Can Dogs Eat Peanuts?
Your dog’s curiosity may lead it to your bag of peanuts, and it may have a handful of the snack. Is there a need to worry when your dog eats peanuts?
No, you should not tense as peanuts are not harmful to canines. You can share a bag as you bond with your fuzzy friend.
Despite peanuts not being harmful to dogs, you should know several things about your dog’s relationship to this snack. Good news: we bring you the necessities you need to know about dogs eating peanuts.
Benefits of Peanuts to Dogs
Peanuts have plenty of nutrients that your dog can benefit from. They include:
Proteins
Your dog needs a lot of proteins to aid in bodybuilding and is an essential nutrient for juveniles, sick, and aged dogs. Other benefits of proteins are muscle and tissue repair and enhanced hormonal function.
Peanuts are an excellent source of non-meat proteins, and your dog can have a handful of the nuts for sound health.
Fiber
Another essential nutrient that your canine needs in plenty are fiber. Peanuts are rich in dietary fiber, which helps digestion and improve blood cholesterol levels. Additionally, fiber prevents heart diseases.
Healthy Fats
While many pet experts advise against fats, the healthy type is okay for your dogs. It is responsible for ideal body cholesterol levels and lower incidences of heart conditions. Moreover, the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in the nuts are a good source of energy. The fat is also suitable for your dog if you live in cold areas, as boosts thermo-regulation.
Vitamins
Your dog’s diet should feature vitamins for a boosted immunity function. Peanuts are a decent source of vitamins B6 and E, which are antioxidants and are responsible for a healthy central nervous system.
Minerals
Phosphorous, copper, magnesium, calcium, and zinc are some minerals that peanuts will provide to your dogs. They are crucial for several body processes, such as metabolism and bone formation.
How to Feed Peanuts to Your Dog
Before feeding your dog peanuts, you should consult your vet to know whether it is safe or not. There is the risk of allergies that you need to avoid at all costs. More about allergies later on in this piece.
When feeding your dog peanuts for the first time, you can throw a few nuts its way and see how it reacts. If it enjoys eating them, you can give it more. A better way to feed peanuts to your dog is to grind them and mix the flour with dog food. You can feed your canine this blend once in a while, maybe twice or thrice a week.
You should check for reactions like vomiting, diarrhea, and general discomfort after your dog eats the nuts. Do not give it more peanuts if you notice any adverse reactions.
Can Peanuts Be Harmful to Dogs?
While peanuts are healthy, you should be keen on their side effects. The following are some of the harmful effects that peanuts can have on your dogs.
Allergies
Peanut allergies may affect dogs just like they affect people. As previously mentioned, you need to consult your vet to know whether your dog is allergic to nuts. Signs of the allergy include swelling of the body after eating peanuts, mainly on the face, and itchiness. Other symptoms are excessive salivation, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Tummy Upsets
Dogs with a sensitive tummy can have problems eating peanuts, leading to constipation or diarrhea. Upsets can also occur if it is the first time your dog is eating the nuts.
Risk of Intestinal Blockage and Choking
You should feed your dog peanuts with the shell removed. Nuts with the shell are a potential choking risk or can cause intestinal blocking. These are challenging situations that may prompt a visit to your pet doctor.
The Fat and Salt Content
It is no secret that peanuts are rich in fats, which can be problematic to dogs, especially those with obesity or heart conditions. Salt can spike kidney and liver problems.
This means you should limit the amount of peanuts your dog consumes to keep such conditions at bay.
Peanuts Mixed with Other Nuts
Some nuts are toxic to dogs, including black walnuts and macadamia nuts. If you have a mixed nut bar, check out for these nuts and other ingredients like chocolate, that are bad for canines.
On Peanuts and Dogs
Dogs can eat peanuts, and as we can see, they come with plenty of nutrients like proteins, minerals, and vitamins. However, before including them in your pooch’s diet, you should determine whether it is allergic to the nuts.
If not, serve the nuts as they are or grind them into flour and add it to your dog’s food once in a while.
Further Reading:
- Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter? What Dog Owners Need to Know
- Can Dogs Eat Almonds? What Are The Dangers
- Can Dogs Eat Cashews? What You Need to Know
- Can Dogs Eat Peanut Shells?
- Can Dogs Eat Pecans?
- Can Dogs Eat Chestnuts?
- Can Dogs Eat Honey Roasted Peanuts?