We all love sweet, delicious donuts, but are they good treats for dogs to have? Unfortunately, donuts are not good for dogs and pets should almost never eat donuts. Chocolate, glazed and powdered donuts are loaded with bad ingredients that are unhealthy for dogs, and some donuts can even be dangerous if ingested regularly and in large quantities.
In addition to being incredibly high in sugar and fat, donuts have very little nutritional value aside from empty calories, so there really isn’t any reason for your dog to have one. Below, we will review some of the major reasons to avoid giving your dog donuts as well as provide a recipe for a homemade dog donut that your puppy will love.
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Donuts May Contain Toxic Ingredients!
Several ingredients commonly used in certain types of donuts are toxic to dogs. For instance, many donuts contain chocolate, either as a filling, glaze, or even in the dough itself. Chocolate is extremely toxic to dogs, and can cause many health problems, and in certain cases, even death.
Other reasons to avoid giving glazed or powdered sugar donuts to dogs include:
- Digestive Issues – Donuts aren’t easily processed by your dog’s digestive system, so your puppy could develop an upset stomach and experience vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation.
- Obesity – Because donuts contain a lot of fat and sugar, they are extremely fattening and can lead to obesity. Overweight dogs are more at risk of developing heart disease, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other issues.
- Begging – The more you give in to your dogs when they want treats, the harder it is going to be to break them of the habit of begging. If you never give your dog donuts, he will never develop a strong taste for them, and therefore won’t beg as much.
- No Nutritional Value – There aren’t any real nutrients, vitamins or minerals in donuts that can help dogs, and plenty of ingredients that can be unsafe for them!
Healthy Dog Donut
If you want to have a tasty treat on hand for your dogs, you can make this special dog donut that you might even want to try out yourself! These donuts contain many mouthwatering ingredients that dogs seem to love and they are very easy to make. The recipe below makes about 20 mini dog donuts.
Ingredients
- 1 C gluten-free cake flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- Pinch salt
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ C pure apple cider, no sugar added
- 1 small apple, grated or finely diced
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325° F and grease a mini donut pan that can be set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients together, and then add oil, egg, and apple cider.
- Stir until mixture starts to thicken, and add apples, mixing until the apples are blended in. Pour batter into prepared mini donut pan.
- Bake for 8 minutes, or until the tops feel springy to the touch. Cool before giving them to your dog.
No, Dogs Can’t Eat Donuts
For many reasons, donuts are not a safe treat to give to your dog. Luckily, you can make the above donut-like treats that they will love, and because these treats contain quality ingredients like apples, eggs, olive oil, and apple cider, these dog-friendly donuts are loaded with nutrients that are healthy for your dog too!
