Is It Safe To Feed Peanut Butter To My Dog?

If you are searching this on internet, you are definitely more concerned about your dog’s health than other dog owners.

Before discussing whether peanut butter is good for your dog or not, let’s have a brief idea of what peanut butter actually is. Peanut butter is made from ground dry roasted peanuts and is in the form of hard semi-solid paste. There may be salt, sugar, emulsifiers and seed oils present in different types of peanut butters. Humans use it as a sandwich spread in their food. Taking of the nutritional profile of peanut butter, it is a great source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin E, niacin and vitamin B6. Peanut butter is available in both crunchy as well as creamy form.

If somebody asks me for a quick answer to the question ‘Is peanut butter safe for dogs’, I will say yes. However, you need to know so many things about peanut butter. The article will clarify your doubts and will give you a more comprehensible idea about feeding peanut butter to your dog.

Peanut butter has various health benefits for dogs as well as humans. Protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats present in peanuts provide your dog energy and stamina for daily routine. Perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein helps dog in utilizing the sugar elements which are present in the bloodstream. For a dog with no disease and healthy weight, few licks of peanut butter will do no harm. Larger dogs can even be fed full spoon but try not feeding the dog with spoon as dog may swallow spoon along with the peanut butter. Peanut butter is also good for the oral health of dogs as fatty acid present in the peanut butter coats the bad smell which is caused by the bacteria present in the mouth. However, this doesn’t mean that you don’t need to clean your dog’s teeth at all. Omega fatty acids present in the peanut butter helps in reducing cholesterol levels.

Pet owners are often confused between crunchy and creamy peanut butter. Creamy smooth peanut butter is easy to digest while crunchy peanut butter may be difficult to swallow as may choke. Also, choose organic and raw peanut butter which is free from salt or other preservatives.

Till now I have various benefits of peanut butter and you have probably made your mind to feed your dog peanut butter.

But, wait. There are some harms too:

• Most peanut butter contains aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins, and are known to have carcinogenic properties.
• Also peanut butter contains Xylitol which is toxic for dogs even in very small quantities.

To wrap up, I would say that peanut butter is a perfect treat for dogs but read the label carefully. Avoid peanut butter containing harmful toxins and prefer organic peanut butter.

Peanut Allergy

Just like humans, few dogs may be allergic to peanut butter. If your dog is showing allergic reactions after consuming peanut butter, you should take him to vet.