As a dog owner, you might want to give your dog everything they want. But how do you deal with this when you’re eating something sweet, like a donut, and your dog starts begging for a piece? Can dogs even eat donuts?
It might be tough to see those puppy eyes staring back at you, begging for a piece of the donut that you’re eating. But you must try your best to resist their cuteness at all costs. Donuts really aren’t the healthiest food for humans, let alone dogs. High in fat and other unhealthy ingredients, these desserts are not the best treats for your animal companions. In fact, they can even lead to general discomfort and health complications.
Continue reading to learn more about if dogs can eat donuts, and what the consequences might be if they do.
Can Dogs Eat Donuts?
The answer to this question is a complex one. Some people believe you should never give your dog donuts, while others believe it is okay as long as it is only in small portions.
To stay on the safe side, you should try not to give your dogs any types of donuts. If you choose to give your dog donuts, it should only be in very small portions, and you should never overindulge them with these sweet treats.
Donuts are high in both sugar and fats, neither of which are great for dogs to eat on a constant basis. In addition, most donuts are deep fried, which can be a big irritant for your dog’s stomach. These things can even give your dog diarrhea or indigestion.
Dogs cannot process sugar in the same way as humans, so donuts may really bother and irritate their digestive systems. Even worse, high levels of sugar and fat can cause dogs to develop pancreatitis, which can be fatal. In addition, high levels of sugar in dogs can lead to other diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
While donuts may make special treats for your furry friend, you should really limit just how much of this food you give them. In addition, you should be sure to check all ingredients before feeding this sweet to your dog. Some donuts are made with chocolate and caffeine – both of which can be harmful, and even poisonous to dogs.
Can dogs eat donut bread?
Plain donuts and donut bread are usually safe for dogs to eat. Most plain donuts are made with flour, milk, sugar, salt, yeast, and eggs. None of these ingredients are harmful to dogs, therefore, it should not be a big issue if they eat a plain donut with no special flavors to it.
You should, however, avoid giving donuts to your dog if the donuts are flavored or have different ingredients added to them.
Specific ingredients that you definitely need to stay away from are caffeine, chocolate, grapes, raisins, walnuts, macadamia nuts, or other types of nuts. These foods are poisonous to dogs and can kill them. So, if the donut has any of these ingredients in it, do not feed it to your dog.
Can dogs eat different donut flavors?
As mentioned before, some donuts may be okay for your canine to eat. But you must beware of the ingredients in the donuts you’re feeding them. This is important as some donuts have ingredients that can be harmful and poisonous for dogs, such as chocolate.
Here is a list of donut flavors and types that you should never feed your dog, under any circumstances.
- Blueberry donuts
- Chocolate donuts
- Jelly donuts
- Cinnamon donuts
- Apple cider donuts
- Fried donuts
- Custard donuts
- Coconut donuts
- Whole grain donuts
- Yeast donuts
- Jam donuts
- Glazed donuts
Artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes, such as Xylitol, are extremely harmful to dogs. Unfortunately, these ingredients can be common in donuts and sprinkles, so it may be best not to feed them to your dogs.
What Happens When a Dog Eats a Donut?
Eating donuts won’t always have a negative or harmful impact on a dog. For the most part, the way your dog reacts depends on a few factors, including:
- Your dog’s overall diet and health
- What else they ate that day
- What ingredients were in the donut that they ate
If your dog eats a donut, it may look like they are enjoying it at first – but don’t be fooled. Just because they are enjoying it in the moment does not mean that it will always be a good idea in the end. After all, you never know exactly how your dog will react when eating donuts.
After eating a donut, your dog might not have a negative reaction, mainly because the fat contents of the donut will be too much for them to digest. Whether or not they have an immediate negative reaction or discomfort, you should still be aware of any symptoms they might have. Be sure to note any concerning symptoms like indigestion, vomiting, or diarrhea.
What Should I Do If My Dog Eats a Donut?
You should always be sure to supervise everything that your dog eats. But if they get their paws on a few donuts, it is important to try to figure out how many they were able to eat. This could determine how sick they might get, and if you will need to seek emergency treatment.
If you’re growing concerned after your dog ate a donut or two, here are a few things you can do to ease any discomfort they may have as a result.
- To prevent further irritation, you should feed your dog only a bland diet for the time being. This includes meals like rice and unseasoned chicken or beef. This will help calm their upset stomach.
- Look out for symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.
- If symptoms persist or worsen after a few hours, you should seek emergency veterinarian help.
FAQs
If you have any questions on whether it’s okay to feed your dog donuts, it is always best to consult with a vet and direct any questions to them.
But for answers to more general questions that you may have on what is safe for dogs to eat, check out our frequently ask questions (FAQs) below.
Can dogs eat pizza?
Some human foods are okay to give your dog, such as apples, carrots, and rice. Pizza, however, is not on that list. Feeding your dog pizza won’t necessarily harm them, but it might not have a pleasing effect on their digestive system and can even lead to weight gain in your canine.
Pizza is high in fat and dairy. This combination can be too much for your dog’s digestive system to handle, especially if they are sensitive to foods like dairy. As a result, pizza may cause irritation and discomfort for our loving animal companions.
You should especially avoid feeding your dog pizza if you tend to add condiments like oregano, garlic, and pepper flakes. Like onion, garlic can be deadly to dogs. In fact, garlic can cause anemia by killing their red blood cells.
Feeding your dog pizza – especially pizza with garlic as a topping – is never a good idea, so you should avoid feeding this to them at all costs.
Can dogs eat candy?
As you may know, artificial sweeteners like Xylitol are dangerous for dogs to consume. If a dog consumes this, it can cause your dog’s blood sugar levels to drop, and it can even lead to liver failure.
Unfortunately, most candy is made with artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes. You should make sure to keep your dog away from candy, gum, and most baked goods for this reason.
In addition to other types of candy, chocolate is one of the most toxic and poisonous foods that you should never feed your dog. This is because all types of chocolate – including white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate – contains theobromine. Chocolate can cause vomiting and diarrhea, as well as more severe problems like seizures and death.
If your dog does eat candy or chocolate, you should look out for symptoms of chocolate poisoning like vomiting, lethargy, coordination issues, or seizures. You should also get your pup to the nearest emergency veterinarian for immediate treatment.
Should You Feed Your Dog Donuts?
In short, you should not feed your dog donuts as it may cause different health issues to arise in the short- and long-term, such as stomach discomfort, as well as diseases like pancreatitis.
- Most donuts may be harmless to your dog, but it is best to stay on the safe side and avoid feeding this to your pet.
- Dogs cannot process high levels of sugar in the same way as humans. Feeding them excess sugar can lead to major health issues like inflammation of the pancreas.
- Worrisome symptoms to look out for include vomiting, diarrhea, and increased heart rate.
- If the donut has caffeine, chocolate, grapes, or nuts in it, do not feed it to your dog. These foods are poisonous to dogs and can kill them.
If you have any more questions on why dogs should or shouldn’t eat donuts, feel free to leave any of your questions in the comments section.
