Is cane molasses good for dogs?
Yes, molasses can be given to your dog but it needs to be the one without any chemicals. Molasses consists of nutrients which are good for the health of the dog. Molasses benefits not only dogs but humans too. Its wide range in nutrients makes it interesting and attracts the attention of dog parents but too much of molasses has its own side effects and can cause sugar, obesity, gut infections etc.
What is Molasses?
Molasses is made by refining of the sugarcane or sugar beets. The leaves of sugarcane are removed and its juice is extracted. After extraction, the juice is boiled to form the sugar and called as the ‘first syrup’. The first syrup contains the highest amount of sugar, and then this syrup is boiled again to make molasses which is a bit, bitter in taste.
Blackstrap molasses is prepared after third boiling. It is bitter in taste as most of the sugar is crystallized and removed; therefore, it has the least amount of sugar in it. Molasses is stronger in flavor than most of the sweating syrups in the market.
What are the nutritional contents in molasses?
Molasses contains Carbohydrates, fats, vitamins such as Vitamin- B3, B5, choline etc. and minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc etc. This can be very beneficial for a dog if used with less quantity or as a treat. Being caretaker you should make sure that you don’t feed molasses to your dog on daily basis because it can prove to be harmful for your dog.
What are the benefits of molasses for your dog?
Molasses is rich in calcium and it can prevent osteoporosis in dogs because the calcium content strengthens the bones. Vitamin B3 in molasses can make the hair strong and coat of the dog smooth. It also makes the skin smooth. Molasses also stops too much of shedding lots of dog hairs.
Molasses improves the digestion of fats. While molasses has a number of benefits but it can prove to be harmful for dogs if not given proper attention.
How can molasses be harmful for dogs?
Excess of everything is dangerous for animals and humans both. Similarly, heavy dose or regular adding molasses to the diet of your dog can be very harmful as it can lead to diabetes, obesity, gut infections and above all cancer.
Other artificial flavors, preservatives or chemicals used in molasses can be toxic for dogs, therefore, as caretaker should always check the ingredients written on the bottle / jar while buying molasses.
How to pick the right kind of molasses for your dogs?
There are less refined, more refined, treated with preservatives, chemically treated and numerous varieties of molasses available to buy. But the main debate is between light molasses and dark molasses. Well simple answer to this is Dark molasses because most of the sugar is removed in the process and it contains more nutrients. The light molasses contains more amounts of sugar and calories which may affect the health of your dog. Also the light molasses which is available in market consists of sulphur which is bad for dogs.
Many dogs do not like to eat dark molasses as it is bitter in taste, but when added with other food items such as pumpkin, it can give natural sweetening effects.
Therefore, molasses consists of a number of vitamins and minerals which are beneficial for the health the dogs. But as a dog parent you should make sure that molasses is sulfur free and do not contain any kind of added sugar or chemicals as it can be very harmful. Even after having beneficial effects on dog’s health, molasses still contains sugar which is harmful for dogs, so it is advised to be given to dogs occasionally.
Can dogs eat ginger molasses cookies?
Yes, dogs can eat ginger molasses cookies as it has benefits of both ginger and molasses. Ginger and molasses both have antioxidant properties and are beneficial for dogs and it helps to increase their blood circulation. Ginger in the cookies also has anti-inflammatory properties.
The ginger molasses cookies should be given only in moderate quantities as too much of anything is bad for the dogs. Also the cookies should not contain sugar, chocolate or any nutmeg etc. which can have toxic effect on dogs. Cookies should be prepared using no oil or very little oil as oil can also have adverse effects on dogs. The pets generally eat natural dog food and processed food may contain harmful ingredients so cookies should be baked appropriately without too much harmful ingredients.
Thus dogs can eat ginger molasses cookies which are beneficial for their health. These cookies should be prepared without sugar and oil to avoid any harmful effects to dogs.
Can dogs have molasses in peanut butter?
Yes, dogs can have molasses in peanut butter. Molasses which is a byproduct during the sugar making process can be added to peanut butter while serving to dog. It contains manganese and some minerals which are healthy for the dogs. It also contains antioxidants and it helps in building healthy bones for your dear pet.
Peanut butter as well as molasses should only be given in moderate quantity to the dogs. In excess it can turn out to be toxic and your pet may show symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting or heavy breathing. If you see any such symptoms immediately contact your veterinarian doctor and seek their advice. Also keep the peanut butter jar and molasses out of reach of your dog so that it does not ingest it in too much quantity by mistake.
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