Being special and loyal creatures, dogs deserve attention and care from their owners. We want to give our doggies high-quality meals. Some of us even give them what we eat. You may wish to share everything with your furry friend; however, you must be careful with some foods. One of such is oatmeal cookies.
Yes, dogs can eat oatmeal cookies, but only plain ones. You must be careful about the quantity of the cookies and the additives you feed to your dog. Oatmeal cookies are high in carbs and sugar content and can lead to obesity when dogs overconsume. Always avoid feeding oatmeal cookies with raisins, sugar content, or chocolate.
If you love sharing cookies with your furry friend, then take your time to read this guide. You will learn everything you should. The treat may look harmless, but there are things you should learn before allowing your doggie to eat oatmeal cookies. Before that, let’s know why oatmeal cookies are not good.
Why Are Oatmeal Cookies Bad For Dogs?
Oatmeal cookies can only be bad if they contain sugar, chocolate, or raisins. Naturally, oatmeal cookies are not harmful; so far, they are given to your doggie plain. It is also advisable to stick to treats and food specially made for dogs.
Here are the reasons why oatmeal cookies are bad for dogs:
- Eating too many oatmeal cookies containing a lot of sugar could cause sickness and excessive weight gain for your furry friend. Obese dogs can easily contact arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes.
- Avoid oatmeal cookies containing currants, raisins, as well as other berries and fruits.
- Oatmeal cookies containing chocolate should be avoided. They contain theobromine, which is toxic and poisonous to dogs.
- Oatmeal cookies containing xylitol should be avoided. Xylitol serves as a substitute for sugar and is found in the majority of processed foods, which includes baking products like mints, gum, and candy. This ingredient is safe when consumed by humans, but if taken by dogs, it could be dangerous. This could cause hypoglycemia and then lead to liver failure or seizures.
Why Is Oatmeal Bad For Dogs?
Oatmeal is bad for dogs because it contains a lot of fiber, which can result in GI upset. This includes diarrhea and vomiting. However, for dog owners who still want to give their canines oatmeal, here are some points to take note of.
Consuming large amounts of oatmeal could cause vomiting, diarrhea, and/or bloat. All these could also threaten your dog’s life. At most, half a cup of cooked oatmeal once to twice every week, is okay for the majority of large dogs.
When giving your furry friend human food, you have to start gradually and then check how your doggie handles it. Once you notice any negative reaction, contact your veterinarian at once.
Why Are Cookies Bad For Dogs?
Generally, cookies are bad for dogs because they lack the same nutrients present in their regular food. This also depends on the type given to them, the quantity, as well as other substances or food present in your dog’s system.
Dogs love cookies, but they may be harmful because of the presence of wrong ingredients like raisins or chocolate in their food. This could be toxic, and your dog may fall ill as a result. Cookies also contain a high percentage of sugar and fat. So, even if they don’t get sick, they aren’t good for dogs.
If you wish to feed your dog with cookies, then stick to oatmeal or wheat flour cookies. Don’t feed them chocolate chips or sugar cookies with frosting. The chips or frosting have fats in them, which could cause stomach upset if eaten in large quantities.
Can Dogs Eat Oatmeal Cookies With Frosting?
No, don’t feed your dog with oatmeal cookies with frosting. The frosting has fats in them, which could cause stomach upset in dogs if eaten in large quantities.
If your doggie wants some icing on the cookie, give them an ice cube from time to time. This helps to satisfy this craving without causing stomach upset. Another healthy alternative is giving your dog vegetables or fruits, after dipping them in yogurt.
Can Dogs Eat Oatmeal Raisin Cookies?
Dogs should not eat oatmeal raisin cookies. This is because it has raisins that are very toxic to canines. They also contain onions, garlic, and grapes.
The fatal and toxic nature of raisins to dogs is due to the presence of hydrogen cyanide in large quantities. Though seizures, tremors, or diarrhea, or vomiting could be side effects whenever your furry friend eats raisins, your doggie may experience much more. This could lead to liver failure within three days of ingestion.
Ingesting raisins could also lead to acute renal failure. This means that your doggie’s kidney will be damaged, preventing it from passing toxic waste and feces properly from its body. Your pooch may even have to undergo a kidney transplant.
