For most of us, the perfect weekend breakfast is a stack of pancakes smothered with maple syrup and paired with salty and crispy bacon and freshly brewed coffee. If you’ve got a four-legged companion in the house, no doubt, it would beg to have a taste of your weekend breakfast. But is it safe for your dog, especially the maple syrup?
As long as the maple syrup is pure, it is not toxic for dogs. However, too much of this sweetener can lead to health issues in the future like obesity and diabetes. And, like their human families, sweet food can also cause canine dental decay.
Today is all about maple syrup. And, when we say maple syrup, we’re referring to 100% pure maple syrup and not the ones with added corn syrup and artificial flavorings universally known as maple-flavored pancake syrup.
Since maple syrup is not classified as toxic human food for dogs, how much can be given to them? If they have eaten too much maple syrup, what are the consequences? Will they get sick? Can dogs die from consuming too much maple syrup? Let’s find the answers now.
Is Maple Syrup Safe For Dogs?
No, but only if you fail to give maple syrup in moderation. Failure to follow the recommended amount of maple syrup may lead to obesity, diabetes, canine dental decay, and other health problems.
This is why vets do not recommend that you spoil your dog with maple syrup. We shall understand more about maple syrup in the next section.
What Is Maple Syrup?
100% pure maple syrup contains only one main ingredient: maple tree sap.
The process of making maple syrup is long and takes a lot of love and time. It begins by drilling a hole on the maple tree from which a spout is inserted to collect the maple tree sap.
After harvesting the sap, it is then transported to a sugarhouse, where the sap will be boiled until it gets syrupy and thick.
Boiling the maple sap takes an average of 6 hours. This is done continuously until the sap contains not more than 33% water and leaves a 66% concentration of sugar.
This is in contrast with the more affordable maple-flavored pancake syrup that only contains 3% of pure maple syrup, and the rest is nothing but corn syrup.
Some maple-flavored pancake syrup has no pure maple syrup at all but only artificial maple extract.
Not sure how much maple syrup a dog can have? The answer is only in small amounts, not more than one tablespoon per 13 lbs of your dog’s body weight.
Hence, overfeeding your beloved pooch with maple syrup is likely to cause your dog to suffer, and in extreme cases, may die as a result of the following:
Obesity
Obesity as a result of excess body fat can be avoided if only you will avoid feeding your dog with fatty food and too much sweet indulgence like maple syrup.
The problem with obesity is that too many health problems stem from it. They develop heart disease, their mobility is affected, and they become heat intolerant.
Plus the fact that there’s a very high chance that obese dogs may also suffer from diabetes.
Diabetes
High levels of blood sugar have many serious complications. A cataract is inevitable if your dog develops diabetes.
Other complications of canine diabetes are ketoacidosis (which causes decreased appetite and lethargy), kidney damage, and frequent infections.
Dental Decay
We all know that eating many sweets makes us closer with our dentists; the same is true for your pooch.
Maple syrup may not be toxic for your dog, but too much can cause dental decay. Thus, vets do not recommend maple syrup to be given as a regular treat.
What About Maple-Flavored Pancake Syrup, Is It OK for Your Dog?
No, it’s because of the added ingredients that are used in making maple-flavored pancake syrup.
Beware of xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is toxic for dogs.
Xylitol poisoning is life-threatening, so in case your pooch had some maple-flavored pancake syrup with xylitol, watch out for these symptoms:
Aside from xylitol, the other ingredients in making maple-flavored pancake syrup that is not recommended for dogs are corn syrup, dye, and preservatives.
Thus, when choosing maple syrup for you and your dog, always choose the healthier option: the pure and not the artificially-flavored maple syrup. We’re sure your dog’s vet would approve of that choice.
Can Dogs Have Maple Syrup?
Yes, you may allow your pooch to enjoy some maple syrup but not too much. Like other human food that is safe for our dogs, moderation is the number 1 rule.
In fact, your dog can reap the benefits of pure maple syrup such as the following:
Vitamin B2
Maple syrup contains vitamin B2 or riboflavin, an essential vitamin in your dog’s diet. In combination with other minerals, vitamin B2 helps trigger the production of antibodies to combat diseases.
Vitamin B2 is also involved in the production of red blood cells for the proper distribution of oxygen and nutrients.
Manganese
Our dogs do not have the natural capacity to produce manganese. Thus, they need high-quality dog food that contains the right amount of manganese.
Feeding your dog with the appropriate amount of maple syrup is one way to get manganese, a mineral needed for the formation of the skeletal structure.
And, the help of manganese is required for the body organs to function at their best.
Zinc
Did you know that zinc deficiency in dogs can be fatal? It’s because zinc is needed for about 300 bodily processes in dogs.
For a healthy immune system, for cognitive functioning, and for improved eyesight, these are just some areas where zinc plays a major role.
Maple syrup is also a good source of iron, calcium, potassium, and antioxidants.
Now that you know both the benefits of maple syrup as well as the health risks associated with it, do you have an idea how maple syrup is made? Do you know why pure maple syrup is not as bad as maple-flavored pancake syrup?
How To Properly Serve Maple Syrup To Dogs?
Apart from giving maple syrup with small pancakes, there are other ways your dog can enjoy the taste and the health benefits of maple syrup.
First, you can mix the maple syrup with your dog’s food, regardless of whether the dog food is dry or wet.
Second, you can bake maple dog treats at home, and the ingredients are:
- ½ cup plain rolled oats
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- Three tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Two whole eggs
- Three tablespoons low-sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
- One tablespoon of olive or coconut oil
Once all of these ingredients are ready, follow the cooking steps below:
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add all the liquid ingredients and mix well until thick.
- Drop the batter by a teaspoon on a greased cookie sheet.
- Flatten the batter by pressing it down with a greased spoon.
- Bake the batter at 325 °F for about 15 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool thoroughly before allowing your dog to enjoy.
Remember that moderation is key with all types of sweet treats. Limit sugary snacks to one or two per week, and give your dog fresh fruits or vegetables and lean meats instead.
