Let’s face it—everybody loves Oreos. In fact, they’re dubbed as America’s favorite cookies! Why wouldn’t they be, right? They’re delicious, they come in a variety of flavors, and they taste amazing in pretty much anything!
So if you’re craving for a blue bag or two, you’re in luck! It’s National Oreo Cookie Day and we get to celebrate by getting our fix of these heavenly delights!
However, if there’s a pooch in the household, then you’re probably not the only one looking forward to snacking the day away.
We all know how this goes: dog amps up cuteness using puppy dog eyes and head tilt, human gives in and hands over Oreos. For this occasion, you’re going to need to resist!
Oreos don’t have a lot of real chocolate in them, so they’re not necessarily toxic to our canine friends. But still, it’s not recommended that dogs eat them.
So if it’s not chocolate, what makes Oreos a no-no?
What’s in an Oreo, Anyway?
Heavily processed oils
Oreos contain palm oil and canola oil, both of which are linked to fatty liver disease and diabetes. Palm oil, in particular, has a laxative effect on dogs and can cause diarrhea, dehydration, and in some cases, even pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas.
Refined sugar
Refined sugar is known to increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in both humans and dogs. Sugar, in general, also leads to tummy aches, decreased energy levels or lethargy, and joint problems.
To make sure your furry buddy stays healthy, refrain from giving them sweets. Instead, opt for dog-safe fruits and veggies, such as bananas, blueberries, cucumber slices, and broccoli.
Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), to be exact. It’s bad for you, and even worse for your canine friend. HFCS is an artificial sweetener made from corn syrup and when consumed in excess, can increase the chances of your dog becoming obese or diabetic.
So, How Do You Have a Guilt-Free Celebration?
Of course, we don’t want our dogs to feel left out while we enjoy a bag of our favorite Oreo variant this National Oreo Cookie Day! We’ll all probably fail at looking the other way when our fur babies start begging, anyway.
One way to make sure that you don’t get guilted into sharing the forbidden snacks is to have dog treats on the ready! If your dog is too smart for that and you’re lucky enough to know your way around the kitchen, then might as well bake some dog-safe Oreo decoys!
Here’s an awesome recipe from GoneToTheSnowDogs.com, if you’re interested.