The consequences could be fatal and depend on the time frame at which you notice the symptoms and give your dog medical treatment.
Also, cut-up raisins can be easily ingested. This can lead to a similar result. No matter how tiny the amount is, raisins should never be added to your dog’s oatmeal cookies. This could cause death or poisoning. Whatever oatmeal you make or buy, make sure that it is completely safe for your doggie.
Is An Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Healthy?
Regular cookies are not proper healthy snacks. Oatmeal raisin cookies, compared to other cookies, are healthier. Though they have some great nutrients and offer quick energy, the quantity of processed sugar and saturated fat in cookies are more than enough to overshadow their nutritional values.
Oatmeal raisin cookies are healthy due to the following pros. The oats present in the oatmeal raisin cookies contain two different carbohydrates. These include dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates. These carbs offer “slow-burning” energy that can help you stay full for a long time.
It also prevents a sudden rise in the level of sugar in the blood. Raisins also serve as a great source of phytochemicals and fiber. Both are protective substances, which boost the immune system.
Oatmeal raisin cookies are not healthy due to the following cons. Though raisins and oats add some nutritional value per cookie, the quantity of all the ingredients for each cookie is just a little share of the recommended sizes for serving. Therefore, these benefits aren’t that significant.
Also, each cookie contains about three teaspoons of sugar; this is too much for your dog to consume at once. Too much sugar in your pooch’s food can cause your dog to become overweight and lead to teeth problems. This could eventually cause diabetes.
Generally, oatmeal raisin cookies are not healthy for dogs. It could even lead to their death. Therefore, avoid feeding it to your canine in any form, even treats.
Does Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Raise Blood Sugar?
Oatmeal raisin cookies do not raise blood sugar. Oatmeal raisin cookies have complex carbohydrates in them. These carbohydrates keep you full for longer periods. Also, it prevents sudden increases in the level of sugar in the blood.
What If My Dog Eats Oatmeal Raisin Cookies?
Once your dog eats oatmeal raisin cookies, visit an emergency clinic for animals immediately. Take note of the type of cookies your dog has eaten and disclose this to your veterinarian. Watch your furry friend closely. If they vomit uncontrollably, act lethargic, or drink a large quantity of water, then bring your pooch down to your vet.
Also, you may need to induce your dog to vomit; this depends on the time frame. This will prevent your pooch from having liver failure, or going into shock. Though raisins are not good and toxic for dogs, it takes so much of it to make your pet very sick.
Can Dogs Eat Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies?
Yes, dogs can eat cinnamon oatmeal cookies. However, the issue here is the other ingredients used with cinnamon. Your dog can eat as many cinnamon cookies as it wants so long that nutmeg isn’t in them.
The Nutmeg Spice
Nutmeg is often a spice that goes hand in hand with cinnamon. Though cinnamon is not toxic for your furry friend, nutmeg is. Due to its use in baking things such as cookies, you should prevent your doggie from eating too many of these products.
If there’s nutmeg in the oatmeal cookies, don’t feed him with it at all, or just feed two cookies max twice weekly. The idea behind this is that dogs could become very sick when they take nutmeg. If enough nutmeg gets into their bodies, it could cause them to have seizures, and even lead to death.
You can also feed your puppy and pregnant dogs with cinnamon oatmeal cookies. However, avoid nutmegs, because it could affect them negatively.
There are other healthy alternatives to using cinnamon in your oatmeal cookies. These include carrots, pumpkin, banana, and peanut butter. Yogurt is also good for them as it treats stomach upset.
Other Ingredients To Watch Out For
Though cinnamon may be safe, there are other ingredients used in cinnamon oatmeal cookies that are not. Therefore, before sharing your human food with your doggie, check the label to ensure it doesn’t have dangerous and harmful ingredients. Below are some ingredients to watch out for.
- Chocolate can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and an increase in body temperature.
- Raisins can cause kidney failure. The lethal doses of raisins vary for each dog. Therefore ingesting one or two could be dangerous.
- Nutmeg can cause hallucinations, high blood pressure, seizures, and disorientation in dogs if taken in huge quantities.
- Macadamia nuts may cause vomiting, tremors, weakness, and lethargy if ingested.
