Can dogs eat honey? Yes, dogs can eat honey! Here is the ultimate evidence to as why dogs can eat honey and all the precautions and risk of offering honey to your furry friend. But first, let us begin with the benefits.
Health Benefits of Honey
Honey is high in sugar on the glycemic index, hence the nutrients it gives are quite small in quantity. All the same, those vitamins and minerals are present. (And honey, if properly preserved, has an indefinite shelf life.)
When discussing honey’s health benefits, only raw, unpasteurized honey is considered. Honey that has been heated or processed may have added substances, such as high fructose corn syrup, that reduce its therapeutic efficacy.
Vitamins B and B-Complex: This is the stuff that makes up a sound body. They are good for your dog’s metabolism, vitality, and mental performance.
Antioxidants: Because of its high concentrations of vitamins A, C, and E, phenolic acid, and flavonoids, honey is a potent antioxidant. Protect your dog’s cells from oxidative stress by giving him these supplements. Additionally, they help decrease inflammation and strengthen your dog’s immune system.
Bone health, immune system regulation, and blood clotting qualities are all aided by vitamins D and E, two fat-soluble vitamins.
Honey’s enzymes fight infections and alleviate pain from stomach ulcers and sore throats because of honey’s antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial capabilities. Honey has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and when used topically, it speeds the recovery of burns, rashes, eczema, and bug bites. When consumed, it aids in the elimination of diarrhea-causing germs in the digestive tract.
Honey’s anti-inflammatory characteristics make it a useful treatment for a variety of canine inflammatory conditions, including the pain and inflammation associated with hot spots, wounds, and insect bites, which are common in older dogs.
Minerals that are fat soluble are essential for making red blood cells and collagen. Also, they help with building muscle, increasing bone density, and lengthening tendons and ligaments.
Honey, which contains very little amounts of flower pollen, can help with seasonal allergies. Your dog’s immune system will be stimulated by this pollen, allowing it to produce antibodies that will defend it from any autoimmune reactions.
Pollen also contains the polyphenol quercetin, which is high in antihistamines and helps reduce environmental allergies’ irritating symptoms including watery, itchy eyes. Local honey is more likely to have this specific kind of pollen, so it’s best to stock up on it.
Antimicrobial, and antifungal, and antibacterial properties: The enzymes found in honey reduce inflammation and soothe stomach ulcers and sore throats. When applied in a thin layer to skin, honey stimulates the healing of wounds, hot spots, eczema, and bug bites. When eaten, it helps rid the gastrointestinal system of bad bacteria that can cause diarrhea.
Anti-inflammatory properties: Honey can help senior dogs with joint pain, as well as dogs with inflammation due to hot spots, wounds, or bug bites.
Fat-soluble minerals: Minerals like copper, magnesium, manganese, and copper aid in the production of red blood cells and collagen. They also promote muscle development, bone density, and growth of ligaments and tendons.
Seasonal Allergy Relief: Honey contains trace amounts of flower pollen. This pollen stimulates your dog’s immune
Ways To Offer Your Dog This Tasty Superfood
A teaspoon is the most manageable serving size for giving honey to your dog. Give your dog a spoonful of honey and watch them lick the spoon clean.
Those who would rather not get sticky hands can spread it over fruit or dog treats.
A nutritious, refreshing treat for your dog on a hot summer day is a smoothie made with fresh fruits and vegetables and a teaspoon of raw honey.
You can give your dog a nutritious boost by mixing honey and peanut butter and then freezing the treat.
Raw honey is a common ingredient in many of the homemade delicacies that can be found on the web. Honey’s therapeutic properties are lost when heated, so use raw honey only if you need to sweeten something. It can be applied on the exterior of a treat to preserve its healthful properties.
When you start giving honey to your dog, you’ll find all sorts of clever ways to include it in their meals. Most canines will enthusiastically lap up their meal if you sweeten it with a spoonful of honey.
Dogs Who Should Avoid Eating Honey
Certain pups have health conditions that require close dietary monitoring, so those on the ‘no list’ include: Certain dogs’ health issues necessitate careful nutritional supervision, hence the following list of dogs should avoid eating honey:
- Animals suffering from diabetes or being overweight. Honey’s high sugar level is why it’s not recommended for dogs with diabetes or excess weight. To improve your pet’s diet, try these healthy snack ideas recommended by vets. Probably some kind of broccoli. Ick.)
- Giving raw honey to puppies under two years old or dogs with impaired immune systems because of the possibility that it contains botulism spores, the bacterial spores that produce the paralyzing botulinum toxin.
- Dogs with an allergy to bee stings. Remember that this reaction is rare in dogs. Real food allergies are considerably less common, and they tend to be centered on specific proteins like eggs. In addition, data from BeeAware shows that true honey allergies are relatively unusual, even among humans.
How Much Honey Can a Dog Have?
Consult your dog’s vet about the safest amount of honey to give your dog. Smaller dog breeds, in particular, benefit from fewer but higher-quality treats. Check with your vet to see if honey is okay for your dog to eat if he or she has a health problem like diabetes, and if not, try substituting a treat that is lower in sugar, such as cucumbers. Learn which common fruits and veggies dogs can and cannot eat.
Follow these guidelines to make sure your dog doesn’t get too much:
- Up to 10lbs – ¼ teaspoon of honey daily
- 10-20lbs – ½ tsp daily
- 20-50lbs – 1 tsp daily
- 50lbs+ – up to 2 tsp daily
Start small while trying something new. Drop it into his meal so he can become acclimated to the flavor. You should start off with a small amount of honey and gradually increase it as he gets used to it.
Providing pollen necessitates a halting of all forward progress. For the first several days, try only a few granules. If that is well tolerated, increase the dosage to 1/2 teaspoon every 25 pounds of weight.
And always keep an eye out for behavioral and gastrointestinal changes after introducing new food to be sure it sits well with him.
What Kind of Honey Can I Give My Dog?
Just like many other items on the market today, not all honey is created equal. There is sometimes very little honey in the jar of many goods sold at supermarkets. Some are raised on farms where pesticides and fume boards are used. You are now on the hunt for the best honey.
If you want to provide your dog with the healthiest possible diet, then you should opt for organic, raw, unfiltered honey.
Beekeepers in your area may be a good choice.