One of the most delicious foods for children is pancakes. We often include it as a weekend treat in our meals. Seeing its shape and texture, our dogs also beg for a bite from them. But can dogs have pancakes?
Well, dogs can eat pancakes in small quantities. Whenever you offer them to your canine friend, cut them into bite-sized pieces first. Don’t make the mistake of adding any harmful ingredients to the cake, like chocolate, butter, etc.
Unfortunately, pancakes can sometimes pose health threats to dogs. For that, you must be certain of its safety concerns. So stay tuned.
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Can Dogs Have Pancakes?
Pancakes are safe for dogs in moderation. If you are having these tasty cakes and your paw friend is craving a bite, let him eat them. But make sure it is not more than a few bites. Other considerations should include using safe ingredients and toppings. For example, you can’t use cow’s milk for a lactose-intolerant dog in the mixture of the pancake. Also, avoid toxic ingredients like artificial sweeteners, raisins, etc. Well, we will discuss them more.
Risks Of Having Pancakes For Dogs
Pancakes can be hazardous for a dog’s health, especially when he eats them in large amounts. In such cases, he can go through an upset stomach with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea.
We know pancakes contain sugar, which can increase the blood sugar levels in a dog. This can be life-threatening for a diabetic dog.
Let’s say the dog has a healthy weight. Then, the high amounts of sugar in the pancake can lead him to gain weight. If he is obese, he will be prone to diabetes. Another risk of high sugar for a dog is pancreatitis. It is because too many fats found in sugar and pancakes can inflame dogs’ pancreas.
Along with their sugar content, the toppings used in pancakes are harmful to dogs. For example, if you put chocolate over these cakes, your dog can get severe health issues. It is because chocolates have theobromine, caffeine, and cocoa that disrupt dogs’ body organs. Again, raisins, maple syrup, whipped cream, etc. used on pancakes are responsible for upsetting dogs’ GI tract.
How To Offer Pancakes To Dogs?
If you don’t want your dog to struggle with the side effects of eating pancakes, make sure you prepare them safely.
Use Less Sugar
Pancakes usually contain high amounts of sugar, which is not good for our canine friends. That’s why you must use less sugar in them compared to the amount that you use for yourself.
Use Safe Toppings
Also, avoid using unsafe toppings on the pancakes. Such as caramel, Nutella, jam, whipped cream, maple syrup, butter, chocolate chips, etc. Instead, use safe ingredients, like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, mango, etc., in small portions. Most importantly, you shouldn’t use any ingredients on the pancake that contain xylitol or any artificial sweetener.
Make Bite-Sized Pieces
Surprisingly, pancakes can sometimes lead to choking hazards for dogs, especially when their pieces are large. To avoid such hassles, make small pieces of the pancake, i.e., bite-sized. Make sure these pieces are so small that the dog doesn’t find choking hazards even if they gulp a piece.
Monitor Your Dog’s Intake
Another important thing that a wise dog owner should do while feeding any food to their dogs is to monitor them. Pancakes are human foods. There is no guarantee that all dogs can have them comfortably and have no reactions. So let your paw friend eat one tiny piece of pancake first. If he seems fine after eating it, you may offer him some more pieces of the pancake.
How Many Pancakes Can Dogs Have?
We, as humans, can have one to two pancakes like nothing, but dogs can’t. These luscious cakes fall into the category of human foods, so dogs should have them in fewer quantities. It should never be close to one pancake.
Hopefully, you will offer pancakes to your dog by making them into bite-sized pieces. However, a small breed can eat one tiny piece of cake, while medium dogs can eat up to two pieces. If it is a large breed, it can have three pieces, and an extra-large breed can have up to four pieces.
When Can Dogs Have Pancakes?
You see, pancakes are filled with sugar. That’s one of the main reasons why they’re dangerous for diabetic dogs. Besides, it puts more weight on dogs’ bodies, which is not good for overweight or obese dogs. So make sure your canine friend is free from diabetes and has a fine weight before feeding him pancakes.
Pancakes are rich in carbs, and carbs are not that necessary for dogs. They rely on animal protein. If your dog already has carbs in his diet, he should skip eating pancakes. Some dogs have egg sensitivity or have allergies to any ingredients used in pancakes. In that case, also, pancakes are not for him.
Let’s say your dog doesn’t have diabetes, pancreatitis, obesity, egg sensitivity, or carbs and sugar in his diet. Yet he can’t have pancakes so easily. Sometimes, the previous health records of mammals don’t allow them to take certain foods and nutrients. Therefore, ask your vet first whether he should eat pancakes or not.
Frequently Asked Questions: Can Dogs Have Pancakes?
Can dogs eat pancakes every day?
As pancakes are human foods, not dog foods, dogs should eat them in small amounts. That doesn’t mean that they can take them daily, as it will increase their fat and carb intake.
What happens if a dog eats too many pancakes?
Eating too many pancakes will store carbs and fats in your dog’s body, resulting in weight gain. Meanwhile, he will need to deal with bloating, gas, vomiting, diarrhoea, an upset stomach, etc.
What should you do when dogs eat too many pancakes?
After your dog consumes too much of a pancake, observe his symptoms first. He will show them within 24 hours. Then note his symptoms, and meanwhile, let him drink some water. Then call his vet and tell him about those symptoms accordingly.
Are vegan pancakes safe for dogs?
For dogs who can’t withstand egg and dairy products at all, vegan pancakes can be safe for them. However, allergic dogs may have problems eating vegan pancakes too.
Final Thoughts
After learning about the risks of having pancakes, we may wonder, Can dogs have pancakes? The answer is yes; they can have pancakes in small amounts if they are bite-sized; the dogs are not diabetic, allergic, or overweight; and they have their vets’ approval.
If your dog can’t eat dairy products at all, you can use almond or soy milk instead of cow’s milk. Again, you can skip the egg if your dog has egg sensitivity.
Monitor your dog’s intake, and don’t let him eat more than a few pieces of cake. After he eats them, keep him away from pancakes for a couple of days.
