One of the easiest, most versatile, and delicious treats you can keep in your pantry for your dog is peanut butter. Used in a lick mat or kong, peanut butter can help to occupy your pup, keeping their brain busy and helping to avoid destructive mischievous behaviors. Ever struggled to keep your puppy still while bathing them? Peanut butter smeared on the side of the bath can help here too.
What if your household is nut-free however? Are there options for you and your puppy to still enjoy?
Can Dogs Be Allergic To Peanut Butter?
Yep! Just like human beings, dogs can be sensitive or allergic to peanut butter. While dogs are most commonly allergic to proteins found in foods such as dairy, eggs, meat, soy or gluten, they can also be allergic to peanuts and peanut products.
While a peanut allergy in your canine companion is unlikely to have the deadly reaction we see in human, your pet may experience:
- Skin irritation including excessive redness, itching, and scratching.
- Ear infections.
- Hot spots.
- Gastrointestinal distress such as vomiting or diarrhea.
- Coughing and excess salivation.
Skip The Sweeteners
One of the biggest dangers when feeding your dog peanut butter is whether or not it contains Xylitol. This naturally-derived sweetener is a popular alternative to sugar both refined and unrefined. While it can be a great option for those looking to reduce their sugar intake, for dogs it is highly toxic.
Even a tiny amount ingested by your dog can lead to dangerously low blood pressure (hypoglycemia) liver failure, seizures, and even death. The presence of Xylitol in peanut butter has become more and more common, so ingredient labels should be carefully read before feeding peanut butter to your dog.
Is Seed Butter A Safe Alternative?
Rather than have your dog miss out on the joy of peanut butter, you can offer them seed butter. Aside from being completely free of Xylitol, the top eight allergens, and sesame, Beyond The Equators 5 Seed Butter has a whole host of health benefits that can nourish both you and your much-loved pet.
There are so many great benefits to including seed butter in your dog's diet. Aside from being a great source of protein and healthy fats, our Five Seed Butter Contains:
Sunflower seeds which are high in magnesium, vitamin E, and protein, can help lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
Chia Seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and protein, fiber, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, phosphorus, manganese, and selenium.
Flax seeds, also high in omega-3 fatty acids and protein, can help lower blood sugar and insulin levels, aids in weight loss, improve skin health, and is rich in lignans which are shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Pumpkin seeds, high in iron, calcium, B2, folate, and beta-carotene, which the body metabolizes into vitamin A. They also contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Hemp seeds, high in protein, unsaturated fats, and fiber. It also contains zinc, iron, and B vitamins niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, and folate.
Just as in humans, dogs get the most nutritional benefit and optimal absorption of the vitamins and minerals in seeds when they are crushed or ground. Making our 5 Seed Butter the ideal way in which to enjoy seeds and their superfood components.
Please note that we do not recommend feeding our chocolate 5 Seed Butter to your dog. The addition of cocoa to this variety makes it unsafe for consumption by dogs. Cocoa contains theobromine and caffeine which is not easily metabolized by dogs and can cause significant illness.
When Can My Puppy Start Enjoying Seed Butter?
You can safely add seed butter to your puppy’s diet from around 6 weeks of age. This is roughly around the same time that most puppies will be weaned from their mother. Adding seed butter can help to boost your puppy’s nutritional intake and replace essential vitamins and minerals they are no longer obtaining from their mother’s milk.
It is important to introduce seed butter slowly and in small amounts so as not to upset a sensitive puppy stomach.
How Much Seed Butter Is Safe For My Dog?
In terms of what amount of seed butter is safe for your dog, you can follow the same guidelines as peanut butter.
Small to medium dogs can safely consume around ½ a tablespoon of seed butter per day. For larger dogs, a full tablespoon is the maximum daily amount recommended.
Ways Your Puppy Can Enjoy Seed Butter
Aside from placing seed butter inside a toy or on a lick mat, you can also smear it on carrot sticks, use it as a topping on their kibble, or even bake it into an easy dog biscuit.
This recipe from Love From The Oven is simple and easily modified from peanut butter to seed butter.
Easy Seed Butter Dog Biscuits
Ingredients:
2 cups flour preferably whole wheat flour (you may like to substitute half of this measurement for one of our seed flours for added nutrition)
1/2 cup Unsweetened 5 Seed Butter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Combine flour, eggs, and peanut butter in a large bowl to make a thick crumbly dough. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until you can form the dough into a large ball.
- On a clean floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters or a knife to cut into individual treats. Place the treats on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool before feeding!
Delicious Nutrition For The Whole Family
At Beyond The Equator, we are delighted that our products are not only safe, delicious, and nutritious for the human members of your family, but the four-legged ones too! Our mission is to ensure no one needs compromise on the nutritional value or enjoyment of their food simply to accommodate food allergies or intolerances.
By innovating and using a variety of seeds that are both sustainable, plentiful, and nutritionally dense, we’ve created a range of products that allows you and your puppy to enjoy the foods you love. Try Beyond The Equator 5 Seed Butter today!