Can Dogs Eat Donuts? Are Donuts Safe For Dogs?
Your beloved pup found its way to some of your freshly baked donuts, and you are not sure whether to be worried or not?
Well, you should keep in mind that while, in some cases, the donuts may not do any harm to your dog, in others, they can be dangerous and even deadly for it.
When are Donuts Toxic for Dogs?
If your dog has eaten a donut or more that has chocolate or caffeine in it, then it can experience mild to severe toxicity. Other ingredients which are downright dangerous for canines include raisins, macadamia nuts, xylitol, and others. All of these can be poisonous and fatal for them.
Even if your pup has had some plain glazed donuts, these can be harmful as well due to the high-fat content and the added sugar. The fat can lead to painful pancreas flare-ups and pancreatitis, and the sugar can cause weight gain, blood sugar spikes, diabetes, and more.
So, it would be best if you keep any kind of donuts safely away from your pup.
But What if The Dog Ate Donuts Already?
The first thing to do is to determine how many donuts it has ingested and what types of donuts it ate. Did they contain chocolate, caffeine, cocoa, xylitol, macadamia nuts, raising, or other poisonous ingredients for canines?
If there are such ingredients, the next thing to do is to contact your vet or an emergency pet poison control hotline and ask for advice.
Make sure to be ready to tell them everything about the donuts your dog has eaten, as well as pertinent information about its age, weight, and overall health.
The same advice goes for cases where the dog ate chocolate, no matter whether it was chocolate cake, a Kit Kat, or has lapped up some chocolate milk or other chocolate-based product.
You will be given advice about the best actions to take. These may range from monitoring the dog to using home remedies to relieve it, or you may be asked to go to the clinic immediately.
Keep in mind that the smaller the dog, and the larger the quantities consumed, the more dangerous these potential toxins can be. It can take very little dark chocolate or cocoa powder to kill a toy-sized or small dog!
Further Reading: How Much Chocolate Can Kill a Dog?
What are the Symptoms you Should Keep an Eye For?
Your dog may have no symptoms at all or experience mild to serious ones after eating donuts.
Here are some of the common symptoms listed from mild to severe:
- Nausea and stomach upset
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Restlessness
- Lethargy
- Abdominal pain
- Drooling
- A distended abdomen
A prayer position in which the butt of the dog is in the air and its head is down on the ground
Apart from the potential chocolate toxicity, your dog is also in danger of potential pancreatic flare-ups and pancreatitis or bloat, each of which can be deadly.
What to Do Even if Your Dog is Not Showing Signs of Toxicity or Other Severe Effects From the Donuts?
Even if you don’t notice any of the abovementioned symptoms after your pup gobbled up some donuts, the chances are that it will not be feeling too well after that. This is mainly due to the high fat and sugar content in the donuts. These can cause problems for the digestive system of the dog. So, you can expect some diarrhea, and your pup may vomit some of the ingested donuts, so make sure to clean those up before it eats them again.
One home remedy for chocolate toxicity in dogs is to put your pup on fast for 24 hours, providing it only with fresh water. Then you can switch to a bland diet, such as boiled white rice, boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, or bananas.
In a few days, your pup should be happy and well, and back to normal once again.
What are Some Healthy Alternatives to Donuts?
For your own peace of mind and for your pup’s wellbeing, it is recommended that you don’t give your pet any donuts or other treats such as Hershey Kisses, white chocolate, or fudge at all. You should stash them away so that the dog cannot access them. But if you want to reward your four-legged companion with something delicious yet healthy and safe, you can opt for some safe fruits and veggies, including apples, bananas, blueberries, or carrots.
Or you can prepare homemade dog treats and even dog-friendly donuts for your pup. There are multiple recipes that use healthy and safe ingredients, such as oats, yogurt, peanut butter, and more.
Final Words – Can Dogs Eat Donuts?
While most donuts are not as dangerous for canines as chocolate is, they are still unhealthy treats and can cause unpleasant symptoms and more severe harm to your dog.
Even plain donuts are not healthy for canines and can lead to obesity, diabetes, pancreatitis, and digestive upsets.
This is why you should refrain from feeding your pup donuts and keep them safely away from your four-legged friend.
Keep in mind that some donuts, which contain caffeine, chocolate, cocoa powder, macadamia nuts, raisins, xylitol, and other ingredients, can be dangerous and even deadly for dogs!
Further Reading: