Is your best furiend’s birthday coming up? If you’re planning to get your fur baby a cake for their birthday, you might want to check if it’s dog-friendly first. While it is common for us, humans, to indulge in cakes and sweets during celebrations, it is not the same with our canine companions.
Did you know that the usual cake that we (humans) buy, is not actually safe for our pet dogs! It is crucial for us, pet owners, to be aware of the ingredients that are present in the cake before we share it with our canine companions. Traditional cakes or cakes made for humans contain ingredients that are toxic to our fur baby such as chocolates, nuts, cinnamon, caffeine, raisins, xylitol and more. Cakes also contain high amounts of calories, fat, sugar and other harmful additives.
3 Reasons Why Your Canine Companion Should Avoid Eating Traditional Cakes
- High sugar content – Just like us, humans, nothing really good happens to our health with high intake of sugar. Although our four-legged companion can generally digest naturally occurring sugars found in fruits and vegetables, granulated sugar can cause an upset stomach and even diabetes and obesity in the future.
- Toxic ingredients – Chocolate cake might be a therapy in wrapper for us humans, but not to our pups! Traditional cakes come in different flavors. These flavors might be toxic to our pet dogs, such as chocolate, xylitol, raisins, nuts, and caffeine. Ingesting even a small amount of this may cause undesirable effects to your fur baby.
- High calorie content – Traditional cakes are often high in calories, which can be harmful to your pooch. Consistent intake of high calorie can cause weight gain and complications to your pet dog.
So, as tempting as it might be and no matter how much you love that cake, don’t ever let your fur baby have a taste of it! Besides, cake has no health benefits to our pooch.
“My Dog Accidentally Ate A Piece of My Cake. What Should I do?”
The best thing to do is call your vet to tell them what happened. How long ago was it? How many did your pup eat? Your vet might instruct you to induce vomiting at home or you might need to bring your fur baby to them. If you can’t make it to the vet as soon as possible, in the meantime, you have to keep an eye out for any unusual behavior. Symptoms to watch out for include diarrhea, vomiting, blood in stool, lack of appetite, changes in behavior, seizure, difficulty of breathing, and difficulty in passing poop.
“I Really Want A Cake For My Dog’s Barkday (Birthday)”
I get it, we love spoiling our fur babies. You don’t have to be so bummed out because you can still give them the best birthday cake! What you can do instead is to bring out your baker’s hat and start whiffing up ingredients to make your own dog-friendly cake. There are a lot of dog-friendly cake recipes available online that you can check. Here are tips on what you need to take note of before making your own pupcake.
- Pick your base – Use a whole-grain flour and dog-friendly binding ingredients like peanut butter, olive oil, unsweetened applesauce, honey, or egg. Once you’ve chosen your base you can combine the ingredients.
- Spice things up with flavor – You can try and puree your pup’s favorite dog-friendly fruits and vegetables like carrots, peas, strawberries, and bananas. You can also put in a small amount of their favorite protein like chicken or liver.
- Go extra with frosting – Go extra and cover up the whole cake with your very own dog-friendly topping. You can try to whip up a layer of low-fat green yogurt, unsweetened peanut butter, or potato.
- Have fun decorating – After you’ve covered up the cake with frosting, you can try decorating the cake. Try cutting small pieces of their treats and place it on top or on the side of the cake.
For a more thorough step-by-step process on how to bake a dog-friendly cake, you can check here. But, If you’re not good at baking, you can always check with your local bakers if they sell pupcakes.
“They Say Carrots are Safe for Dogs. Can I Get a Traditional Carrot Cake for my Dog?”
Although carrots are generally safe for dogs. Traditional carrot cake made for humans may not be as safe when consumed by our canine companions, even if the baker says there are no chocolates, raisins, or nuts. Why? Because traditional cakes contain high amounts of sugar, fat, and calories. These ingredients are not good for a dog’s health. These are just empty calories, and at worst, they could even cause allergies or indigestion.
To be 100% safe, always opt for dog-friendly recipes or treats specifically designed for dogs to ensure a safer indulgence and to eliminate the risk of toxic substances that can harm your canine companion.
Conclusion
By understanding the potential risks associated with traditional cakes, pet owners can seek alternatives to make birthday paw-ties safer and more enjoyable.
So, is it safe for my pet dog to eat cake? Well, the answer to that is Yes and No. If the cake contains harmful ingredients that aren’t safe for your pupper, then the answer is NO. But, if it’s a cake made especially for dogs, then go for it! Let your fur baby have the best birthday ever!
