Click to Skip Ahead
If you have a dog, you know that they love begging for everything we eat. We know that honey has numerous health benefits for people, but is the same true for dogs, or should you avoid feeding it to them entirely?
The truth is that dogs can eat some honey as long as you don’t give them too much. But how much is too much, and are there any benefits to feeding your dog honey? We’ll answer those questions and more for you here!
How Much Honey Can Dogs Eat?
The amount of honey your dog can safely eat depends on their size. Typically, treats should not make up more than 10% of your dog’s diet, but that doesn’t mean you can exclusively give your dog honey as their treat.
With honey, less is better, but there’s nothing wrong with giving a spoonful to your dog from time to time, especially if it helps get their medication down!
Benefits of Giving Your Dog Honey
While there aren’t any definitive studies that link honey to positive health benefits to honey, anecdotal reports of benefits include reducing inflammation, soothing stomach ulcers, and helping with pet allergies.
Disadvantages of Giving Your Dog Honey
Really the only concern about feeding honey to your dog is the sugar content. Honey contains lots of sugar, and too much sugar can lead to obesity and other health problems for your dog.
However, while honey is high in sugar, as long as you feed your dog honey in moderation and you don’t feed them many other foods that are high in sugar, it should be safe. Always ask your veterinarian first before you add anything new to your dog’s diet. They could give you advice on proper dosage and safety.
Other 5 Great Treats for Your Dog
It’s perfectly fine to give your dogs some honey from time to time, but because they should only eat it in small quantities, you might want to know about some other treats to mix it up with. In fact, you can even add honey to any of the treats we’ve highlighted here!
1. Apples
Most dogs love the taste of apples, but because of the high sugar content, you shouldn’t feed them too many. Also, ensure you wash the apples first and remove the core and seeds before feeding them to your dog.
2. Broccoli
Broccoli is an excellent treat for your dog, and you can feed it to them steamed, baked, raw, or cooked in any way. Cooked broccoli is a little easier for your dog to digest, but either way, it’s healthy for your dog.
3. Watermelon
Watermelon is full of water, and it’s a sweet and refreshing treat for your dog. You can give them some watermelon year-round, but it’s a great choice to give your dog during the hot summer months.
4. Blueberries
Blueberries are another fruit that your pup might not be able to get enough of, especially if you drizzle them with honey. However, it does have a lot of sugar, so feed them to your pup in moderation, especially if you’re drizzling them with honey.
5. Carrots
Lots of dogs love raw carrots, especially fresh from the fridge. Larger dogs will happily munch on a whole carrot, whilst smaller dogs prefer batons. The best way to serve raw carrots to your dog is in lengths at least twice the width of their mouth. The larger they are, the more crunching is needed, which is great for teeth too. If pieces are too small, they can be a choking hazard.
Final Thoughts
While you can’t feed your dog a huge amount of honey, there’s nothing wrong with giving them a tablespoon or two from time to time. It’s a great treat to drizzle on their regular food or other healthy snacks, just don’t go overboard with it because it does have quite a bit of sugar.
See also:
- Can Dogs Eat Pork? Vet Approved Nutrition Facts & FAQ
- Can Dogs Eat Hot Pockets? Vet Reviewed Facts & Safety Guide
Featured Image Credit: stevepb, Pixabay
