Has your dog discovered his sweet tooth, stolen candy from a bowl, and tried to act universally offended if he didn’t receive a reward cookie? Experts recommend not to follow the lead of a cunning manipulator. And not only because, having achieved its goal, the pet will understand that you are easy to control. The fact is that dogs really can’t have sweets. Especially one that is for people. However, it’s relatively easy to please a four-legged gourmet with a safe dessert.
Top 5 most dangerous sweets for dogs?
For dogs, thousands of years of living alongside humans have not been in vain. As recent studies show, the organisms of domestic “tails” are increasingly loyal to food that is atypical for predatory mammals. Moreover, the pancreas of a modern dog successfully copes with the breakdown of starchy foods, while in its wild relatives, this function. Research papers often cite the exact figure as 15%, the proportion of a dog’s total diet allocated to simple and complex carbohydrates.
In the animal’s body, carbohydrates restore energy (ATP production).
However, the ability to digest sugar and starch does not mean that desserts should appear on your pet’s menu. The problems from sweet pleasures are much greater than the benefits. Regular consumption of sugar in any food leads to diseases:
- Diabetes mellitus;
- Obesity;
- Renal pathologies;
- Allergic reactions (excessive wax, runny eyes, dandruff).
The dog’s teeth are also not happy with sweets. With saliva, sugar thins tooth enamel, accelerating the development of microcracks and, as a result, the appearance of caries. And the primary “cherry on the cake” is carbohydrate addiction. Most dogs that are rewarded with sweets regularly quickly become addicted to them. As a result, the animal does not approach the usual food, persistently demanding a “sweet dose” as an addition to lunch, and sometimes instead.
Top 5 most dangerous sweets for dogs
Formally, cake and ice cream are equally capable of harming a dog’s health. However, dog experts identified several products and the negative consequences of consuming them that leave standard sweets far behind.
Chocolate and cocoa are a killer combo that, along with sugar, also contains theobromine, which is not excreted from the dog’s body, negatively affecting the heart’s functioning and the nervous system’s health.
- Sweets with alcohol are the shortest step to intoxication with ethanol products.
- Chewing gum – cases of xylitol poisoning among animals are becoming more common. So, while walking, carefully ensure that your pet does not pick up chewing gum, which is abundant in high-traffic areas.
- Desserts with sweeteners. You won’t be able to reassure yourself that the treat contains a safe sweetener. The dog’s body does not see the difference between sugar and its analog.
- I am baking with spices. Butter dough is a terrible food for canines’ intestines, causing fermentation and bloating, and in combination with sugar and herbs, it is a calorie bomb.
- A teaspoon of cinnamon on your Cinnabon is enough to take your pet to the veterinary hospital.
Some breeders recommend quenching an animal’s craving for sweets with fruits, but this also has nuances. For example, grapes, raisins, and black currants are strictly contraindicated for dogs, as their regular consumption leads to kidney failure. You will have to tinker with cherries, plums, and apricots. The seeds found in these fruits are deadly to dogs due to the cyanide they contain.
Sweet compromises
There is no need to go to extremes and drag your dog to the vet if it got hold of a cookie somewhere. To harm the body with sweets in a big way, the animal must consume them regularly and in serious quantities. But ideally, it’s better to replace unhealthy desserts with healthy ones:
- Berries – blueberries, raspberries, blackberries;
- Fruits – apple, pear, banana (in small doses, since the product with glucose);
- Dried fruits – the identical dried apples, occasionally figs, and dried apricots;
- Honey – small breeds can half a teaspoon, large breeds – a tablespoon;
- Starchy vegetables containing natural sugars – sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots;
- Wheat crackers.
If your dog refuses natural alternatives, try turning to the modern pet supply industry for help. You can easily find toffees, chocolate for animals, and even candies in shops and marketplaces. Sugar is present in minute dosages in most of these delicacies and cocoa products from the composition.
