Is your dog fond of eating sugar cookies, or do you offer your little pooch sugar cookies as a treat? Well, that’s a nice gesture, but have you ever wondered either they are safe or not, or can dog eat sugar cookies? Not yet? Don’t worry, we are here for you!
Toxic isn’t the right word for sugar cookies, but they are also not health-friendly for your pooch. Sugars are never that good for pets, you must have known that. Why is that so? If we have a look at the dog’s ability to digest simple carbohydrates or we can say sugars, it is very low. Also, fat is not good for their health as it can lead to various health concerns, particularly heart diseases. Want to dig in more? Keep reading!
In this article, we are going to discuss some serious facts about sugar cookies and dogs also, how they are safe for dogs, and what makes them unsafe. Let’s get started!
CAN MY DOG EAT SUGAR COOKIES?
Imagine the warm aroma of freshly baked sugar cookies? It’s impossible for your dog not to sniff around. And if your dog has a habit of grabbing stuff over the counter, a cookie encounter can easily occur. It is totally normal for dogs to eat human food and are often seen sharing the food of their owner. But there are some foods that may seem harmless but can be really toxic and dangerous for your pet. The most common example of this is sugar cookies.
There is hardly any home where cookies aren’t baked or brought in from a bakery. And with cookies on hand and a dog sniffing around, there are chances it can take a bite or two. Before you panic and call your vet asking “My dog ate sugar cookies, I am panicking”, why not do some research beforehand to be prepared for the situation in future?
The answer to the question “Can my dog eat sugar cookies?” is both yes and no and is multifactorial. Yes, if the ingredients of the sugar cookies are dog-friendly; No, if the cookies contain ingredients that are toxic for your dog or your dog has some allergies. To avoid any consequences, you must know what ingredients are suitable for your dog and what are the ingredients that can prove to be fatal or toxic.
As the name refers, sugar cookies contain a lot of sugar which is quite unhealthy for dogs as dogs are not capable of digesting carbs and it can lead to a condition known as hyperglycemia as well. So, all the other ingredients of the sugar cookies are considered safe.
Well, there is an exception of other ingredients as well, want to know what? Let’s see! Some of the sugar cookies may contain chocolate, which is dangerous for dogs. An ingredient of chocolate known as theobromine cannot be metabolized by the dog’s digestive system hence, it makes chocolate unsafe for dogs. Sugar cookies containing chocolates are very unsafe for your little companion.
Now the second one, raisins! To enhance the rich taste of cookies, some manufacturers might add some raisins in it. Raisins are safe and delicious for humans, but if you are planning to offer your dog sugar cookies, make sure they don’t contain raisins otherwise it will have an adverse effect on your dog.
What if your dog eats sugar cookie?
If you are one of those careful and responsible owners, who try to keep their dog away from even the slightest risky food, then you are doing your best. But there are chances where the dog might somehow manage to reach the sugar cookies and eat them. What to do then? The time you get to know that your dog has eaten some of the sugar cookies, offer the dog plenty of water and continue giving all the rest of the foods you provide it regularly.
Next step would be keeping an eye on the dog, and looking for any serious symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, or vomiting. This would be an allergic reaction or the dog must have facing digestive issues due to the sugar. As your dog shows any of these symptoms, make sure you reach to the vet as soon as possible. However, if the dog seems completely normal, it might have survived it. Still, you want to be sure so call your vet and let him know the entire situation.
INGREDIENTS IN COOKIES THAT CAN BE TOXIC FOR THE DOG
As we all know cookies are made of simple ingredients like eggs, butter, flour and sugar. But those are the basic ingredients for the simplest cookies. With a variety of cookies like sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies and cookies with icing come a variety of ingredients as well.
Here are few common ingredients in cookies that can be toxic for the dog:
- Nutmeg
- Chocolate Chips
- Raisins
- Macadamia Nuts
- Xylitol
- All types of Chocolates
Sugar cookies usually have refined sugar that is not healthy for your dogs but it is not toxic at all. However, if your dog is diabetic you need to contact your vet immediately. The best way to avoid events like these is to put cookies and treats in a lockable box or put a baby gate to prevent your dog from entering the kitchen.
