Can Cats Eat Doritos?

However, Doritos have no health benefits for cats. Conversely, they can be dangerous for your four-legged companion and even inflict death if consumed in large amounts.

Small servings consumed regularly can also affect a cat’s health, leading to chronic medical conditions that decrease a cat’s life expectancy.

It’s best not to give your cat Doritos in any circumstances, but if your cat has already eaten some, observe it for adverse effects.

Are Tortilla Chips Safe for Cats?

The base of Doritos is tortilla chips. Tortilla chips aren’t toxic to cats, so cats can eat them – but should they? Corn is high in carbohydrates and fats but low in proteins.

Cats are obligate carnivores, so they can survive on meat alone. Their gastroenteric tract has evolved to digest large amounts of proteins, but it cannot break down carbs properly.

The feline diet should consist of approximately 55% protein, 35% fat, and 10% carbs. Tortilla chips are the opposite of what a cat should eat, although they won’t harm a cat’s health if not for the add-ons.

Frequent corn chip consumption can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, and kidney stones in cats. Such lasting health issues aren’t worth a moment of pleasure.

The only health benefit of corn chips for cats is fiber, but chips certainly aren’t the best fiber source for cats.

Plus, tortilla chips are fried in vegetable oil. Some vegetable oils, such as canola and corn oil, can have lasting effects on feline health and have been linked with increased cancer risk.

Doritos are cooked using canola, corn, and safflower oil mix. Your cat won’t develop cancer from one chip, but Doritos shouldn’t be a regular part of your cat’s diet.

Doritos, like all corn chips, are also high in sodium. Salt is vital for your cat’s health to regulate fluid metabolism, but cats shouldn’t consume over 41 milligrams of sodium daily.

Too much salty foods can lead to poisoning, causing excessive thirst and urination, tremors, vomiting, diarrhea, and even death.

Twelve Doritos chips contain 210 milligrams of sodium, so five chips already contain life-threatening amounts of salt for your cat. Note that your cat’s kibble or canned food already contains some amount of sodium.

Are Other Doritos Ingredients Safe for Cats?

Salt and vegetable oil are primary offenders in Doritos but not the only ones. Nearly every second Doritos ingredient is harmful to cats. Some might not have negative effects in small amounts, while others are straight-up toxic.

Let’s take nacho cheese-flavored Doritos. Maltodextrin, an ingredient derived from corn, is considered safe for pets and is sometimes used in pet food.

However, it’s followed by cheddar cheese, which is high in lactose. Most adult cats are lactose-intolerant and can experience gastroenteric upset from eating dairy.

Onion powder is high on Doritos ingredient list, so its content is substantial. Onions are extremely toxic to felines. Garlic powder is also on the list, albeit in smaller amounts.

About one gram of fresh garlic is enough to cause severe poisoning. But since garlic and onion powder are more concentrated, even a smaller amount can cause anemia (breakdown of red blood cells).

Garlic powder poisoning symptoms in cats include diarrhea, vomiting, tremors, lethargy, pale gums, and excessive thirst. If a cat eats too many Doritos, it can even die.

The next ingredient is dextrose, a type of sugar that is an unnecessary addition to a cat’s diet and is harmful in the long term, albeit not toxic. Sugar increases diabetes, heart disease, and obesity risk.

Tomato powder is also dangerous to felines because it contains solanine, causing lethargy, gastroenteric upset, and lowered heart rate in high doses.

The ingredient list also mentions spices, but it doesn’t specify which spices are used. Many spices can cause vomiting and diarrhea in cats, and some are poisonous in high doses.

Doritos contain artificial yellow food dye, which is linked with neurological issues in cats, such as insomnia and aggression. Yellow 5, in particular, increases the risk of asthma, lymphoma, and hypothyroidism in felines.

Red 40 is a carcinogen. Lactic and citric acids are safe for cats, but the following ingredient is sugar. Sugar can make a cat hyperactive and increase diabetes risk.

