Animal Crackers are cute and delicious treats. Regular crackers just don’t compare to these animal-shaped crackers that many of us loved as kids.
At first glance, they look like dog treats, and you may wonder if they can be an alternative to them.
But should you give your dogs these kinds of treats? This leads to a very common question many of us dog lovers have: “Can dogs eat Animal Crackers?”
In this article, you’ll learn whether or not animal crackers are safe for dogs to eat. You’ll also learn if this food has health benefits or harmful effects on our dogs.
Can Dogs Eat Animal Crackers?
The short answer is no; dogs should not eat animal crackers. Animal crackers are lousy food for dogs.
There are many types of foods that are not good for dogs (such as grapes, bones, chocolate) and animal crackers are one of them.
Animal crackers are bad food for our furry pups. They are considered to be unhealthy food for our dogs.
Why Animal Crackers Are Bad For Dogs
Animal crackers can be unhealthy or toxic to dogs, depending on how much they eat.
It is important to remember that animal crackers are high in sugar. And this could be very dangerous to dogs.
They are just fillers or extra calories for dogs who need a high-energy diet.
Animal crackers are also high in fats.
Animal crackers will only be bad for dogs most of the time if your dog eats too much. So eating a single biscuit of animal crackers will not negatively affect your dog.
However, because of its ingredients, including sugar and sometimes baking chocolate, animal crackers can be very bad for dogs. Feeding too much high-sugar content to dogs can cause trouble for their health. It puts them at risk of having many health problems such as diabetes, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), or even weight gain and obesity.
And just like carbohydrates, fats can lead to numerous health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, kidney issues, and more. And the fats found in animal crackers are unhealthy fats instead of healthier fats such as omega-three fats.
Xylitol’s Effect On Dogs
Some animal crackers may also be toxic to dogs due to their ingredients. Certain animal crackers may contain xylitol.
Xylitol is an ingredient that acts as an artificial sweetener to decrease the calorie of foods yet taste sweet at the same time. Foods containing xylitol must never be fed to dogs.
Xylitol can cause severe hypoglycemia or a significant decrease in the blood sugar levels of dogs. This condition can be fatal to dogs.
Another possible side effect of xylitol in dogs is liver damage. Xylitol consumption directly and sometimes severely damages canine livers.
Animal crackers are usually bad for dogs, especially if your dog eats too much. One piece of animal cracker will not poison your dog as the amount of sugar or chocolate (if it has any) is not enough to be harmful.
However, not all the time or not all animal crackers are harmful and unhealthy for dogs. If the animal crackers you use do not contain chocolate or xylitol, then they are safe to give your dog in moderation.
Learn More About What Human Foods Are Healthy or Harmful for Dogs
This article is a part of our special series of articles about “What Human Foods Can Dogs Eat?”
In the next article of this series, find out “Can Dogs Eat Vanilla?“