose. A toxic dose of salt for dogs is 4 grams per kilogram of body weight. That means that a dog weighing 30 pounds would have to eat almost two ounces of salt to receive a toxic dose. No pizza or other ordinary food is likely to contain that much salt. Two ounces of salt is more than 3 tablespoons. Most food with that much salt would be inedible.
Pizza crust is not harmful to dogs though you probably don’t want your dog to eat too much of it.
Raw pizza dough poses a danger to your dog because, like raw bread dough, it will continue to expand in your dog’s stomach. The yeast in the dough will ferment, release gas, and can lead to serious results such as gastric dilatation volvulus (bloat). It also releases alcohol into the bloodstream which can make your dog drunk and ill. It’s very important that you do not let your dog eat any raw pizza dough.
The most realistic danger to most dogs from eating pizza is the presence of garlic and onions in the sauce. Plain tomato sauce should not harm your dog but if the sauce includes garlic and onions and your dog eats a lot of it, it could be a problem.
As for pizza rolls – the appetizers – they are different from pizza. A recipe we found online shows the following ingredients:
Refrigerated pizza crust tubes
Garlic salt
Italian seasoning
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Pepperoni
Marinara sauce
If you leave out the garlic salt and the Italian seasoning, there is really no reason why you couldn’t make these pizza rolls for your dog and share a few of them, especially if you substitute plain tomato sauce for the marinara sauce. This food is basically bread and cheese with some pepperoni and sauce. You can control the ingredients. Most of the herbs in the Italian seasoning would probably be safe for your dog but you would need to check them individually to be sure.
How Many Pizza Rolls Can Your Dog Eat?
Based on frozen products bought at the grocery store, six frozen pizza rolls contain 220 calories (varies based on the brand). So, each small pizza roll contains about 36 calories. You can use this as a baseline to determine how many of these rolls to share with your dog. Dogs should not have more than 10 percent of their daily calories in treats and snacks. If your dog normally eats 360 calories per day, he could have one little pizza roll as a treat. For bigger dogs that normally get more calories, they could have 2-3 little pizza rolls.
If you have homemade pizza rolls, they are likely to be much higher in calories (and fat). One-half of a pizza roll would be enough for a small dog. One roll would be enough for a bigger dog.
Conclusion
Many people advise against sharing pizza with dogs but some of the dangers are exaggerated. When it comes to pizza rolls, frozen pizza rolls found at the supermarket can be shared with your dog in small amounts. If you are making homemade pizza rolls, be careful to remove any garlic or onions from the recipe. Homemade pizza rolls are usually higher in calories and fat so only let your dog have a little taste of these rolls.