Flour, sugar, and butter are the major ingredients of the cookies which are neither toxic nor very healthy. If we specifically focus on the toxic ingredients, then they would be xylitol, macadamia nuts, nutmeg, raisins, and chocolate. Well, let us make it clearer in the table here.
| Ingredients | Effects |
| Flour | · Wheat flour is entirely safe and healthy for dogs however, if your dog is showing some serious signs after its consumption, it might be allergic to it. · White flour can cause digestive issues in dogs. |
| Sugar | · Sugar is not healthy for dogs as it may out them at the risk of having dental issues, diabetes, and obesity. · If you put natural sugar in the form of fruit chunks (safe ones), then it has no bad effect on dog’s health. |
| Butter | · Butter is safe for dogs without any toxic trait if used in moderate amount. · Too much fat content in butter can be risky for the dogs as it may cause obesity and cardiac diseases. |
| Chocolate | · Chocolate is pretty toxic for dogs. · Theobromine and caffeine present in it can lead to various disorders. |
| Raisins | Raisins are dangerous and can lead to various health disorders including kidney failure. |
| Xylitol | Xylitol is for humans, not dogs. A little amount of Xylitol can cause hypoglycemia in dogs leading to liver failure. |
| Eggs | Eggs are a very good source of nutrients for your dogs. They are completely safe as an ingredient in the sugar cookies for occasional treats. |
SYMPTOMS TO LOOK OUT FOR
Cookies are simple treats that are liked by both humans and dogs. But they can prove to be harmful to the dogs. It is always better to be safe than sorry. If your dog has consumed sugar cookies, you must keep an eye on them for the following symptoms:
- Increased Body Temperature
- Heavy Breathing
- Abnormal Heart Rate
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Restlessness
- Tremors
- Increased Urination
All of these symptoms can occur between 12-72 hours of ingestion. You must call the vet immediately and get timely treatment for your furry friend. The vet may ask you to try some home remedies or bring the dog to the clinic.
Possible risks of Sugar Cookies?
We have been discussing that hat can make sugar cookies unsafe, but do you know what can be the consequences if you feed your dog any of the unsafe options? Let us tell you before you make a mistake. Have a look!
There is no doubt in the fact that most dogs love to eat sugar cookies, but being a dog owner you have to understand that it carries a lot of risks along it. Although they include nutrients but they are not as healthy as legitimate dog’s diet.
The risks are always expected, but their intensity can be low or high depending on what kind of sugar cookies they were, and how much of them your dog has eaten.
Choking hazard:
If you offer your dog a whole cookie, when it chews it into smaller pieces, there is a chance that one of them might get stuck in its throat which could lead to choking. If the dog chocks, it has a risk of even death so always supervise it while offering such risky treats if you have to.
Food poisoning:
The ingredients like eggs and flour if do no suit the dog’s digestive system, they may cause food poising resulting dehydration due to diarrhea and vomiting.
Overeating:
Cookies are something that cannot easily fulfill your dog’s appetite if given in the recommended amount. So your dog will definitely ask for more. If you are unaware of the possible health concerns, being a dog owner you will offer more and overconsumption of cookies can lead to obesity or hip and elbow dysplasia.
Diabetes:
Too much sugar is always bad for pets, especially dogs, so when your pooch overeat the sugar cookies, they can develop serious health concerns like diabetes. Diabetes will result in prohibiting your dog from consuming even safe sweet treats so why take a risk.
Tooth decay:
When a dog eats sugar cookies, the residue chunks may remain stuck in its teeth. This can cause cavities, and ultimately tooth decay if not cleaned on time, just the way it does with humans.
Upset stomach:
Even if your dog remains healthy after eating sugar cookies, it does not mean that they are entirely safe for your pup. No! At some time, it can always make your dog’s stomach upset so stay at the safer site, and don’t let your dog eat too much sugar cookies, especially those with risky ingredients.
Allergic reaction:
You should always read the ingredient label on the cookie pack before offering it to your dog. It may contain any ingredient that can be allergic to the dog. If you are unaware of it, the allergic reaction can be severe and will require vet assistance for sure.
What are certainly unsafe types of sugar cookies for dogs?
Following are the categories of sugar cookies which are totally unsafe for dogs. Have a look!
- If the xylitol is one of the ingredients, this might be a bit risky for your dog. Some cookies use xylitol as a sugar substitute in the sugar cookies which is entirely safe for us, but not for the canines. They can lead to a hypoglycemic condition which can further cause liver complications or provoke symptoms like seizures.
- Raisins, grapes, berries, currants, or some other fruits which are not considered safe for the dog if are one of the ingredients of the sugar cookies, consider them unsafe.
- A sugar cookie containing chocolate chips or chocolate in any other form is not safe.
- Sugar cookies containing a very high percentage of sugar can be dangerous for the pup.
HOW TO STOP MY DOG FROM EATING SUGAR COOKIES?
