What’s better than starting off your day with a bowl of cereal? Whether you’re chewing on a healthy brand of flakes or your favorite sugar loops, cereals help you gain enough energy throughout the day. Sometimes when you’re having your morning meal, you might also have wondered if it’s safe to share your bowl of cereal with your dog. This leads us to the question, can dogs eat cereal? Let’s find out!
Can Dogs Eat Cereal?
The simple answer to the question is yes, dogs can eat cereal. But, not all cereals are edible for dogs. With the necessary precautions in place, cereals can serve as an occasional treat for your dog. Whether it is for positive reinforcement during training or escaping your dog’s daily monotonous diet, cereals can be an excellent choice. Read on to learn everything about feeding cereal to your pooch.
3 Tips For Finding The Right Cereal Brand For Your Dog
Cereals are composed mainly of carbohydrates, which provide energy for your dog. They also contain some protein, calories, potassium, and other essential nutrients. While these components are healthy for your pooch, there are certain ingredients used in the production of some brands of cereal that could be detrimental to your dog’s health. So, you need to know for sure that you are feeding your dog the right cereal brand.
Here are 3 tips for finding the right cereal brand:
- Cereals like Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes, and Lucky Charms contain high sugar content and must be avoided as they can be toxic to dogs if consumed in large quantities.
- Brands with raisins, chocolate, and artificial sweeteners like xylitol MUST be avoided because these ingredients are poisonous to your dog. Some such cereals include Raisin Bran, Cocoa Puffs, Reese’s Puffs, and several other candy-like brands of cereals.
- The cereals containing toxic contents raisins and xylitol may cause health complications in your dog, which is always better to avoid.
The Right Brand
With thousands of cereals available in the market with different brand names and flavors, it can be tricky to choose the right cereal for your dog. And because not all of them are safe for dogs, you have to pay extra attention to what box of cereal you pick up at the grocery store next time. To relieve some of that stress, here are brands of cereals that you can safely feed to your dog:
- Cheerios
- Corn Flakes
- Bran Flakes
- Rice Krispies
- Special K
Is Cereal Good for Dogs?
Most dog owners love trying to feed their dog new food and watching their pooch’s reactions. Cereal might be one such food that you want to feed to your dog and see if they enjoy it as much as you do. While there are many bowls of cereal with different flavors and nutritional value, they may not necessarily provide much nutrition to your dog.
The nutritional values labeled on the packaging of cereals are based on human consumption. More importantly, they lack fiber and protein, which are essential nutrients in a canine diet. As a result, cereals can be only served as an occasional treat to your pooch, not a full-time meal. However, most cereals are low in fat and calories, so, they will not promote weight gain in your pet as long as you’re offering it in moderation.
That said, some types of cereals can help dogs in ways other than just providing nutrition. Oatmeal, for instance, is occasionally recommended by vets to help dogs with digestive issues like constipation. Similarly, Cheerios make for the perfect treat to use during your dog’s training sessions as the cereals are small and easy for dogs to eat. You can buy some healthy Cheerios for your pup here.
How Much Cereal Can Your Dog Have?
Overfeeding any food or treat to your dog is a bad idea, and cereals are no exception. Although cereals may not harm your dog, you must always be careful to never let your dog have too much of it. Cereals don’t have substantial nutritional values that can be beneficial for your dog. In fact, crunchy and grain-free dog treats are a way healthier choice than cereal.
Frequently eating sugary cereals can put your pet at risk for obesity or even developing diabetes. At the same time, too much sugar can also cause dental issues in dogs just like in humans. Cereals can promote tooth decay even further as they can get sticky and cling to your dog’s teeth.
This is why, as with any other treat, cereal must never be fed to your dog in large quantities. If the brand you use contains some components that are harmful to dogs, it could lead to poisoning and even the death of your dog. According to the AKC saying treats should not make up more than 10% of your dog’s diet. But calculating the numbers can be a hassle so think of giving your dog cereal as a reward for when they do something good or when you’re feeling generous but only once in a while.
Can Dogs Have Cereal with Milk?
To keep it simple, your dog does not need to drink milk at all. Although it contains calcium, protein, and some vitamins, your dog can get those nutrients from a regular diet. Some dogs are also lactose intolerant, which poses a whole new set of risks when feeding them milk. Moreover, milk already contains a lot of fat and possibly added sugar. Adding cereal will make it even more sugary. As a result, the consumption of milk with cereal can cause diarrhea and vomiting in your dog and may lead to other health complications. We have covered everything you need to know about dogs and cereal with milk in our article “ Can Dogs Eat Cereal And Milk?”
How To Feed Cereal to Your Dog
How you should feed cereal to your dog depends on how big of a breed they are. This is because it is important to feed your dog the cereal of correct grain sizes to avoid choking hazards. Pieces of cereal can clump together because of which there may be higher chances of your dog choking on it. The clumps may even get lodged in your pet’s digestive tract. So if you own a small dog, buy a brand of cereals that are smaller in size.
If you suspect that your dog has an intestinal blockage, consult your vet immediately.
Conclusion
So yes, your dog can eat cereal. Cereals that do not contain excessive sugar, and toxic ingredients like raisins and xylitol are safe for canine consumption in small amounts. Cereal works as an occasional treat to your dog so be sure to feed it in moderation to avoid obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. It is highly suggested that you take your vet’s advice before you feed anything to your dog.
Now that you know what type of cereal is edible for dogs, explore more about cereal-related dog articles on cereal for dogs.
Have you ever given a bowl of cereal to your dog? How did they like it? We would love to hear from you. Please share with our community by leaving a comment below.