Do you like peanut butter? Then you might feel like you want to give your dog some of this lovely nutty goodness. Humans often love to share their favorite foods with their beloved canines. With that in mind, you might want to try and better understand whether or not dogs can have peanut butter. Before you start slathering the stuff onto a stick and handing it over to your canine, you might want to better appreciate how likely it is that they can eat some peanut butter in the first place. So, can dogs have peanut butter?
Can your dog have peanut butter? The answer can be more confusing than you think
So, the general consensus is quite simple – you can give a dog peanut butter. In fact, you can give your dog most forms of peanut butter. Trying to watch your dog chew through this stuff can be positively hilarious to watch!
Dogs love the stuff, though, and will be more than happy to chew and chomp away on it for hours if you leave them to it. However, check any peanut butter you are going to be feeding your dog for a substance called Xylitol.
If this is present in your peanut butter, do NOT let your dog eat that particular brand. This is toxic to canines, and it could genuinely put their health and wellbeing at major risk. Also, make sure your dog only eats peanut butter in small quantities. Many people let their dog eat through half a jar, and then wonder why their dog looks like it is about to faint.
The best way to give your dog the benefit of peanut butter is to smear it on their chew toys. It can give them something to eat and enjoy, and it can also make sure they get the goodness of peanut butter without the concerns around eating too much.
You should always treat peanut butter more as a treat than something that your dog eats like a regular snack. This can cause them some serious problems down the line, so make sure you are very strict when it comes to peanut butter and how much they are allowed to eat.
When should my dog not get peanut butter?
If you have a dog at home that wants to eat peanut butter, make sure they only do so when they are in good physical shape. Dogs who are overweight are not going to be able to eat this kind of stuff without piling on the weight. Peanut butter has a high-fat content so it is not a good choice for dogs who are on a diet.
If your dog has kidney issues, too, you should definitely look to reduce their intake of peanut butter. It is quite a salty, savory snack so it can be somewhat dangerous for dogs that might have kidney problems. If your dog has a specific diet that is very particular due to food sensitivity, too, make sure you avoid feeding them peanut butter as it could throw their diet out of alignment.
Keep these factors in mind and you should find it much easier to keep your canine in good condition. If it wants peanut butter, let them have fun – but only in small amounts, and only for the right kind of dog. As ever, visit your veterinarian if you have any questions or worries.