Humans are known for their sweet tooth. But you will be surprised to know that dogs share the same sweet tooth like us. It seems unfair to enjoy cookies while your furry baby cannot satisfy his cravings. Sometimes, the dogs can get ahead of us and sneak into the kitchen or your plates when you are not looking.
Since human cookies are not the best option for the dog; here are few ways to stop your dog from eating sugar cookies:
Cookie Exchange: Every time you bake cookies at home or buy some, make sure you do that for your pet as well. Know which ingredients are safe for your dog and bake the cookies accordingly so all of you can relish the treat together. Moreover, there are several dog-friendly cookies available in the market as well. So, every time your dog asks for a human cookie, you can give it a dog cookie in exchange.
Feed Them Before: You can feed something to your dog before you serve cookies to your guests. This way the dog won’t be tempted to eat cookies and may avoid them altogether.
Eat Privately: If not the cookies, dogs can feed on the crumbs and leftovers as well. To avoid the situation, you can engage the dogs in a separate room or the den when you sit down to eat the sugar cookies. After you are done with the eating, you can clean up properly before bringing back the dog.
Educate your Kids: Kids at home are more likely to share their sweet treats with fur babies. You must educate them about the foods that can be fatal for your fur babies. They must be able to differentiate between dog and human cookies. This is likely to avoid any incident to occur.
Give Heads Up to your Guests: If your dog has a habit of sneaking on the plates, you must give a heads up to the guests about it. So, they keep an eye on the dog as they eat cookies and other dog harmful foods.
Can sugar cookies be beneficial in any way?
Enough of the cons, sugar cookies can be good for the dogs in some ways as well. You must be excited to know that. We’ve got your back!
If you are offering your dog sugar cookies according to the safe methods we have mentioned earlier, then they are surely beneficial for you pup. Let’s see how.
- The safe ingredients of sugar cookies have nutritional value which can offer the dog some of the essential nutrients, also play a role in fulfilling its daily nutrient requirement.
- Sugar cookies have a rich and exotic taste which would make your pup happy and it will fall for you every time you over the little one sugar cookies.
- The nutritional value is not very high so we know it is good to limit the amount, but with those having safe and healthy ingredients, it can offer a bit more benefits to health.
- Vitamin B, D, calcium, fiber, carbohydrates, and proteins are some of the vital nutrients offered by healthy sugar cookies.
- If you dog has allergy from soybeans or beef, it may usually suffer from itching. Cookies are one of the good remedies for this condition. But make sure they don’t have too much sugar because can lead to even more irritation.
Things to keep in mind:
- Dogs are strong canines, but they don’t have that much strong teeth, it is just what we imagine. So whenever you offer them sugar cookies, make sure they are not too hard for them to bite on. A better way to analyze this is to eat one by yourself, if it is gentle for you, then it will be for the dog as well.
- It is good if you bake sugar cookies for your dog by yourself, and add some nutritional veggies in it which your dog usually refuses but are beneficial for it. This way, it will add a lot of nutritional value to a treat.
- If you are struggling with your dog because it is not eating breakfast, then you should probably sprinkle some sugar cookies on its food to add a good flavor and let your dog eat its meal.
- Always offer your dog fresh cookies as, they will be soft and healthy.
How to make sure that sugar cookies are safe for dogs?
If you whole-heartedly want to serve your dog some sugar cookies, you should keep some important things in mind. First, all of them should be free from any additional toxic ingredients that can prove harmful for dog’s health. These ingredients might include Xylitol, chocolate, and raisins.
Secondly, always make sure that you are offering the dog sugar cookies in a very little amount. Excess of everything is bad, but in this case, we have to be very moderate. Well, if somehow you want to offer your pup sugar cookies often, then prefer the ones with oatmeal or wheat flour.
Try avoiding chocolate chip cookies or frosted sugar cookies as they might be a little bit too risky for dogs. Do you want to know why? The answer is simple! Because of excess of fats in the chocolate and frosting, they are unhealthy for your dog and can cause food poisoning.
Well, if your dog likes frosting too much, you can deal with that as well. It’s easy! Just let your dog have a little ice, and it will make all its cravings go away without doing any harm. Greta, isn’t it? We know it is!
Always prefer quality brands and don’t opt for those having even a single compromised ingredient because you may have to spend a lot more on the treatment if you’re trying to save money here. If we compare sugar cookies with butterscotch, there is not much difference as both should be given in small amount also both of them have lots of sugar.
FINAL VERDICT:
My dog ate sugar cookies is one of the most commonly asked queries over certain discussion boards. Often dogs stay perfectly fit after consuming the cookies, some show mild symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting while a few may show an adverse reaction to them. In order to avoid that, follow some tips and keep an eye on your dog.