Owners love to give their pet various treats from the table. However, not everyone knows why dogs should not be given sweets? Having assessed all the pros and cons, it is important to draw conclusions and choose the right treats for the animal so that you don’t have to treat it later.
The food of any living organism must contain the main components: proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Sugar belongs to the group of carbohydrates. This group serves as a source of energy and is the starting material for the creation of other compounds, but in case of excess it can turn into fats and accumulate in the body.
Does a dog's body need sugar?
Dogs are carnivores and the main component of their food should be proteins. The digestion process in animals is somewhat different. A pet's intestines are shorter in relation to body size than, for example, those of a human. Therefore, the breakdown of products should occur faster. To achieve this, the body has adapted by secreting a large number of enzymes that are able to cope with the usual protein foods.
The distant ancestors of the dog practically did not consume carbohydrates; they are practically not absorbed in the body. In this case, they can be deposited in internal organs and cause harm.
Pets obtain the bulk of these components in the form of starch. Although food may contain small amounts of simple sugars. Sucrose, which is mainly found in sweets, is not beneficial for the dog’s body, and if in excess, it can lead to obesity, diabetes, and kidney damage.
Another form of carbohydrates, cellulose, which makes up fiber, cannot be digested in the pet’s body due to the lack of necessary enzymes. However, in some cases it is added to food as a filler to stimulate a feeling of fullness.
Dangerous sweets for dogs
A dog is very different from a person. Her body is focused on processing meat, and her stomach has difficulty coping with plant foods. The pet is able to partially digest some things, while others cannot be digested at all. The first category includes sugar .
In the process of evolution, dogs did not need enzymes that break down glucose in large quantities. Under natural conditions, animals could only obtain sugar from fruits. “Delicacies” were rarely encountered, and they were eaten in relatively small quantities.
What happens in a dog's body when it receives another piece of candy or ice cream? The liver is responsible for breaking down carbohydrates. Some of the glucose is sent to the tissues to provide the body with energy here and now. The excess is converted to glycogen and remains in the liver as reserves. The reserve is later used to compensate for the shortfall.
The main problem is that in dogs the line between “necessary” and “unnecessary” is very close to zero. As a result, almost all glucose is stored. Add to this the serving sizes. A glass of ice cream is sometimes too much even for a person. For an animal whose weight can be 10 times less, this is a complete sugar shock.
The liver's capabilities are limited. She cannot put aside supplies indefinitely. At some point, there are too many metabolic byproducts. They disperse throughout the body and cause allergic reactions . Moreover, the substances are removed for a very long time. Your pet may continue to have symptoms for another month. Often, owners have already managed to forget that they gave the treat and treat the animals for fungus, chicken allergies or flea bites.
Can dogs eat sweets?
So can dogs be given sugar if they still need carbohydrates? The pet receives the bulk of these components from cereals, vegetables and other ingredients, and this is quite enough to meet the daily requirement. Complex carbohydrates take longer to break down, gradually releasing energy that the animal has time to expend.
In most cases, the animal receives sweet treats at home, where there is practically no activity. The energy that is quickly released after the breakdown of sugar is not spent by the pet, and it is converted into fat.
From a physiological point of view, the animal does not need sweets and should not be given them.
Why shouldn't dogs be given sweets?
Dogs readily eat sweets, and owners love to pamper their pet. As a result of such treats, the animal receives food with excess energy value, and the diet is disrupted. This eating disorder gradually leads to obesity, severe pathologies of the liver, kidneys and diabetes. A dog cannot go blind from sweets. However, diabetes leads to vision pathologies. As the process worsens, the animal develops irreversible processes in the eyes due to increased glucose levels, which lead to blindness. These are the main reasons why dogs should not be given sweets.
In addition, a number of products, in addition to containing sugar, contain substances that are dangerous to animals. Therefore, these products must be completely limited and hidden in inaccessible places.
Chocolate
Chocolate contains substances that are toxic to your pet: theobromine and caffeine, so this product should not be given to your dog. The darker the appearance, the more of them are contained. It has been established that for dogs the LD50 is 100-200 mg/kg (the dose at which half the group will die). The dose of theobromine at which symptoms of poisoning appear is from 20 mg/kg.
6-12 hours after eating the chocolate, the animal notices:
- anxiety;
- tremor;
- vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- abdominal pain;
- the pet drinks more;
- the volume and frequency of urination increases;
- sometimes - elevated temperature.
