Who doesn’t love Wendy’s? My dog, that’s who. The smell drives him wild. As a staple of the American drive-thru, it’s irresistible to us all. I love it. You love it. We all love it.
But does your dog love it? And maybe the real question should be, should your dog love it? Should you let your dog eat from the Wendy’s Menu?
Can dogs eat Wendy’s? As a rule, you probably should not let your dog eat Wendy’s, or fast food in any circumstances. It goes without saying that it is naturally fatty and artery-clogging for you, so it’s even worse for a dog.
There can also be some ingredients in the Wendy’s menu that can be toxic to dogs. Whilst your dog’s mouth might water at the sight of a Wendy’s burger and the meat part can be ok, it’s everything else that’s int there which can be problematic.
But if your dog has a naughty streak and decides to steal part of your Wendy’s combo meal, would it be the worst thing in the world? In this article, I’ll dissect item by item what your dog can eat from Wendy’s and what they should avoid (to be on the safe side).
Call it the Wendy’s dog menu if you wish.
To start though, we need to look at how many calories dogs are allowed each day, and how the different items from the Wendy’s menu could affect them.
How many calories can my dog eat a day?
Before we begin, let’s talk calories. Calorie counting may seem odd for a dog, but their dietary needs are more fragile than we as owners tend to think. Admit it, you’re probably not paying attention to the calories included in that extra streak of bacon that was not on their daily kibble menu.
When we are talking about processed and extremely high-calorie foods like burgers and fries from the Wendy’s menu, we have to pay a little more attention to how many calories your dog is already eating. You then match that up to what their daily allocation should be.
We do this is because your dog eating just one Wendy’s burger could be the entirety of their daily caloric intake, leading to potential obesity or illness later on. Not just the calories though, there are items in a Wendy’s hamburger than can make dogs sick. More on that shortly though.
Here is a quick guide of what you should be aiming for:
- A dog weighing 10 lbs: should eat 200 to 275 calories daily.
- A dog weighing 20 lbs: should eat 325 to 400 calories daily.
- A dog weighing 50 lbs: should eat 700 to 900 calories daily.
- A dog weighing 70 lbs: should eat 900 to 1050 calories daily.
- A dog weighing 90 lbs: should eat 1100 to 1350 calories daily.
These values were retrieved from the Pet Obesity Prevention Association.
What can my dog eat from the Wendy’s menu?
The following is a breakdown of some of the staple foods at Wendy’s and how suitable they would be for your dog. Please bear in mind that I am not a veterinarian so do verify any information with your trusted professional vet.
The bottom line is you should not feed your dog Wendy’s at all. Instead, only vet-approved and healthy dog food. So, all of this is for illustrative purposes only, and when perhaps you have no choice.
Can dog eat Wendy’s burgers?
There are a few different burger options on the Wendy’s menu, it’s not just a case of whether your dog can eat a Wendy’s hamburger given all the options.
What I would say though, is that if you are letting them have a burger at Wendy’s, get rid of the bun, sauces, and other fillings – just let them have the meat.
The Baconator (960 calories)
If you think of it as a Wendy’s dog menu (which it isn’t), you could do worse than the Baconator burger when it comes to dog-friendly items. The base is the beef patty and bacon strips which your dog will salivate over.
The American cheese could trigger a lactose intolerance issues (many dogs are intolerant) but should not be too serious given the small amounts.
The ketchup contains onion powder, but it is a relatively small amount, so it shouldn’t upset your dog’s stomach. But it’s worth mentioning here if you didn’t know it, that onions are toxic to dogs, but probably not in the trace amounts you find in this burger.
The mayo is equally safe-ish. The mustard in the mayo wouldn’t be strong enough to cause gastroenteritis.
That said, there is a huge amount of salt in this burger. The calories are also eye-wateringly high. So, avoid giving this to your dog if you can, but it’s not the end of the world if they take a bite.
Dave’s burgers (560 to 1,160 calories)
Dave’s burgers at Wendy’s worse than the Baconator burger range. Essentially, it’s the vegetables are the issue.
That’s not to say that vegetables are always an issue, it’s the onions. As I mentioned earlier, onions are incredibly toxic to dogs. Much more than we would first expect.
Consuming too much onion can cause the following in dogs:
- Fatigue and weakness.
- Fainting episodes.
- Red urine.
- Decreased appetite.
In fact, according to the American Kennel Club:
“It only takes 100 grams of onion (about the size of a medium onion) per 20 kilograms of a dog’s weight to cause toxic effects, which means that a 45-pound dog would only have to eat one medium-to-large-size onion to experience dangerous toxicity levels.”
Not good.
So, without the onions, the Dave burger range at Wendy’s isn’t too bad for dogs, particularly if you limit them to just the patties.
Pickles are incredibly high in salt. The onion powder in the ketchup is also something to watch out for. But without the onion – this range is not too bad.
Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger (840 to 2,110 calories)
As you can probably guess, the onion rings in the Pretzel Bacon Pub burger range are going to cause problems. You also have mustard here which is toxic to dogs. The warm beer cheese sauce should also be avoided for your dog’s consumption.
Out of the entire burger range, this is probably one of the worst items on the Wendy’s menu to give your dog.
Jr. Cheeseburger (290 to 380 calories)
This is a fairly basic cheeseburger but has a very similar makeup as Dave’s burgers. Therefore, you’ll need to watch out for the same things: onion, mayo, lactose in the cheese, and extremely salty pickles.
That and the high-calorie count make this burger worthy of avoiding but not the worst thing on the menu for your dog.
Classic Chicken Sandwich (490 calories)
So, what about chicken burger at Wendy’s for your dog to eat? Surely the chicken sandwiches are ever so slightly better for your dog’s health than the beef patties?
Well… yes and no. The chicken batter actually contains quite a high concentration of onion and garlic powders which are toxic to dogs. It is unlikely to fully poison them at this amount but if may make your dog a little sick if they eat too much.
Tomatoes and lettuce are pretty harmless.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich (360 calories)
The grilled chicken isn’t much better here. It is still seasoned with onion and garlic powders. It’s likely much less than the classic chicken sandwich batter so a little safer, but still not amazing for your dog’s health.
The honey mustard is definitely best avoided as it can really make your dog unwell.
Can dogs eat Wendy’s chicken nuggets?
Dogs can eat Wendy’s chicken nuggets, but they could get ill, and in large servings, contain too many calories for most dogs to consume in one day. They would be better served with the batter peeled off as I recommend in this guide to dogs and chicken nuggets.
Crispy Chicken Nuggets (170 calories)
Wendy’s chicken nuggets are addictive and moreish, particularly to dogs. But for your loveable canine, it isn’t too bad for them in the grand scheme of things. Greasy? Yes. High in calories? Yes.
But dangerous? Probably not.
There are trace amounts of garlic powder in the batter but it’s not enough to be significant.
The greatest danger about nuggets are the dipping sauces. Avoid them all as the sugar content is bad for the teeth and there are too many potentially toxic compounds like mustard and hot spices.
Speaking of which…
Spicy Chicken Nuggets (190 calories)
Spicy foods in general should be avoided when it comes to your dog.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome doesn’t only affect humans. Even the smallest amount of spice for us can cause huge amounts of indigestion and discomfort for your dog’s digestive tract.
Not fun for anyone involved.
Can dogs eat Wendy’s spicy chicken nuggets? No, not on my watch. Avoid Wendy’s spicy nuggets getting into the wrong paws at all costs as your dog will probably get ill.
Can dogs eat Wendy’s fries?
French Fries (220 to 480 calories)
My dog loves fries. It’s completely nonsensical. If he were to order his dream Wendy’s order, it would certainly be about 15 portions of fries and 4 lonely classic nuggets. Honestly!
The problem with Wendy’s fries for dogs is the salt content. If you have ever seen fries at a Wendy’s being salted, you’ll see the raining amount of sea salt generously coating each crispy strand of potato goodness.
Too much salt is not good for your dog at all, but a couple of fries is not going to kill them.
Baconator Fries (470 calories)
Wendy’s Baconator fries are famously cheesy and salty. Your dog may love them. They aren’t toxic for dogs but the cheese could trigger symptoms of lactose intolerance.
The bacon bits have added salt content on top of the salt in the fries, but overall, these Wendy’s fries are an okay treat to give your dog in very small quantities.
Can my dogs eat Wendy’s breakfast food?
Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant (600 calories)
Generally, there isn’t much to panic about in Wendy’s Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant. The biggest concern is the high milk content in the swiss cheese and perhaps the onion powder in the sauce too. But these are unlikely to have too high of a concentration to hurt your dog
Overall, not a bad breakfast for your dog if there really is no other choice.
Sausage Biscuit (470 calories)
High calories aside, Wendy’s Sausage Biscuit is pretty safe for your dog to eat. There aren’t any dangerous or toxic compounds in this simple sandwich. No need to panic if your dog gets their paws on yours!
Breakfast Baconator (730 calories)
I couldn’t end this analysis without the final Baconator. The Breakfast Baconator is a delicious concoction of grilled sausage, American cheese, egg, swiss cheese, and, of course, bacon.
I am salivating already and so is your dog! The milk in the cheese is the biggest danger. The trace amount of onion and garlic powder in the swiss cheese sauce is also worth noting.
Overall, it’s a hugely fatty, high calorie treat that your dog will love but their arteries will hate.
Conclusion
I wrote this guide to help people who have a dog that accidentally ate Wendy’s or who might be on the road with no access to dog food.
I don’t recommend you let your dog eat Wendy’s ever… if you really have to, just let them eat the meat parts.
And… definitely not a Wendy’s Frosty. That will make your dog very sick.
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Image in header via https://pixabay.com/photos/wendy-s-wendy-fast-food-4010578/