Are Sweets Dangerous For Dogs? It Depends On
There are some foods that can be dangerous for dogs, such as sweets. Sometimes we think that dogs can digest the same food intended for humans, but, in reality, this is not the case.
An excess of sweets, like anything else, is bad for the health of both dogs and humans. In the following lines we talk about how sweets affect the diet of these animals and what are the appropriate foods that can be given to them.
Sweets in dog food
In the composition of sweets there are sugars, also known as carbon hydrates. Generally, we have a negative opinion of sugars, but a daily intake of carbon hydrates is necessary for the health of the organism.
Nonetheless, it is important to distinguish between refined sugar and carbon hydrates. The sugars that can be added to the dog’s diet must be carbon hydrates, without exceeding the recommended proportion of 5%.
Carbon hydrates are necessary for the diet because they provide energy and also act on the gastrointestinal functions. Nonetheless, what is really important is to maintain a balanced diet.
What carbohydrates can be introduced into the diet?
When we ask ourselves where carbohydrates can be found, the most common answer is represented by cereals or pasta, among the various types of food. However, there are several types of carbon hydrates:
- Digestible. The best known are glucose, fructose, lactose and galactose.
- Not digestible. Their goal is to facilitate intestinal transit and reduce calorie intake. The most important is fiber.
These different carbon hydrates can be present in foods such as milk and its derivatives. Other options available are legumes, vegetables, fruit or tubers, as well as cereals (rice, corn, barley and oats).
Are sweets dangerous for dogs?
Folk wisdom offers us a great deal of advice that helps us improve health. In the following lines we expose the most common preconceptions regarding this topic.
Sweets make dogs blind
This belief is widespread and quite cited, but it is good to clarify that it is not entirely true. However, it is true that excessive sugar consumption can lead to the development of some diseases.
One of the most well-known diseases in these cases is diabetes, which can present a number of complications. Among its effects we can find cataracts and, in the worst case, blindness.
For this reason, we can say that eating sweets in an uncontrolled way can actually end up causing blindness in dogs. To avoid this, it is necessary to keep the consumption of sugars under control by the animal, making sure that this is limited to the 5% daily recommended by its diet.
However, if for any distraction the dog should ingest a slice of cake, a pastry or a sweet, it will not fall ill. However, it is important to try to avoid such episodes from occurring, offering the pet only sweets or snacks suitable for dogs.
Another health disorder that we can mention in these cases is being overweight. In this kind of pathology, it is absolutely essential to keep nutrition under control and to make sure that the animal practices physical exercise.
Excess of sweets and energy
The main supply of carbon hydrates to the body translates into energy, which allows the animal to stay active throughout the day. However, the wrong administration of nutrients can lead to the onset of a number of specific problems:
- Overweight and obesity.
- Cardiovascular problems.
- Deterioration of the joints and bones.
- Important lowering of the immune defenses.
What sweets can we give to dogs?
Following all these observations, it is possible that some doubts arise about which foods or sweets it is convenient to offer to dogs. It is important to avoid feeding cheap feeds, as they can cause long-term health problems.
The reason is that these have a high sugar content and prolonged administration can lead to the development of diabetes or other health problems. For this reason, it is suggested to follow a BARF diet or to include portions rich in hydrates in the diet.
If you don’t have enough time to be able to offer this kind of diet, there are other possibilities. The market, in fact, offers a great variety of quality products, which provide the necessary quantities of the various nutrients.
In addition, a large variety of snacks created exclusively for dogs are also available. They meet the conditions required by balanced nutrition and represent a reward for the animal that we can offer it, for example, when it has behaved well.
It is possible to offer them, but to the appropriate extent
For all these reasons, sweets are not dangerous for dogs, as long as their administration is controlled. You need to make sure that sugars are included in the dog’s diet in a healthy way.
Thus, the animal will have energy to burn by engaging in various games and exercises, such as running or jumping, and will enjoy good health, reducing the risk of suffering from various diseases associated with food.