Bell pepper powder isn’t toxic to cats but can cause severe gastroenteric upset, same as skim milk. Oddly, the ingredient list in all Doritos flavors is essentially the same, so all Doritos are dangerous for cats.

Of course, Doritos contain each of these ingredients in negligible doses, which are unlikely to cause severe poisoning unless your cat unless it eats several chips. But combined, these elements can cause harm even in small servings.

Consequences of a Cat Eating Doritos

In the best-case scenario, Doritos will cause mild stomach upset in your cat. However, even mild diarrhea and vomiting can cause dehydration. The cat might need intravenous fluids to compensate for the fluid loss.

In the worst-case scenario, a cat can eat a toxic dose of garlic or onion powder and experience toxicity symptoms, including difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, drooling, excessive thirst, vomiting, anemia, and tremors.

Such a terrifying picture is unlikely to occur if a cat licks Doritos or eats a chip. However, eating a handful of chips can be fatal.

Furthermore, even one Dorito chip is a choking hazard because tortilla chips are crunchy, and a sharp edge can get stuck in a cat’s throat. Doritos can also scratch and irritate a cat’s mouth lining.

Crunchy foods actually help cats clean their teeth. But because Doritos contain so many additives, they are more likely to contribute to your cat’s dental problems than assist in hygiene.

Because Doritos are mostly carbs, cats cannot digest them properly. Excessive carb consumption can cause stomach upset and increase the risk of diabetes, heart diseases, and obesity in the long term.

With so many risks involved, you will likely think twice before giving your cat Doritos. Junk food doesn’t bring benefits even to humans (apart from improved mood) but is especially harmful to pets.

Why Does My Cat Crave Doritos?

A cat craving chicken or tuna isn’t surprising, but why do some cats crave salty junk food like Doritos? After all, tortilla chips with artificial flavorings aren’t an integral part of a cat’s diet.

Furthermore, cats have fewer taste buds than humans, so they cannot feel as many flavors. They can detect salt in food, but not sugars.

There are several reasons your cat wants Doritos. Firstly, your cat could be interested in what you eat because felines are generally curious, and you are the center of your cat’s universe.

Cats like trying new textures, flavors, and smells. And eating something together with the owner is a great bonding moment.

Secondly, cats can have odd food preferences, like humans. Some cats might like the crunchy texture of tortilla chips or the salty flavor. Others might go crazy over Doritos smell.

Thirdly, your cat might not get enough carbs, fats, or sodium from food and try to get the lacking nutrients elsewhere.

If you suspect that your cat’s diet isn’t balanced enough, consult with a veterinarian. Don’t try to alter your pet’s diet yourself.

Either way, a cat craving Doritos usually isn’t a reason for concern and doesn’t mean the cat is a weirdo. Still, sharing the chips with your cat isn’t a good idea, even if they are your pet’s favorite treats.

What to Do If a Cat Ate Doritos

Maybe your cat is a Doritos thief, or it licked some crumbs off the floor, or you gave some chips to your cat without checking the safety first. Either way, you may wonder what to do if a cat ate Doritos.

First, evaluate how much your cat has ingested. If your cat has only licked off crumbs or eaten a chip, don’t panic. Your cat will likely be alright, but you should monitor its behavior regardless.

If you notice any signs of gastroenteric distress or changes in your cat’s behavior, call the vet and consult regarding your further actions. Often, gastroenteric upset doesn’t require veterinary intervention.

If your cat appears disoriented, has excessive thirst, or has sudden diarrhea and vomiting, call the vet immediately because your cat might have food poisoning.

Garlic toxicity in cats doesn’t resolve on its own. The toxin continues destroying red blood cells and can lead to death, so timely veterinary intervention can save the cat’s life.

You should also be mindful of cat choking signs, including retching, coughing, pawing at the mouth, blue mucous membranes, rubbing the face against the ground, and excessive salivation.

If your cat choke on Doritos, don’t attempt to remove the chips from your pet’s throat but call the vet. In short, call the vet if you notice any abnormalities in your cat’s behavior after it has eaten Doritos.

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