Soy sauce
CautionSoy sauce is essentially brine. One tablespoon carries about 2 g of salt, so a 7 lb dog that laps up three or four tablespoons reaches Merck's salt-toxicosis range of 2-3 g/kg. Leave the water bowl down and call your vet.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Check the precautions before sharing
Risk depends on preparation, ingredients or amount. Read the precautions below; body weight alone cannot establish a safe portion.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Vomiting
- Increased thirst
- Increased urine volume
- Diarrhoea
- Poor coordination or balance
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Dehydration
- Salt poisoning
More about this food
The hazard in soy sauce is sodium, not soybeans. Brewed soy sauce runs roughly 900-1,000 mg of sodium per tablespoon, which is about 2 to 2.5 g of salt in a single dipping-bowl pour. A small ramekin of soy sauce beside a plate of dumplings holds 3 to 4.5 g.
A sodium load raises plasma osmolality, and water is pulled out of brain cells to compensate. That is why the picture goes past an upset stomach into neurologic signs. The Merck Veterinary Manual reports clinical signs in dogs after ingestion of 2-3 g/kg of sodium chloride, with an acute oral lethal dose around 4 g/kg, and diagnoses the condition on serum sodium above 160 mEq/L.
In kitchen terms: a 7 lb (3 kg) dog crosses the threshold at 6-9 g of salt, roughly 3 to 4 tablespoons of soy sauce. An 11 lb (5 kg) dog needs 10-15 g, about a third of a cup. The realistic emergencies in an American kitchen are a knocked-over bottle, a bowl of teriyaki or soy-braising liquid, a stack of takeout packets chewed open, or a marinade bag pulled out of the trash.
Vomiting usually shows up within a few hours, followed by intense thirst and increased urination, then weakness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and in severe cases seizures.
Do three things. Leave fresh water available but do not let your dog gulp large volumes at once, and do not force water down; a fast drop in serum sodium can cause cerebral edema, which is why veterinarians lower it at only 0.5-1.0 mEq/L per hour. Do not use salt or salt water to make your dog vomit - Pet Poison Helpline warns that this is itself a cause of salt poisoning. And call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 with the amount and the time. If the soy sauce came from a marinade or a braise, mention it: those almost always contain onion and garlic, which are separately toxic.
Frequently asked questions
- My dog licked a soy sauce dipping bowl. Is that an emergency?
- A small dipping bowl is roughly 3-4.5 g of salt, which most dogs over 11 lb pass through with thirst and maybe vomiting. For a dog under 7 lb it is close to the toxic range. Leave water down, and call your vet if you see tremors, wobbliness, or repeated vomiting.
- Should I give lots of water to flush the salt out?
- Leave water available but do not force or allow large gulps. Correcting sodium too fast causes brain swelling, so vets bring it down at 0.5-1.0 mEq/L per hour. Offer small amounts often and follow your veterinarian's instructions.
- Is low-sodium soy sauce safe for dogs?
- It is still salty, usually only about 40% less sodium, so the same math applies with a larger volume. There is no reason to feed soy sauce of any kind. Season your dog's food with nothing at all.