Can Dogs Have Almond Butter? Is Almond Butter Good for Dogs to Eat?
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As a pet parent, you only want what is best for your pooch. While your dog may wish to eat everything she sets her eyes on, it’s critical to know what treats are good for her, and which ones to avoid.
One of a dog’s favorite human foods is nut butter. From almond butter to peanut butter, this tasty tidbit is tough for dogs to resist. In short, almond butter is safe to feed to your dog in moderation, but you will want to check the list of ingredients to make sure there are no additives that are unsafe for dogs.
To help you understand what you need to know about this rich and creamy snack, here’s everything you need to know about almond butter and your dog.
What is Nut Butter?
Nut butter includes spreads like almond butter, peanut butter, and cashew butter. It’s crafted by crushing nuts up into a paste and then adding additional ingredients such as oils, flavorings, and sweeteners that add up to an amazingly appealing sensory experience.
You can purchase nut butter online or at your local grocery store. Be sure to read the label and keep an eye out for preservatives, additives, and fructose. Healthier nut butter options include non-GMO, gluten-free, and organic selections. But this still begs for the original question – can dogs eat almond butter?
Can Dogs Eat Almond Butter?
The answer to this question is complicated. Almond butter isn’t toxic to your pet if it doesn’t have any additives that aren’t safe. Flavored or sweetened almond butter can be harmful to your dog. Avoid giving her products which include the ingredient Xylitol. This ingredient is widely utilized as a sugar substitute and is extracted from corn fiber, hardwood trees, or other vegetable material. It’s extremely toxic to dogs and can cause low blood sugar, liver failure, seizures, and even death.
The toxic dose of this ingredient in dogs is less than chocolate. For instance, as little as 1.37 grams can lead to hypoglycemia, which can lead to “drunk” walking, disorientation, and seizures in a 30-pound pet.
If you choose to give your dog almond butter, only treat her to natural almond butter with no additives. Natural almond butter can even be good for your pet because it contains Vitamin B3 to aid in strong, shiny fur and liver and eye support. Almond butter also contains Vitamin E, which combats free radicals and boosts your dog’s immune system. Other vitamins almond butter has incudes:
- Vitamin B6 to help red blood cells
- The antioxidant selenium
- Calcium for strong bones and teeth
- Iron
- Zinc
- Magnesium for a hardy immune system
However, you should only feed your pet natural almond butter in moderation. Nearly all of its calories come from fat. In fact, in 32 grams of almond butter, there are over 18 grams of fat and two grams of saturated fat. Excessive amounts of almond butter can lead to increased weight gain and other health conditions.
How Should You Feed Your Dog Almond Butter?
One of the great things about all-natural almond butter is that you can feed it to your pet in a myriad of ways! You can let her lick it off of the spoon, smear it on a bone, or put in a toy with a hole in it so she can lap it out. You can also bake treats, such as pumpkin almond butter dog treats for a special surprise for your fur baby.
However, it’s important to only treat your dog to almond butter occasionally. A good rule of thumb is once every two weeks.
A Treat Everyone Loves
Just like you, your pet will love the taste of almond butter. You can tempt their taste-buds with this treat as long as it’s natural (we cannot stress this enough) and given to them in moderation.
