Can Dogs Eat Butter?

Is it safe to give butter to your four-legged best friend? Should the butter be salted or unsalted? Can you cook veggies in butter for your dog? Can dogs eat butter?

All these questions could have come to your mind when you were searching recipes for treats for your dog as it’s a very popular ingredient.

Dogs don’t need to take a lot of butter before feeling bad.

Why?

Although butter is safe for dogs it’s unhealthy in big amounts. Just a little bit is enough and you shouldn’t forget that dogs mustn’t eat fried food. So adding butter is to add only good taste not to fry food in it.

Information About Butter

Butter is a dairy product made most often by churning the cream from cow’s milk. Salt is added to preserve it but nowadays it’s usually refrigerated so the salt doesn’t play a big role anymore.

One tablespoon of 14.2 grams of salted butter contains 102 kcal and 11.5 grams of fat and not a really good amount of sodium – 91.3 mg. While a tablespoon of unsalted butter contains the same amount of calories and fat, the sodium is really good – only 1.56 mg. It also contains 215 mg of cholesterol in the salted butter and 30.5 mg of cholesterol in the unsalted version.

Can Dogs Eat Butter?

Yes, dogs can eat butter but should they? Butter isn’t toxic but is it healthy?

Butter doesn’t have any beneficial nutrients for dogs but can add a lot of extra calories. Dogs need fat content in their balanced diet but fat should come from meat, not from oil and butter. Fat should be of good quality like for example chicken fat.

Butter can be included in the treats sometimes but shouldn’t be part of the daily diet. In small amounts butter will stay harmless but if you give big amounts or too often it can cause a lot of health problems for your dog.

The butter alone like a treat isn’t a good idea but as a small ingredient of a snack is totally fine. A half tablespoon added to some dog treats is okay for adult dogs and a 1/4 tablespoon for puppies.

Why Dogs Should Avoid Eating Butter?

80% of the butter is fat. This 80% of fat for sure will not be beneficial but on the contrary, it will be very bad for the overall health condition of your dog.

This high percentage of fat can cause obesity and high levels of cholesterol.

As a dairy product, you should be careful if you think to give it to dogs that are lactose intolerant. They mustn’t have any dairy products. Even small amounts for these dogs will be a lot. Because of lactose intolerance, your dog may get diarrhea, problems with the digestive system, abdominal pain, and bloating.

You should be sure that dogs don’t have any free access to butter as they can eat all of it fast. It can lead to choking hazards and especially if the butter is with the wrapper on. In these cases, you should call the vet immediately.

Signs of Too Much Butter or Bad Reaction

Signs of lactose intolerance can be diarrhea and upset stomach. You should pay attention to how long these signs last and visit the vet with your dog if it lasts longer than 24 hours.

Signs of too much butter can be:

• diarrhea
• bloating
• stomach cramps
• weight gain
• vomiting
• loss of appetite

Can Dogs Eat Salted Butter?

Salted butter like any other food will not be beneficial or healthy at all. You need to make sure that your dog eats a balanced diet where sodium isn’t high. High levels of sodium will dehydrate a dog’s body fast.

Salted butter isn’t a good idea as it’s very high in both fat and sodium. These two components in combination can lead to obesity.

Did you know that obesity shortens the life of dogs by 2 years at least?

And obesity can lead to many diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Are Dogs Allergic to Butter?

Dogs can be allergic to butter but that is only for lactose-intolerant dogs. Actually, a lot of adult dogs are lactose intolerant, so you should be really careful when feeding them dairy products. Butter can cause diarrhea, loose stools, or stomach cramps. Stomach cramps will get fine in the next 24 hours but the other symptoms will probably stay for a few days.

If you know that your dog is lactose intolerant it’s very recommended not to give it any dairy products like cheese, milk, yogurt, or whipped cream.

Why dogs are lactose intolerant?

Almost all puppies can eat dairy products without any issues. So, while they are in puppyhood they are fine, but in adulthood, something happens with their bodies. Dog’s body stops producing the needed enzyme which is helping the digestion of dairy products.

