Super Bowl Sunday (or better yet, Puppy Bowl Sunday) is a day for cheering on your favorite team, hanging out with friends, and eating tasty snacks. And if your invite list includes furry friends, you’ll want to be sure the food you serve is pet-safe and pet-approved.
Before we get into our list of recommendations, it’s important to remember to keep your pet’s snacks and treats in check on game day. It’s okay to splurge a little during the big event, but moderation is key. Any calories from extra nibbles should be subtracted from your pet’s daily food intake and, ideally, shouldn’t go over 10% of your pet’s daily calories. Now, on to the snacks!
Pet-specific snacks
If you’re serving special appetizers for your guests, why not prepare a couple of options for your pet? Following are a few suggestions.
- Air-fried sweet potato chips (without any salt or seasoning)
- Food puzzles filled with treats or kibble
- Frozen peanut butter kongs
Homemade pumpkin treats for dogs or sardine treats for cats
People foods your pet can eat
In the mood to share? There are some classic Super Bowl snacks that can be safe for pets...with a few caveats.
- Chicken wings. You should keep your pet away from the skin, fat, and bones, but a few small pieces of cooked meat (without any sauce) are okay.
- Popcorn. As long as it doesn’t have salt, butter, or other toppings, this is a suitable treat for pets.
- Veggie trays. Dipping sauces are a no-no, but baby carrots and celery sticks are snacks that many pets enjoy.
- Pretzels. Unsalted pretzels sans cheese sauce or spicy mustard can be given in moderation.
- Deviled eggs. Deviled egg filling contains mayo and spices that aren’t good for pets, but small bites of egg white can be a tasty treat for them.
Snack foods your pet should avoid
There are some foods you just can’t pet proof. Ideally, keep the following foods off the menu:
- Chocolate
- Sugary foods and anything sweetened with Xylitol
- Grapes and raisins
- Fruits with pits
- Onions and garlic
- Avocado
- Macadamia nuts
But since it’s probably not practical to avoid all of these foods while still keeping your human guests happy, the most important thing you can do is keep all food safely out of your pet’s reach. For some pets, that means putting food on counters or high tables. But if you have a long-legged dog or a counter-cruising cat, designate someone in the house to keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t help themselves to the party platters.
