Doritos are one the most popular chips in the world, ranging from spicy to sweet. Because of this popularity, many would most likely try to feed their cats this delicious snack as a treat. Or the sneaky felines might break into your stash of snacks and take some Doritos for themselves.
Luckily, there is no need to worry if you find your cat eating or licking one or two chips.
Cats can eat Doritos fine with no health risks.
But, how much they eat can change the answer to the question. If you are concerned about the health of your cat, keep reading.
Are Dorito Chips Bad For Cats?
But a better question is should they eat them? No, they should not. Remember that Doritos are human junk food, and most junk food not only could be bad for your pets but bad for you too. Doritos can be bad for cats.
Most people may think most of the danger is from the possibility of their cats choking on the chip. Cats are usually careful while eating most foods, preferring to lick the cheesy powder on the chip.
The real danger comes from the ingredients within the Doritos, which can be very bad for your cat’s health.
What are the Dangerous Ingredients in Doritos?
Doritos contain corn, salt, vegetable oil, and different seasonings and spices. While these ingredients aren’t too harmful to a human, they can be a different story for cats. These ingredients can be a recipe for obesity, stomachache, or digestive issues for a cat.
Cats struggle to digest plant products in their stomachs. It is only for the digestion of meat. The corn in Doritos can cause stomach aches and bring lots of discomfort to your pet.
The garlic and onion powders in Doritos are also very toxic, and they will make your cat sick if they eat too many Doritos. These powders are capable of causing a cat to become anemic.
Anemia causes the blood in their bodies to struggle to carry oxygen throughout their bodies. Look out for any signs of this because your cat may need a quick trip to the vet.
The salt in Doritos is also a large cause of concern, not only for cats but humans too. Doritos tend to be very high in salt and is capable of causing many problems in cats, such as:
- Hypertension
- Heart problem
- Dehydration
- Vomiting
- Could lead to death
Doritos are also high in carbohydrates, nutrients cats don’t need much of. If a cat eats these chips often, it could lead to obesity, causing organ and joint problems. It can also cause your cat to become diabetic if it eats it too often.
It may come as a surprise to most, but cheese is unhealthy for most cats, even though they seem to love it so much.
The cheese in some Dorito chips can be pretty bad for cats, and it is capable of causing stomach aches or diarrhea. Most cats tend to be lactose intolerant, causing any milk products to irritate them.
Doritos also have no nutritional value for cats, only being a detriment in their diet. Just like carbs, cats don’t need many of the other nutrients in Doritos.
For example, cats only need 42 mg of salt daily, but one serving of a bag of Doritos contains 210mg. Anything more than one chip could be too much for your cat.
If you feed your cat Doritos too often it will lead to severe health consequences. It is most definitely not worth it to give your pet Doritos daily.
If you do give your cat a small amount, like a single crushed-up chip, no harm would be done. Yet, feeding your cat these chips could be dangerous if you give them too much, so be very mindful of this.
If your cat/cats have been getting into your Doritos stash, be sure to try and discourage them from doing it. If they get into Doritos, they could end up consuming more than they should.
Though, most cats don’t like most Doritos besides the nacho-cheese flavor. You won’t have to worry about this happening if you have most other flavors.
Can Cats Eat Spicy-Sweet Chili Doritos?
Cats can eat Spicy-Sweet Chili Doritos, but most would likely ignore it. Cats don’t like spicy foods and will avoid anything they deem too spicy for them.
If they were to eat it, though, it would most likely be more detrimental to their health than a non-spicy variant of Doritos.
As stated before, the spices and powders in most Doritos are already unhealthy for cats. Spicy powders could cause harm to your cat’s digestive tract.
They can cause diarrhea, digestive issues (constipation), or vomiting. Make sure you are aware of the ingredients of the Doritos you want to give as a treat to your cats, even if it’s in small quantities.
Is it Okay For Cats To Eat Chips?
It is okay for cats to eat most chips out there, including Doritos and Tortilla. It’s the quantity they are consuming that matters. If they eat too much of any chip brand, doesn’t matter what it is, they are bound to have health issues short or long term.
A few licks or pieces consumed likely wouldn’t hurt them in any way, but be cautious. Some ingredients not listed here but included in other brands could be dangerous or toxic to cats.
Always be sure to read the nutrition label on the back of whatever bag of chips you want to try feeding your cats as a treat.
But all in all, it probably isn’t a good idea to start letting your cat eat potato chips and other junk food.
Even if there are no upfront dangers of letting them have a bite, it doesn’t mean it’s helping their nutrition in any way. I would recommend that you buy some healthy snacks that are also tasty for them. Keep your Lays, Doritos, and Cheetos for yourself in a safe place.