That’s why many dogs feel discomfort after eating dairy products.

Health Benefits of Butter For Dogs

Butter is almost composed of fats. Butter offers no health benefits for your dog. Vitamin A and Vitamin B12 present in natural butter can be a good choice but these nutrients are also easily available in other healthier foods like blueberries, apples, bananas, oranges, spinach, potatoes, etc.

Can Butter Hurt A Dog?

It’s generally safe for dogs to have a small amount of butter, but it’s not ideal to include butter as a regular part of your dog meal. Small quantities of butter will not harm your dog, but excessive quantities can surely cause long-lasting health problems.

Excessive amounts of butter can lead to obesity, pancreatitis, and a lot of other diseases. Because of weight gain and obesity dogs can have joint issues. It’s already too often for dogs to get arthritis while they are still in adult age. Hip dysplasia is another joint issue that can be caused by weight gain.

How Much Butter Dogs Can Eat?

Butter does not contain any nutrients for your dog and can seriously irritate its digestive system. Eating butter can also gain weight.  It’s not a good choice to feed your dog butter regularly but will not pose any immediate danger to their health if eaten.

So it is highly recommended to feed butter in small quantities. A half tablespoon added to some dog treats is okay for adult dogs and a 1/4 tablespoon for puppies.

Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter?

Yes, dogs can eat peanut butter but of course, first, check a few precautions.

Peanut butter that is safe for dogs shouldn’t contain xylitol.

Why?

That’s the only ingredient that is bad in peanut butter. Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. Giving a little bit of xylitol to dogs can cause hypoglycemia (rapid drop in blood sugar). If hypoglycemia is left untreated it can be life-threatening. While big amounts can cause liver failure.

There are many options in stores for xylitol-free peanut butter. But as peanut butter is high in fat it should be given in small amounts.

Can Dogs Eat Almond Butter?

Yes, dogs can eat almond butter. But as with every other nut almonds are high in fat. But that won’t be a problem for your dog if given in the right amounts. For small dogs, the maximum is one teaspoon while for large dogs it’s one tablespoon.

Can Dogs Eat Butter: Dog-Friendly Recipes

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Ingredients:

• 1 cups oats;
• 1/4 cup chicken stock;
• 1/2 ripe banana;
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (xylitol-free).

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
2. In a food processor, pulse the oats until they get the consistency of powder.
3. Scoop the oats into a large mixing bowl.
4. Mix in the chicken stock, banana, and peanut butter.
5. Press small pieces of the dough into a bone pan.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, let it cool, and give one to your dog for a treat.

Almond Butter Delight with Sweet Potato

Servings: 20 dog biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes;
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, plus more to sprinkle;
• 2 tablespoons almond butter.

Method:

1. Clean the sweet potatoes with a fork all around and cook in the microwave for about 6 minutes or until soft and tender.
2. Cut sweet potatoes in half and add almond butter.
3. Mash sweet potatoes and almond butter until well incorporated and smooth.
4. Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and transfer to a flat, dusted surface. Blend the dough until the flour is mixed well and the dough is no longer sticking to the surface.
5. Roll dough with flour dusted rolling pin until about 1/2 inch in thickness.
6. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on a greased baking sheet.
7. Bake in the oven for 25 mins.
8. Cool it and serve it to your dog.

Some Fun Facts About Butter

1. Butter is a dairy product made from churning milk or cream.
2. It takes 21 pints of milk to make a pound of butter.
3. Most bakers prefer to use unsalted butter.
4. Butter is a source of Vitamin A, which is good for hair, eyes, and skin, as well as Vitamins E, D, and K.

Conclusion

If you want to give your dog treats that contain butter, then give them. Just be careful with the amount and how often they will consume it.

Butter isn’t good for lactose-intolerant dogs. As they may get upset stomachs. But there are better choices like peanut and almond butter – make sure they’re without xylitol, unsalted, and 100% natural.

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