Bakery
When eating baked goods, the animal develops intoxication due to fermentation products. In the dog’s stomach, mushrooms release alcohols, acids, and carbon dioxide, which are quickly absorbed.
In addition, due to active fermentation, the dough begins to expand, the volume of the stomach increases and the organ fills the abdominal cavity, putting pressure on the lungs and large vessels.
Signs of baking poisoning in an animal:
- vomit;
- increased salivation;
- impaired coordination and coherence of movements;
- lethargy;
- tremor;
- convulsions;
- in severe cases - coma.
Dried fruits
The most dangerous product among dried fruits is raisins. It contains nephrotoxins that cause acute kidney failure.
It is worth noting that animals have individual sensitivity to the product. Even among littermates, one puppy can safely eat raisins, while the second will have a strong pathological reaction.
- In the first 6-12 hours, the pet develops nausea and vomiting.
- Acute tubular necrosis gradually develops, and the volume of urine excreted sharply decreases.
- The general state is depressed.
- No appetite.
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If help is not provided in time, after 3-5 days the animal dies from severe renal failure.
Fruits and berries
Grapes and currants should be excluded from berries, as they are also nephrotoxins. It is still unknown which toxin causes the disorder. It was previously believed that the pits were the most dangerous, but this has not been proven.
Avocado has low toxicity for animals; excessive consumption of this fruit leads to vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis. In addition, the bone should not be allowed to be eaten; due to its large size, it can cause intestinal obstruction.
It is undesirable to give persimmon; it is not digested or absorbed by the body.
Sugar
In the body of carnivores, sugar causes fermentation processes. In addition, if you often feed your dog sweets, an environment favorable for the development of pathogenic microflora is created in the body.
Do not give your pet water with sugar if there is a long-term refusal to eat or signs of poisoning. Intravenous administration of glucose solution and drinking sweet water inside are different procedures. At the same time, the effect of oral drinking may worsen the root cause.
If you consume too much sugar, the following symptoms appear:
- vomit;
- diarrhea;
- rashes in the groin area, armpits, on the auricle;
- increased salivation;
- increased thirst;
- increased amount of urine;
- in some cases, an increase in temperature.
How does it affect the body?
Carbohydrates are needed to maintain animal energy. The excess is deposited in glycogen, which accumulates in the liver and muscles, and with increased loads, it is again converted into glucose and provides energy to the animal.
But since in nature canines are rarely found with large amounts of sugar, when eating sweets, the body strives to stock up on such a rare resource at all costs.
A kind of “time bomb” is created, for which it may take just one more sugar cookie and the body will not be able to cope with the accumulated metabolic products.
An allergic reaction will occur. Most often this is allergic otitis media, tear discharge and skin rashes. Subsequently, a minimum portion of the product will be sufficient to consistently cause such a reaction in the body.
In the chronic recurrent form, food allergies are accompanied by secondary fungal and bacterial infections. In this case, it will no longer be enough to simply stop giving sweets - long-term corrective treatment of concomitant diseases is required.
Why will a dog forgive sweets if they harm him?
During domestication, dogs gradually began to consume various foods, but not only those of protein origin. They are indiscriminate in their food, many are greedy and eat everything they can.
The dog's tongue contains receptors that sense salty, bitter, sour and sweet tastes. There are several times fewer of them than in humans, so in many ways animals rely on smell. Baked goods, chocolate and sweet treats have a pleasant aroma, which attracts pets.
In addition, begging may indicate:
- Unbalanced diet. The pet either does not eat enough or does not receive any elements (including carbohydrates).
- Lack of upbringing, when an animal is constantly fed from the table, it gets used to it.
Treatment of an animal that has overeaten sweets
If the dog’s case of illness is not severe, then the treatment in this case may be simple - a ban on sweets for the pet. A couple of weeks will pass and the dog’s health will be restored.
If the case of the disease is severe and the dog feels unwell, then you cannot do without the help of a specialist. The veterinarian will help identify the cause and determine the course of treatment.
If your dog is poisoned by chocolate, it is also necessary to seek help from a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Diseases in dogs arise not only from sweets. But if you notice the symptoms described in this article, remember if you treated your pet with sweets.
What to do if the dog still ate the “yummy”?
Much depends on what exactly the pet ate. One small cookie will not cause much harm to your health, the main thing is that it is not repeated systematically. Otherwise, sucrose will accumulate, which will lead to undesirable consequences.
