Hotdogs and Sodium

[INU]

I started using pieces of baked chicken hot dogs as treat. They last longer, keep my hands clean and most of all, the dogs would do anything for them.

 

I just checked the sodium on the label and it says 1 hotdog contains 380mg of sodium!!! Isn't that A LOT for a dog? Jazzy gets probably around 2 hot dogs per week and I use other treats to balance things out. They love it but I am a little concerned. Should I be? I hear a lot of dog trainers use them. So I kind of assumed they are safe...

[Root Beer]

I use hot dogs occasionally, but not all the time.

 

Some people boil them to get some of the salt out.

 

I use chicken, too, and home made liver treats, and cheese.

[Sue R]

If you look around, you may be able to find hot dogs (but not necessarily chicken-based ones) that are reduced sodium.

 

One thing that I've done is to mix small bits of hot dog (quarter-inch slices that are cut into eighths or ninths, and still moist but not wet) and mix them in a bag with another, drier treat bit, and let it sit for a bit. Then, everything tastes like hot dog including the healthier, less-appealing good stuff. Once it all smells/tastes like hot dog, it becomes very high value.

 

Best wishes!

[Pippin's person]

I do the same thing as Sue--take one hot dog and chop it into tiny pieces and then put it in a baggie with kibble and other things (sometimes I'll put in some roast beef or cheese). The kibble gets pretty hot dog saturated and everything seems to be reasonably rewarding for them. A baggie full of this mixture lasts through four classes and a week's worth of training sessions (though you have to keep it in the fridge) with six different dogs--each one then only gets a little bit of the hot dog and/or cheese, but they don't seem to notice.

[nancy in AZ]

The health food grocery store here sells tofu dogs. I'll bet even their turkey hotdogs are lower in sodium.