Can Dogs Eat Maple Syrup? Is Maple Syrup Bad for Dogs?

Updated on Sep 1, 2023

If you are wondering if your dog can eat maple syrup, the short answer is yes, but there is a lot more to the discussion than that. There are several nutrients in maple syrup that can provide a health benefit. However, some ingredients can be harmful to your pet’s health.

Join us while we look at the pros and cons of feeding your pet maple syrup so you can decide how much if any, maple syrup your dog should eat.

Is Maple Syrup Bad for My Dog?

The main problem with feeding your pet maple syrup is that it contains a lot of sugar. Sugar can lead to obesity in your dog and can also lead to other health concerns like diabetes and dental decay. Symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, increased urination, weight loss, and increased appetite. If you notice these symptoms in your pet after they have eaten a lot of sugar, it may be time to visit a veterinarian.

The type of syrup we are talking about is natural maple syrup. If we’re discussing artificial maple syrup, many things that can be harmful to your pet can creep into the ingredients, and you will need to evaluate it on a case by case basis.

Golden Retriever eating_chendongshan_shutterstock — Image Credit: Chendongshan, Shutterstock

Xylitol

We need to mention one ingredient because you can find it in artificial syrups as well as diet syrups, and it can be deadly to your pet. This ingredient is called Xylitol, and it’s an artificial sweetener. Even in small doses of Xylitol can be fatal to your pet because it induces hypoglycemia within minutes of ingestion. It’s not only maple syrup you need to worry about either, you can also find it in many products around your home, including toothpaste.

Other Ingredients

As we mentioned earlier, if you purchase a maple syrup that’s created by chemicals and artificial ingredients, you run the risk that it will contain something harmful to your pet. They contain preservatives, dyes, and other ingredients that can cause your pet to have an allergic reaction.

We recommend sticking with pure Maple syrup when feeding it to your pet.

Is Maple Syrup Good for My Dog?

Recent studies are showing that maple syrup can provide several helpful nutrients that aid in your dog’s overall health. It contains manganese, which will help your dog utilize proteins and carbohydrates. Zinc helps build the immune system and vitamin B2 aids in the production of red blood cells. Some studies suggest maple syrup can help cats and dogs with cancer. It also has fewer calories than many other sweeteners, including honey, and provides anti-microbial properties.

How Do I Feed My Dog Maple Syrup?

We recommend making DIY target treats that contain maple syrup.

maple syrup in glass bottle_showcake_shutterstock — Image Credit: showcake, Shutterstock

Maple Oat Puppy Treats

We found this fantastic recipe at infinebalance.com. Our dogs love it, so we wanted to share it with you.

Ingredients

2 cups large flaked rolled oats
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
2½ cups Brown rice flour
¼ cup ground flax
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large ripe bananas mashed

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Find two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, carefully mix the rolled oats, flax, and boiling water and let stand 10 minutes.
Add the bananas, maple syrup, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and mix well.
Add brown rice flour slowly until a stiff, sticky dough forms.
Place tablespoon-size balls of dough and the parchment paper.
Bake for one hour and thirty minutes, or until the cookies are mostly dried out, lightly browned on the outside, and crisp when broken.
Store in an airtight container.

There are several great recipes like this one you can find by doing a quick search on Google

Conclusion

Natural maple syrup is not only safe to occasionally give your pet; it’s good for them and provides several health benefits. We highly recommend making a treat like the one we provided to give your pet so they can reap the benefits it offers. It provides essential nutrients and has fewer calories than most other sweeteners.

We hope you have enjoyed reading over our look into the nutritional value of maple syrup for dogs and have tried out the recipe we supplied. If you think it can be helpful to others, please share this discussion about dogs eating maple syrup on Facebook and Twitter.

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Featured Image Credit: piviso, Pixabay