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dog-eat-peanut-butter

Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter?

Peanut, which is a form of legume, is full of healthy fats as well as protein. In fact, peanut butter is a very soft and creamy food that is preferred by many of us. However, we often want to add this peanut butter to the diet of our pet dogs.

Most of the doggies like to enjoy the taste of peanut butter. But the common question that the dog owners often as is – Can peanuts give any effect to the dogs? The high quality dog foods of the best brands that include peanuts will perhaps not affect the dog’s physical condition in any way.

Beneficial Aspects of the Peanut Butter

The peanuts not only taste good but also have lots of proteins, antioxidants, fats and vitamins. In addition to it, the creamy peanut butter also helps your dog to become more energetic. It can allow your pup’s body to work with the highest efficiency level. A balanced amount of carbohydrates and protein is present in the peanut butter. Besides, the beneficial fats also pump up the body of dog to increase the stamina and energy.

Peanut butter also has omega fatty acid, and this enhances the health, besides decreasing the harmful cholesterol of doggies. You only need to keep in mind that your dog needs the peanut butter in moderate amount. If your dog is very small, then only one tablespoon per day is sufficient. Never offer the butter to the dog on a daily basis.

Risky Ingredients in Peanut Butter

As an owner of a little pooch, you perhaps like to see its funny expressions, while it eats peanut butter. However, remember that all these peanut butters are not harmless for your pets. You need to know about the potentially toxic ingredient, contained in the food.

Xylitol, which is one of the sweeteners, is applied in a number of foods, such as, yogurt, peanut butter and toothpaste and so on. This is possibly dangerous to the dogs. When it is consumed, it may lead to seizures, failure of liver and also death.

Most of the peanut butters, however, do not have sweetener; however, its application as one of the low-caloric substitutes to the sugar is gradually increasing. Thus, the pet owners should be cautious while thinking of the dogs’ food.

If your dog is poisoned with xylitol, it may show some symptoms, like muscle weakness, nausea, walking problems or tremors. These symptoms generally begin within fifteen to thirty minutes, after the consumption. Those, who think that their pooches have consumed accidentally something that contains xylitol must get in touch with a veterinarian. The good fact is that the peanut butter of the best brands never has xylitol. It is safe for pets.

Aflatoxin is another component that is sometimes seen in the peanut butter. Aflatoxin is a kind of the mycotoxin, which are created by fungus, recognized as Aspergillus. In addition to it, mycotoxin is perhaps the risky carcinogenic compounds, found in this earth, and it is quite poisonous to a dog’s liver. Besides, Aflatoxin may also be the cause of the liver cancer. In fact, do not think that you may be able to keep away from aflatoxins by purchasing the fresh, fancy, industry-made peanut butter.

Trans-fatty acid is also another substance, which is a poisonous substance in food. You have to make out whether the peanut butter of the dog contains trans fats and whether this contains partly hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils. If it contains so, then do not buy it as it may lead to the heart disease, diabetes or constant inflammation.

When your pooch has the tendency to suffer from diabetes, the original insulin, present in the dog’ body is prevented from getting released. While the element of sugar in bloodstream is accumulated in an uncontrollable way, it may cause much harm to the cells, nerves and tissues of the dog. As peanut butter has carbohydrates and protein, it may assist the doggie to make use of the sugar constituents in bloodstream.

Try to Avoid Choking Risk

As crispy peanut butter may contain a number of peanut pieces, which may be the cause of choking risks, it is better to provide with canine friend with such peanut butter, which is completely creamy. While you offer the dog this butter in rare occasion, the non-organic, commercial-grade smooth products may be excellent.

But, if the pooch consumes it on a regular basis, it is better to provide it with the unsalted, organic peanut butter. Excessive amount of salt may be detrimental to the dog’s wellbeing.

Consider the Factor of Obesity

Nearly 60 percent of the dogs in America are regarded to be obese or overweight. Thus, a food with high fat, for example, peanut butter may not be recommendable for dogs that have huge figures. Some breeds of doggies are prone to pancreatitis. Therefore, you have to be cautious while providing them with some high-fat foodstuffs. In addition to it, other dogs may have some kind of allergies. In fact, peanut is included in the list of extremely allergenic food. Thus, in the aforesaid dog species, you should be highly careful.

But, for any healthy, normal dog that has no weight problem, extremely small quantities of peanut butter may be an amusing treat. They may also offer a simple method of pill management.

Some people say that it is essential to give milk or water to those dogs, which are consuming peanut butter. However, experts believe that the milk is not recommended though water must be give to all pets.

Thus, you may treat your dog with the peanut butter, produced by the best brands. However, moderation in the amount should be maintained regardless of the size and species of the dogs. As the butter contains vitamin E, it can keep the skin of the dogs much healthy. Moreover, as peanut butter is sweet substance, you should also have to be careful about your dog’s teeth. Cleaning the teeth of your dog is essential on a regular basis.

Check out our article that discusses if dogs can eat edamame.