Treating yourself to a donut treat is fun. Chocolate donut, strawberry-filled donut, chocolate-filled, or a glazed donut is an excellent treat when you pair with a hot Choco or steaming hot coffee. Grabbing a few pieces on your way to work or on your way back home is an exciting way to fill your day with a touch of sweetness.
Can dogs eat donuts? Is it safe to toss a few treats and let them enjoy chewing them? It is hard not to share a bite of donut with our furry friend, considering it tastes good and is easy to chew. It is great with almost anything. We will shed a little light on this question, and we are hoping it will be useful for both you and your dog.
Can dogs eat donuts?
Flour, milk, water, sugar, salt, yeast, and some eggs comprise a donut. Some of it is not fit for dog consumption. Flour is not good for dogs, same as sugar, salt, and yeast. When your dog ingests some of these basic donut ingredients in large amounts, most likely, they’ll get sick.
We do not recommend the consumption of donuts for health-challenged people, much more with dogs. A donut does not provide any dietary benefit for canines. There is no good health reason for someone feeding their dogs something that is potentially dangerous and does not provide any health benefit.
When both humans and dogs take an excessive amount of donuts regularly, they become obese. Both of them would suffer diabetes, heart disease, disease of the joints, and possibly organ failure because of complications from diabetes.
And when your dog is already suffering from an underlying medical condition, the more he does not need donuts as part of his diet. We know exactly how a donut tastes like. We also know that sugar contributes a lot to how a donut taste. Sugar and dog do not mix. Please be careful when thinking of sharing a piece of donut with your furry friend.
When is a piece of donut become harmful for dogs?
Both Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme get their donuts filled with heavy toppings. I must admit those donuts taste delicious. When a donut with heavy, sweet, and colorful toppings touches your dog’s palate, of course, he is going to like it. Who doesn’t? But I can’t say he would turn out fine because he won’t.
A donut’s sweet filling and toppings contain chocolates and a sweetener called xylitol. Both are not fit for dog consumption, and getting your dog exposed to these two “goodies” is not a healthy option for them. Chocolates and sweets are not advisable to be eaten regularly by humans, so how much more dogs?
Chocolate
Chocolate is toxic and poisonous. We must not feed it to dogs. It contains theobromine, which is toxic and dangerous to them. It damages your dog’s liver and is devastating for dogs. When a dog eats enough dose of theobromine relative to its body weight, your dog’s system to go haywire.
White and milk chocolates have lesser theobromine contents than dark chocolate but are still not safe for dogs. The darker and the more bitter the chocolates are, the more dangerous it is for dogs. A bar of baking chocolate is a concentrated form of chocolates and contains 130-450 milligrams of theobromine per ounce.
Chocolate contains a considerable amount of fat and sugar. Feeding your dog chocolate can lead to pancreatitis. When your dog ingests a considerable amount of chocolate, he can suffer vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, panting, restlessness, excessive urination, and an elevated heart rate.
Severe chocolate poisoning can lead to muscle tremors, seizures, and, worse, heart failure. When you see your dog experience these symptoms, call your vet immediately and seek medical intervention.
Xylitol
Food companies use xylitol as a sweetener for most commercial food. The common sweetener used in food is labeled as sugar-free. Used for sweetening a donut filling and is a toxic chemical for dogs. Its effect is like insulin, and it tricks the body into lowering blood sugar levels below what is normal.
When xylitol kicks it into a dog’s system, a dog will end up having low blood sugar levels. It starves their brain with energy and gives them a feeling of lethargy and unresponsiveness. Your dog would experience seizures when it ingested a considerable amount of dangerous levels of xylitol.
Do not give your dog food items that use xylitol. When your dog already has diabetes, pancreatitis, or has a sensitive stomach, giving them a donut treat is like disregarding your dog’s right to live. Getting a dog to keep you company is a privilege. Please do not lose that privilege because of wanton disregard of their safety and health.
My dog has eaten a piece of donut. What should I do?
If you suspect your dog ingested a donut, keep calm and get any donut in your home out of your dog’s reach. Get to know how much donut your dog has eaten. If your dog has eaten a donut that does not have much fillings and toppings, he is going to be fine. But it does not mean he can eat another round of it.
For your dog to be safe, do not bring a donut in your home. You can always eat a donut outside and spare your dog a lot of trouble. You can give your dog some safe treats, like a few slices of apple, banana, and some blueberries. When you want to give your dog some treats, you can safely toss a few pieces of sliced apples, and he will be fine.
When you have a dog that loves to eat with you with whatever food item, it is better to eat with him foods that do not cause him any harm. It is such a sad sight to see your dog suffers because you have not been too careful. Getting your dog safe in every way you can be a priority. If you truly love your dog, then keep him out of danger.