What to do if your dog has eaten a lot of sweets? Measures should be taken depending on the general condition of the pet:
- If you eat raisins (or products containing the ingredient: rolls, candy bars, etc.) and signs of poisoning appear, it is important to immediately take the animal to a veterinary clinic. The doctor performs lavage, rehydration, and prescribes maintenance therapy. In severe cases, hemodialysis is prescribed.
- If there is excessive consumption of baked goods, the pet should be examined by a veterinarian and the necessary tests should be carried out to rule out acute dilatation of the stomach. The dog is given a large amount of cold water and given symptomatic therapy. Surgical treatment methods are also prescribed depending on the situation.
- In case of intoxication after eating chocolate, the animal is prescribed intravenous infusions, drugs that reduce the effect of caffeine.
- For minor symptoms at home, the pet is given adsorbents (Enterosgel, Polysorb). In case of vomiting or diarrhea, maintain a fasting diet for 12-24 hours.
Bell pepper, although called sweet, is not harmful to animals. It is added as a source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
How can you replace unhealthy sweets for your pet?
Sugary treats should be replaced with healthy dog treats. They can also be given as a reward during training. It can be:
- dried offal (lung, intestines, trachea, etc.);
- chewing sticks (these are also useful for cleaning teeth);
- twisted rawhide bones;
- “pillows” with filling.
Dogs really love these treats. They should be given in doses, especially if the pet has a tendency to overeat. Discuss with all family members the procedure for giving such treats and explain what will happen if you give the dog sweets.
Sugar is a harmful component for pets, excessive consumption of which can lead to a number of severe and irreversible pathologies. Eating some sugary foods is especially dangerous due to the toxic substances they contain. There are a huge number of different treats on the market that can be used to replace sweets and be used to encourage or establish contact with your pet.
Prohibited Products
You can’t think that all sweet fruits are suitable for satisfying a dog’s carbohydrate hunger.
The list of prohibited products includes:
- fresh/dried grapes - they catalyze the fermentation process in the intestines and are considered quite toxic;
- persimmon, cherries and cherries - consumption of these fruits threatens intestinal obstruction, which occurs due to the fault of the seeds, which provoke inflammation of the small intestine;
- citrus fruits - the substances they contain often become a powerful food irritant. Four-legged dogs usually don’t like the taste of citrus fruits, but if an orange slice is eaten, monitor the reaction of the dog’s body;
- avocado – it contains persin, a fungicidal toxin to which domestic animals (rabbits, horses and birds) react especially acutely. For dogs, persin is not as dangerous as it is unpleasant, as it can lead to diarrhea;
- sweet acorn - this forest delicacy ends up not only in the stomachs of wild boars. Sometimes it is swallowed by ill-mannered dogs whose owners have not taught selective eating behavior on the street/in the park. A dog that has eaten acorns receives a considerable dose of tannins, which threatens not so much poisoning as constipation.
Important! If you want to pamper your dog with sweets, take into account the advice of a veterinarian who has been caring for the animal from the first days of life and knows the weak points in its body. If the doctor gives the go-ahead for nuts and fruits/vegetables, follow the measure and monitor your pet’s condition.
There is a second list of prohibited sweets, which includes confectionery, baked goods and any (for example, fermented milk) products with dyes, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners.
The following sweets are especially undesirable:
- chocolate – it contains theobromine, which is harmless to humans, but extremely dangerous for animals whose body is not adapted to excrete this alkaloid. In large quantities, it turns into poison, having a negative effect on the dog’s heart muscle and central nervous system. A bar of high-quality chocolate can even be fatal;
- Xylitol is a polyhydric alcohol sweetener. Manufacturers love to add it to their sweet products. It is most often found in chewing gum, which dogs often find on the pavement;
- yeast dough - it also contains refined sugar and single-celled fungi (yeast itself). When it gets into a dog's stomach, the dough swells, causing pain, pain and flatulence. It is also believed that yeast has a toxic effect on the dog's body.
You will have to study the gastronomic preferences of your four-legged friend throughout his life . If he wants something sweet, experiment based on your knowledge of the benefits/harms of specific foods, but start with small portions. Once healthy treats have been identified by you and approved by your dog, stock up on them for future use. They can be useful to mask the unpleasant taste of the medicine if the dog gets sick or when training it.
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