Have you ever forgotten about your bananas and found them when they’re too mushy to eat?
Well, fear not, because overripe bananas are the perfect excuse for baking banana bread!
It’s easy to make at home and only requires a few ingredients.
But what if your furry pooch wants to join in on the fun?
A question a lot of us dog lovers have is, “Can Dogs eat banana bread?”
In this article, you’ll learn whether or not dogs can eat banana bread. You’ll also learn about the possible health benefits as well as harmful effects eating this food may have for our dogs.
Can Dogs Eat Banana Bread?
The short answer is maybe. Banana bread is one of those foods that should be okay for dogs most of the time. But there are situations where banana bread can also be harmful food. And we will detail some examples below so you know what to look out for.
More on Banana Bread Effects
Banana bread is not necessarily a bad food for dogs. Yet, at the same time, it offers little nutritional value.
Banana bread is made out of banana, flour, and baking powder— meaning that banana bread provides little-to-no benefits to dogs.
Although banana bread has been used as a filler in dog food before, bread is not a natural and necessary part of a dog’s diet. In fact, it is only a filler, or extra calories, for dogs who need a high-energy diet.
Precautions on Feeding Dogs Banana Bread
The majority of the time banana bread is only harmful to dogs if your dog eats too much of it. To be clear, eating a small amount of banana bread should not have any bad effects on your dog whatsoever.
It is also important to remember that banana bread is high in sugar. And this could upset a dog’s health.
That is especially true if you feed them large amounts of banana bread. Feeding too much sugar to dogs can cause trouble for their health. It puts them at risk of having diabetes, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), or even weight gain.
Toppings in Banana Bread
Some dogs may also be allergic to ingredients included in banana bread, such as wheat and grains. Some common toppings to banana bread are even toxic to dogs- consider these off-limits.
Such toppings include chocolate chips, walnuts, and raisins. These foods can be toxic to dogs so should be avoided.
Healthy Benefits of Banana Bread for Dogs
Now that we’ve gone over all that banana bread can do to hurt your dog, let’s look at the other side. Banana bread can also be good for dogs.
Since banana bread is made out of bananas, it contains some of the nutrients that we can get in a banana such as the following:
- Fiber: bananas are a great source of fiber. Fiber helps in solving a dog’s digestive problems. Foods rich in fiber can help against bowel movement problems.
- Potassium: bananas also have high levels of potassium. Potassium can keep your dog’s bones strong and healthy. This makes bananas a good food for older dogs, especially.
To sum it up, banana bread with things like chocolate chips, raisins, or any other toppings/stuffers are harmful to your dogs.
So if you want to share your banana bread with your pooch stick to a plain and simple recipe, with little to no added sugars! And don’t give them too much at a time.
Learn More About What Human Foods Are Healthy Or Harmful For Dogs
This article is a part of our series of articles about “What Human Foods Can Dogs Eat?”
Up next, find out Can Dogs Eat Maple Syrup?
