Can Dogs Eat Popcorn?

There’s nothing better than sitting down in front of the TV with a big bowl of popcorn, ready to binge watch your favourite new series – but are our dogs allowed to join the snacking fun too?

Find out if dogs can eat popcorn and if it’s safe for your pup.

A night in front of the TV often isn’t complete without a big bowl of our favourite popcorn. It’s the perfect, easy snack as it only takes moments in a microwave and it can be a fairly healthy treat for us humans so we can fill ourselves up guilt-free! 

While we’re sat on the sofa consuming handful after handful of popcorn, it’s easy to drop pieces on the floor where our dogs will be waiting all too eagerly to gobble it up. But this does beg the question, can dogs eat popcorn?

We’ve put together this guide to answer all your questions about whether your dog can and should have popcorn. Keep reading to find out whether your dog can join in with the next movie night snacks or not.

Can dogs eat popcorn?

Yes, but only in certain circumstances. Dogs can eat plain (unsalted, unbuttered, unsweetened) popcorn in small amounts but it should only be given as a treat on the odd occasion. It also means that you don’t have to worry if you drop a few pieces on the floor! 

As always when giving snacks, remember to follow healthy feeding guidelines and aim to ensure that treats only make up 10% or less of their daily calorie content.

Is popcorn good for dogs?

Exactly like us humans, plain popcorn isn’t bad for dogs but it isn’t necessarily that good for them either. Corn kernels do contain minerals including magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, zinc, fibre and trace amounts of vitamins, but these are all things your dog should be getting from their daily food anyway, providing you feed a complete and balanced diet of high-quality dog food.

Typically, we’ll drizzle butter, salt, sugar or sometimes even caramel on popcorn – these toppings are high in fat, salt and sodium and having too much can cause stomach upsets, dehydration and can lead to certain health issues such as obesity. And this goes us as well!

You should also be wary as unpopped or even partially popped kernels can become a choking hazard or may get stuck between your dog’s teeth, which you’ll likely know from experience can be really uncomfortable and difficult to remove!

Another factor with feeding dogs popcorn is that corn is fairly common food allergy for dogs. If you know your dog is dealing with sensitive digestion, never give them popcorn as it could result in reactions such as stomach upset, discomfort and diarrhoea.

How should I feed my dog popcorn?

If you want your dog to have a small amount of popcorn with you, always ensure that it’s plain and air-popped only. Air-popping is super simple, you can easily do it in a popcorn machine, microwave or in a pan on your cooker.

Once you’ve finishing popping, make sure you remove the partially popped kernels, and then only offer them a few. 

Never give your dog popcorn with added toppings and if you want to add these to your portion, remove the small amount for your dog first, then add your chosen additions later.

That’s our answer to the question can dogs eat popcorn! Now you know whether popcorn is good for dogs, want to find out more information on feeding your dog? Read our guide on can dogs eat strawberries or can dogs eat coconut next.