Dogs love peanut butter as much as we do- or maybe too much. They can identify the mouthwatering aroma even from the moment we open the jar! That’s why many dogs’ trainers use peanut butter for training purposes and eventually feed the canines peanut butter as a reward for good behavior. But before you give the whole jar of peanut butter to your four-legged friends, perhaps you should know that why this creamy ‘manna from heaven’ is not the best dog training treats.
Beyond the jar
The main reason why you should think twice before feeding peanut butter to your dog is the ingredients of peanut butter itself. Wait, before you think that it has something to do with peanut, no, the peanut itself will not harm a dog’ body. Yet other ingredients will.
For example, recently many companies start to use a sugar substitute called xylitol. You can find it everywhere, even the so-called sugar free products such as gums, toothpaste, and breath mints contain xylitol. The fact is, some brands of peanut butter also use this sweetener. Those huge dose of xylitol will not bring harm to people, however it is toxic to dogs. Xylitol can cause a rapid release of insulin in dogs, which affects their blood sugar levels.
Even if you found a brand without xylitol, do not forget there is still a lot of sugar and salt. Eating too much sugar and salt may cause some health problems such as diabetes and damaged teeth for your furred babies. And oh, do not forget that many types of shop-bought peanut butter are rich in trans fat which can cause obesity.
Is it really a no?
Well, we have known that the problem is that peanut butter contains too much sugar, too much salt and trans fat. So it is fine as long as you can find a low-sugar, low-salt and low-fat product. What if you still cannot find it? Then you can try to make your own peanut butter, a homemade one.
Just remember that peanut butter is just a treat, not a main part of dogs’ diet you can give on a daily basis.
Are Dogs Allergic to Peanut Butter?
Just like other food may cause allergic reaction to some people when the rest are fine, peanut butter may cause some allergic reaction to some dogs. Usually, you can tell if your dog is allergic to peanut butter if they show one or more of the following signs and symptoms:
- Bald patches, rashes, red and itchy patches on the skin
- Hotspots on the skin
- Excessive licking
- Trouble with breathing
If these symptoms happened to your dogs, bring them to your veterinarian and tell him about what they eat before the warning signs appear. He can help your dogs to get the best treatment and also help you to know whether the cause of their allergic reaction is the peanut butter or the other allergen. Then based on that information, you can make decision whether peanut butter is the best training treats for your dogs or not.
