Honey is a source of natural sugars and has some extraordinary medicinal properties. It has various antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties, helps fight against different bacteria, and acts as a health supplement for humans and dogs. Many people think of giving honey to their dogs for their health benefits, but before that, you should know whether it’s a safe food for dogs or not. Is there any health benefit associated with it or not? Honey also helps to reduce inflammation and treat stomach ulcers, sore throats and minimize allergies.
Is Honey Safe For Dogs?
Honey is safe for dogs if consumed in smaller quantities. It contains vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and ions and is a sweetener in many food products.
Dangers of Honey For Dogs:
- If you feed honey in excess quantities, it may lead to obesity in your dogs. You must provide proper exercise to your dogs or puppies to balance out their nutrition level. important
- Honey can also cause dental decay to your dog so, it is essential to brush your dog’s teeth after feeding. Honey has a thicker consistency, which can stick to your dog’s teeth and can cause teeth to decay.
- Make sure to give treated or pasteurized honey to your dogs. Pasteurized honey is thin and transparent than raw honey. On the other hand, raw honey may contain harmful bacterial or fungal spores like botulism spores. These spores can stick to the intestinal walls and can cause digestive issues. So you shouldn’t feed honey to your dogs or puppies having immunocompromised situations.
- If your dog is diabetic, avoid giving honey to him as it may cause some adverse effects on him.
Benefits of Honey For Dogs:
Honey contains vitamin B&C, minerals, and ions, which help in the blood circulation in the body. Honey contains magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, sulfur, and phosphate ions. These ions help for the proper circulation of blood in the body. It also contains proteins, enzymes, and hormones, beneficial for humans and dogs.
Control Allergies:
Honey contains a small amount of flower pollen. So that, it can be beneficial to treat seasonal allergies. The moment you start giving it to your dogs slowly, their body will develop antibodies against allergic cells. Honey is the best to treat allergies as your dog may get constantly. Pollen contains quercetin– a bioflavonoid containing antihistamines. It works wonders to treat allergies.
To Treat Skin Issues:
If your dog is suffering from skin issues like scratches, wounds, hot spots, insect bites, or eczema, applying it on top of them can heal their wounds or skin infections. Honey has antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to soothe and heal your dog’s skin. It has a low moisture level, which inhibits the growth of bacteria. It also produces a low level of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) which helps to sanitize the infected area without affecting the healing tissues.
Treat Cough and Throat Irritation:
You may already know its benefit for itchy and sore throat. The same goes for dogs and puppies. If your dog has a cough or sore throat, it can do wonders to treat the irritation.
For Digestion:
If your dog has digestive issues like indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea, a bit of it daily can prevent these issues. Honey contains both probiotics and prebiotics, which is outstanding for the digestion of food. A small amount can be beneficial for your dog to consume.
To Maintain a Healthy Weight:
Honey maintains a healthy weight; it slows down the hunger response. It is natural sugar, but it breaks down differently than other sugars. A small amount of insulin is enough to break down into glucose and slowly absorb into the bloodstream.
It also slows down the digestion process, necessary to maintain body weight. Your dog will not feel hungry quickly after having it.
Helps to Boost Energy:
A small amount of honey may also help to improve your puppy’s energy level. Raw honey contains natural sugars that can easily break down and give a quick boost of energy.
Quantity of Honey For Dogs:
Honey is not toxic for dogs and has various beneficial properties. It is predigested by the bees hence, easily digestible by the dogs. But, if you are planning to feed honey, ask your vet doctor first. He will provide you with specific guidelines based on your dog’s condition and breed. Ideally, you shouldn’t give more than 1-teaspoon of honey in a day. If you have small puppies, you may feed half a teaspoon daily, not more than that.
