Our canine friends are known for eating whatever appeals to them at the moment. And it doesn’t matter if the food’s meant for them or another pet or animal! What happens if a dog eats hummingbird food?
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Has your dog eaten hummingbird food? Are you worried the hummingbird food will make your dog sick? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. We understand it can be scary when your dog eats something he shouldn’t.
In this article, we’ll take a look at hummingbird food and whether or not it can make a dog sick. Let’s get started!
What is Hummingbird Food?
Did you know that hummingbirds eat nectar from flowers? It’s true! They also eat prepared hummingbird food, which may be homemade or commercially prepared. What’s more, hummingbirds also eat insects! Not many people know that.
A hummingbird must eat about half its weight in food each day, too. Can you imagine eating that much every single day? We humans couldn’t get away from that without gaining weight. Luckily hummers use up a lot of that energy flying around each day!
What’s in the Prepared Hummingbird Nectar?
Commercially prepared hummingbird food usually contains sucrose (a form of sugar), water, citric acid, potassium sorbate (as a preservative), and sodium bicarbonate. Some commercially made hummingbird nectar may also contain red dye. However, most are now dye-free, which is healthier for the birds.
Homemade hummingbird food contains water and sugar. That’s it!
While hummingbird food is safe for hummingbirds, what about dogs?
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Ask a Vet Live NowHummingbird Food & Dogs
Whether your dog has eaten commercially prepared or homemade hummingbird food, he should be OK. The hummingbird food is not toxic to dogs.
However, because it’s high in sugar, your dog could experience some digestive issues after eating the nectar.
Symptoms of Hummingbird Food Ingestion in Dogs
You may notice these symptoms if your dog has eaten hummingbird food:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Heartburn
These symptoms should not last longer than 24 hours. If they do, then it’s time to call the vet. The issue is that your dog could become dehydrated from having constant vomiting and diarrhea.
The vet has medications that can ease and stop diarrhea and vomiting. And they have medicine to treat heartburn and nausea in dogs, too.
The good news is that hummingbird food is not toxic to dogs! Your dog should make a full recovery after eating hummingbird food!
Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.
Julie
Julie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, where she studied Animal science. Though contrary to the opinion of her parents she was meant to study pharmacy, but she was in love with animals especially cats. Julie currently works in an animal research institute (NGO) in California and loves spending quality time with her little cat. She has the passion for making research about animals, how they survive, their way of life among others and publishes it. Julie is also happily married with two kids.
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