Can dogs eat peanut butter? The answer is yes they can. Many dogs enjoy eating peanut butter and it works wonders as a little treat for them.
However, moderation and no salted is the key. Below we look at some of the benefits of allowing your dog to eat peanut butter. We also look at some of the precautions you should bare in mind.
Can Dogs eat peanut butter – Benefits
- Peanuts are actually a type of legume, rather than a nut. As a result, peanuts are rich in healthy fats that are good for the heart.
- You will also find a good source of vitamins E, B3 and H within peanut butter. These vitamins are vital in keeping your dog’s coat in tip-top shape.
- Peanut butter contains protein, and other nutritional value such as magnesium, folate, dietary fiber and antioxidant p-coumaric acid. All of these are beneficial for your dog’s diet.
- Dogs can eat peanut butter to overcome separation anxiety. By stuffing a teaspoon of unsalted peanut butter into your dogs toy, (non toxic, rubber etc), you dog should be occupied while you are gone.
- Some Owners use peanut butter to feed their dog medicine. If your dog refuses to take his pill, hide it in a teaspoon of peanut butter. That should do the trick.
Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter – Preparation
How you serve the peanut butter to your pet is important.
Some Owners like to give their dogs peanut butter cookies. This is not recommended as these can contain higher levels of sugar and fats that are not especially beneficial to your dog.
As mentioned above, one way it to place a small amount of peanut butter inside a toy (Kong). These are especially designed for you to place food inside. Your dog is then happily preoccupied while it tries to lick it out.
Using a spoon to feed your dog peanut butter is not advised.
One it is unhygienic if it gets mixed up with the house spoons. Two, there have been reports of Owner’s feeding their dogs peanut butter using the a spoon, only to have their mutts swallow the spoon in one along with the treat.
Can Dogs eat peanut butter – Precautions
Dogs should not eat salted peanut butter. Salty foods are not good for your dogs metabolism. Raw, unsalted peanut butter is what you should feed them.
Owners with small dogs may be advised to not feed them crunchy peanut butter due to the peanuts being a potential choking hazard. If in doubt stick to the smooth.
If your dog eats peanut butter very rarely, it is okay to feed them the commercial, creamy non-organic variety. These are higher in calories and contain more unhealthy preservatives, however in small amounts will not be bad for your dog.
If on the other hand you use peanut butter as a treat quite often – try to stick to the healthier organic brands.
Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter – Allergic Reactions
There have been rare reported incidents of dogs having allergies to peanut butter.
Signs of a dog experiencing a peanut allergy do vary. However, if your dog exhibits gastric distress, skin irritation or hair loss after eating peanut butter, you know they clearly have a problem with it.
If any of these signs present themselves, take your dog to veterinarian immediately. They will be able to diagnose what kind of allergy the dog is suffering from.
Resources
- Head to peanutdogs.com for more information on peanut allergies in dogs.
- For detailed information on the nutritional value of peanut butter head here.
- Pet poison helpline has information on the toxicity of salt for dogs.
Comments
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