Dogs can enjoy many foods that humans eat, and they’re experts at convincing us to share our food with them. Since they can eat many fruits and vegetables that humans also eat, it’s best to choose healthier options than junk food. In the case of blueberry muffins, it’s best to refrain from feeding them to dogs. While they may not be toxic to dogs, they’re often too sweet and fatty for them and may harm their health in the long run. It’s better to find alternatives to give to your dog so that they can continue to eat a nutritious diet and maintain a healthy body weight.
Why Can’t Dogs Eat Blueberry Muffins?
In most cases, your dog won’t experience significant health issues if they sneak a bite of a blueberry muffin. However, continuing to feed them blueberry muffins can end up being detrimental to their health. This is because blueberry muffins contain ingredients that aren’t healthy for dogs to eat regularly. For example, they’re usually sweetened with a significant amount of sugar and can also contain a lot of butter or oil.
Eating sugary and fatty foods can cause an upset stomach, and dogs may experience vomiting, gassiness, or diarrhea. If your dog develops a habit of eating sugary foods, they can develop obesity and metabolic changes. Being obese puts them at increased risk for a number of serious health conditions including diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease.
Dangers of Feeding Blueberry Muffins to Dogs
Considering that dogs can eat many other types of food, it’s best to refrain from feeding them blueberry muffins. Here’s a further breakdown of common ingredients in blueberry muffins that can be dangerous for dogs.
Sugar
While dogs can eat small amounts of sugar without getting sick, it’s not a necessary part of their diet and doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits for them. Therefore, there’s no need to feed them sweet and sugary foods. It can even become dangerous if your dog eats too much sugar due to the significant health complications a sugary diet can cause.
Spices
Many blueberry muffin recipes include spices for added flavor. Dogs can eat a variety of spices without any issues, but there are some that can be toxic to dogs. Nutmeg is a common spice that’s added to blueberry muffins, but it’s also harmful for dogs to eat. It contains myristicin, which can cause high blood pressure, increased heart rate, abdominal pain, and seizures. The amount in a blueberry muffin is unlikely to cause too many adverse effects but it’s safest to avoid feeding your dog anything that contains nutmeg.
Artificial Sweeteners
Sometimes, low-sugar blueberry muffins use artificial sweeteners. Xylitol is a common artificial sweetener used in baked goods, but it’s very toxic to dogs. Xylitol causes sudden, severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and higher amounts can cause liver injury and failure.
Chocolate
Chocolate chips are commonly added to blueberry muffin recipes. Dogs will show different signs of chocolate poisoning depending on how much they’ve eaten. Some signs of chocolate toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, fast breathing, tremors, incoordination, and seizures.
Safer Alternatives of Blueberry Muffins
If your dog enjoys eating blueberry muffins, you can try to feed them healthier alternatives. It’s best to run new foods past your vet before offering them to your dog, especially if they have any health concerns, but one option is to bake your own batch of dog-friendly blueberry muffins. These recipes usually omit the sugar and spices and maintain a simple batter that consists of flour, eggs, and blueberries.
Blueberries are safe for dogs to eat, so you can feed them to dogs as treats. If you’re feeling extra fancy, you can blend them with plain, natural yogurt and freeze them in ice cube trays. Dogs will go crazy for these tasty frozen treats, and they can help dogs stay cool on hot summer days.
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Conclusion
Overall, it’s best to keep dogs away from blueberry muffins unless you’re making your own dog-friendly version. Blueberry muffins contain a significant amount of sugar and fat that can cause health complications in the long run. So, if your dog loves blueberries, stick to giving them whole blueberries, blueberry dog treats, or other alternatives that are much safer and more nutritious for them to eat.
Featured Image Credit: Elena Shashkina, Shutterstock