Can Poodles Eat Peanut Butter?

It is not uncommon to see a poodle staring at your jar of peanut butter. But, you may have wondered whether this is food is actually safe for your poodle to eat.

Poodles can eat peanut butter in moderation. Because peanut butter is high in fat and calories that cause weight gain, poodles should only have 1/2 – 1 tablespoon daily. Peanut butter should be unsalted, all-natural with no xylitol, or homemade.

With some danger associated with this popular treat, I will further explain what you should watch out for in peanut butter. Additionally, I will give you some ideas to feeding your poodle peanut butter.

Peanut Butter: The Good and The Bad

Peanut Butter is a delicious treat for humans and is a popular item to give to dogs. Yet, peanut butter is not the best thing to feed poodles.

The Good

First, here is some of the good things about peanut butter (PB).

1. PB is high in protein.
2. PB contains some healthy fats.
3. Dogs are not commonly allergic to PB or peanuts.
4. PB is high in vitamin B and E.
5. PB can be used to help your dog swallow medicine.
6. PB contains niacin.
7. PB is perfect for kong treats.

Overall, these things make for a really great treat for your poodle. We obviously want to give our dogs treats full of vitamins in minerals that will prolong their life.

Peanut Butter has some great things going for it because of that.

There are also many creative ways of serving peanut butter that your poodle will love that make peanut butter a great and easy treat for your dog.

However, not everything about peanut butter is so glamorous.

The Bad

Although peanut butter contains some healthy things, there are also some very negative things that come from peanut butter (PB).

1. PB is high in fats and calories which can cause weight gain and obesity.
2. Crunchy PB can be hazardous to small dogs who have a chance of choking on the peanuts.
3. PB contains aflatoxins which can lead to cancer.
4. Some PB contains Xylitol which, is poisonous for poodles.
5. PB is associated with causing pancreatitis.

So, there is a harsh truth behind giving your dog peanut butter. There are many dangerous side effects that can harm your poodle’s health.

Yes, some of these side effects are on the extreme end of things. But, that does not mean that is not possible for your dog to come across any of these problems. This is why it is so important to give your poodle peanut butter in moderation if you are giving it to him/ her at all.

Is the Risk Worth it?

The answer to the question will vary depending on who you ask.

Dogs certainly do love eating peanut butter; however, there are so many problems that could come about from your dog eating peanut butter.

In my opinion, there are so many other things that could be given to your dog that are even more healthy and do not have any chance of causing harm, so why not give those to your poodle as a treat?

But, I do understand that peanut butter is a simple treat that dog loves. And for that purpose, I will help you understand what to look for in a peanut butter for your poodle.

Check the Label

When you are going grocery shopping, and are about to pick up the peanut butter that you will be serving to your dog, stop and think.

It is likely that you should not give your poodle the same peanut butter that you would typically eat. For this reason, you will need to take a deeper look into the ingredients labels on each of the peanut butter jars.

Xylitol

The first thing you will want to check for on your peanut butter jar is Xylitol.

Xylitol is a sweetener that has progressively been added to more and more foods that are offered at grocery stores everywhere. While it is safe for us to digest, it is poisonous to poodles.

You will want to make sure that your dog does not ever digest anything with Xylitol.

After swallowing something that contains Xylitol, you would likely see symptoms in your poodle within 10 minutes to an hour. It is fast acting and can be deadly.

Salt

Salt is another ingredient that you do not want to see on the ingredients label of your peanut butter jar.

Salt, although not poisonous to your poodle, is not good for him/ her.

Salt is included in most jars of peanut butter in very high doses. It will be fairly difficult to find a peanut butter that does not have salt it in. However, that is what your poodle needs.

Often times all natural peanut butters will not contain salt.

All-Natural Peanut Butter

All-natural peanut butter would seem like the best option. After all, the ingredients that should be avoided are simply added to other peanut butter brands.

However, all natural peanut butters are not always the best option.

Many of these all natural peanut butter options still contain Xylitol. So, although it seems like an easy solution to simply purchase the all natural peanut butter, it is not always going to be safe for your poodle to eat.

In general, when you are looking for peanut butter, you should be looking for the most natural peanut butter. However, you will still need to be aware and read the ingredients label before purchasing the peanut butter.

There are very few kinds of peanut butter in the peanut butter isle that will be good for your poodle.

Giving a Poodle Peanut Butter

Now that you know what peanut butters you can purchase and what to be aware of, the next step is learning how to feed your poodle peanut butter.

I am sure the next question you have is “How much peanut butter can I give my poodle?”

This will depend on the size of the poodle you have. The smaller the dog, the less peanut butter that should be able to have. With the three different types of poodles, they will each have different amount allowed per day.

As you can see, the amounts of peanut butter that you should give to your poodle are low. And of course, if you have an especially small standard poodle you could include them in the miniature poodle ranking.

These serving amounts are safe for poodles, however, not all peanut butters are safe for your poodle.

Crunchy Peanut Butter

Crunchy peanut butter is loved among humans. However, a crunchy peanut is not suggested for poodles. In fact, in the smaller dog breeds, crunchy peanut butter can be a choking hazard.

Although crunchy peanut butter may be okay for a standard poodle, it is still not suggested. For toy and miniature poodles, do not give crunchy peanut butter.

Not only can crunchy peanut butter be a choking hazard, but the peanuts also come out in their full form in your poodle’s stool.

Kong Toys

Kong toys are very popular for dogs. The most common food that is placed inside the kong toy is peanut butter.

Is this safe?

Yes, it is. Most often, it will take time for your poodle to get all the way through the peanut butter in the toy.

This is great for poodles because they are so energetic. But, kong toys help poodles to settle down and use some concentration. But, these toys also allow for your poodle to receive a treat.

If you are trying to be cautious that your poodle is not having too much peanut butter, then simply don’t fill their toy all the way.

Place enough peanut butter in the kong toy for their daily serving. By putting in the exact daily serving amount, you will be able to monitor and ensure that your dog is not having too much peanut butter.

Switch Out Treats

Another tip I would give about serving your dog peanut butter is not to make it a daily thing.

Peanut butter is a simple thing, which makes it a great treat to give. However, it is not the best for your poodle. There are many great treats out there for your poodle. Give him/ her a little variety and mix up the treats that you give.

This is especially beneficial for poodles, because often poodles can get sick of the same thing over and over.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Lastly, the best thing you can do to ensure you are giving your poodle the best peanut butter is to give him/ her homemade peanut butter.

This is possible for anyone who has a blender or food processor at home.

Although this does take away from the simplicity of peanut butter from a jar, you can guarantee there are no additives dangerous to your poodle. And, you will find that your poodle loves it just as much.

Try this recipe from thebark.com for a fantastic homemade peanut butter specifically made for dogs.

Now that you have learned a bit more about giving your dog peanut butter, feel free to give them peanut butter as a treat. Just be sure to follow the guidelines for healthy peanut butter eating.