Is honey safe for dogs?
Yes, it is safe for dogs to eat natural honey, but in small amounts. Some brands contain added sugar and flavors which can prove to be very harmful for dogs. If you feed your dog natural and fresh honey, it can be very beneficial. Honey contains natural sugar and some vitamins and minerals in small amount and it is also used as a sweetener. It should not be given to dogs that are diabetic or are overweight. Honey is also used for medicinal purposes.
What is Honey and what are its nutritional contents?
Honey is sweet, edible food substance made by honey bees. Honey is created from the floral nectar and bees store it in honeycombs. It has low contents of dietary fiber, proteins and fats. It contains 17% of water and 82% carbohydrates; the average ratio includes 38.2% fructose, 31.3% glucose, 7.1% maltose, 1.3% sucrose. It also contains vitamins B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and C.
How much honey should I feed to my dog?
You can feed 0-1 tablespoon of honey to your dog. If your dog is overweight or diabetic then you should avoid giving honey to your dog, as it contains high amount of sugar which can cause issues. If you really want to give honey to your dog, you can try giving them once in a while, as a treat. Some dogs have strong immune system and are very active, can burn a lot of calories per day, those dogs can take honey much frequently as compare to others.
What are the benefits of feeding honey to dogs?
Some dog parents use honey for at-home cough treatment, it reduces coughing and throat pain. Honey can also heal infections, environmental allergies and in some cases arthritis too. It not only heals internal issues but external too, if your dog has an external wound, you can apply raw honey on it for few days. He might lick honey, but it won’t be an issue if honey is applied in less quantity. Despite of having a number of benefits you should control the amount of honey you are giving to your dog.
Why should I not feed too-much honey to my dog?
Honey contains high amount of carbohydrates which can lead to obesity in dogs. If your dog has other problems like diabetes then honey can be very dangerous to them. It can also cause tooth decay in dogs due to its high sugar content. Some dogs can also get urinary infection and agitation which can be painful for them. Therefore, as a good caretaker you should make sure that you do not feed honey in large quantity or more often.
Is raw honey safe for dogs to eat?
Dogs can eat raw honey but only those who have strong immune system. Raw honey may contain botulism spores, which is rare but can prove to be very serious condition in dogs as it can cause paralysis in dogs. Therefore you should not feed raw honey to younger dogs, especially to those dogs who have bad immunity or whose immunity is compromised.
Hence, we can say that yes, dogs can eat honey but in small quantity. Honey has a number of benefits not just for humans but for dogs too, it can also heal external wounds. There are some precautions which you should keep in mind before giving honey to your dogs, like not feeding too much honey to dogs as usually dogs cant burn that much calorie intake and it will make them fat / obese. Honey have high amount of sugar, therefore is bad for diabetic dogs and can cause tooth decay.
Can dogs get botulism from honey?
It is good that you are worried about your dog’s health and trying to get all the required details / information before feeding honey to your dog. Botulism is a rare condition/ disease which cause motor paralysis in dogs. It is caused due to consuming a toxin that is produced by clostridium botulinum present in various food items. Raw honey contains botulism spores which can cause botulism in small dogs or dogs whose immunity is not strong. Although there is no research that concludes that your dog can get botulism after eating raw honey, but why take any chances. Lack of conclusive research can confuse dog owners, but you should be on the safer side. Eating a little amount might not affect the dog’s health, but in cases where you are feeding raw honey to your dog on regular basis unaware of its consequences then you should consult its veterinarian immediately.
In case your dog ate raw honey, notice symptoms like disturbed vision, difficulty in chewing, difficulty in swallowing and weakness. You should be attentive to notice the symptoms in your pooch. Carelessness can get your dog in trouble and it might not recover from this condition.
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