For starters, spam is high in sodium—sodium nitrite, to be exact. It’s a chemical substance often used in processed meats like spam to help preserve them and give them that characteristic pink color.
While sodium is an essential nutrient for dogs, they can only tolerate a certain amount. Therefore, sodium nitrite is not necessarily harmful to dogs in small amounts, but it can cause certain discomforts in large quantities.
Digestive unrest, vomiting, and diarrhea are among the most common symptoms of excessive sodium intake. If left unchecked, this can lead to more severe problems like dehydration, liver damage, or pancreatitis, which are fatal.
The next time there’s spam within reach and you’re tempted to share some with your dog, consider this fact:
The recommended daily sodium intake for dogs is about 22 milligrams per pound of body weight. A single can of spam contains more than double the daily sodium most dogs should have.
This means that an entire can of spam contains more than four times the amount of sodium a 20-pound dog should have daily.